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Emergency Benefit : Contents

Caring for a child with special needs (young partners)

A young partner with a dependent child can be exempt from some or all of their activity obligations if they are the:

  • principal caregiver of a dependent child or
  • foster parent of a foster child

who has special needs and whose welfare would be unduly harmed if the young partner attended education, training or work-based learning and for whom alternative care arrangements are not available, or are unable to be made.

This means the child must have 1 or more of the following:

  • physical disability or intellectual disability
  • health condition
  • chronic or recurring illness
  • learning or behavioural difficulty
  • be unable to attend school on a regular basis or
  • be a foster child, aged 1 years or older, who is adjusting to a placement with a new foster carer

This can be a full or partial exemption.

Foster child is under 1 year

A young partner may also be exempt from some of their activity obligations if they are caring for a foster child under the age of 1 years.

Evidence

The young partner must provide written evidence from a registered medical practitioner, nurse practitioner, psychologist, or social worker stating:

  • what the child's illness is and its likely duration or
  • an assessment of the child's behavioural difficulty and
  • the need for full-time care
  • the risk to the child if the young partner is required to meet their activity obligations and
  • that the child is unable to attend school

Note MSD should also consider eligibility to Child Disability Allowance. However, a child getting Child Disability Allowance does not guarantee the partner will meet the criteria for this exemption.

Duration

This exemption can be granted for up to 12 months.

This exemption should then be reviewed. At the review MSD should consider the young partner's circumstances and whether it is appropriate to extend the exemption. MSD can ask the young partner to provide evidence that their exemption should be extended.

For more information see:

Legislation

  • Exemption from work-test obligations: work-tested sole parents receiving jobseeker support regulation 102 Social Security Regulations 2018
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