Period of assessment

Assessment of income should be based on the client's (and any partner's) yearly income at the time of application. However, there is discretion to assess a client's income from another 12-month period other than the expiry and issue date of a card but not more than 2 years before the date of issue.

A different income period may be appropriate where:

• a client does not qualify immediately, but will in the near future
• the client made an error when filling out their application form
• the client's estimated income in the next 12 months is lower than the previous 12 months or
• the client is self employed

If you feel that a different income period should be used, you should discuss the case with your manager client service delivery.

For self-employed clients you should ask to see their most recent set of business accounts if their current income is unavailable.

When deciding a client's income for the purpose of the Community Services Card, you should round down the amount calculated to the nearest whole dollar.