Continuing payments when a family leaves Family Start or Early Start

From 1 October 2017, clients can continue to receive the Early Learning Payment if:

• their family have left Family Start or Early Start and
• the client received the Early Learning Payment at the time the family left Family Start or Early Start and
• the child attends the same or any approved early childhood education programme or service

Also, the dependent child(ren) who the Early Learning Payment was being paid for must still be dependent on the client and aged between 18 months and 3 years.

Clients can access the Early Learning Payment for the dependant child(ren) who the Early Learning Payment was being paid for, at any time after leaving Family Start or Early Start until their child(ren) turns 3 years.

For example, if a family was accessing the Early Learning Payment when they left Family Start or Early Start, then subsequently left the early childhood education programme or service and later enrolled in another early childhood education programme or service (before the child turned 3 years), they are eligible to re-apply for the Early Learning Payment.

A re-application for the Early Learning Payment will only involve the client, Work and Income and the approved early childhood education programme or service.

Client's don't need to reapply through Family Start or Early Start.

There are situations where a client will not qualify for the continuation of the Early Learning Payment. For example (but not limited to):

• families that were enrolled in a Family Start or Early Start programme, but did not receive the Early Learning Payment before 1 October 2017
• clients who are granted the Early Learning Payment after 1 October 2017, family leaves Family Start or Early Start, dependent child(ren) is not yet 3 years of age and is not in an approved early childhood education programme or service
• child is no longer a dependent child of the client or there has been a change in the caregiver for the child

Families who had left a Family Start or Early Start programme before 1 October 2017, regardless of whether they received the Early Learning Payment or not, cannot reapply for the Early Learning Payment as part of the continuation process above.

However, clients in these cases can only apply or reapply for the Early Learning Payment, if their family is enrolled in a Family Start or Early Start programme, and meets all other qualifications for the Early Learning Payment.