Applicable parent
An applicable parent is a parent of a young person who will have their income assessed for the Parental Income Test. A young person may have multiple parents, but they can only have up to 2 applicable parents.
An applicable parent cannot be a parent who:
- the young person has a Parental Support Gap with or
- is in a relationship with another parent the young person has a Parental Support Gap with because of a safety concern
Priority order for determining applicable parents
Determining a young person's applicable parents is based on a priority order. Generally, their natural or adoptive parents will be their applicable parents. A step parent is only considered if the young person has a Parental Support Gap with 1 or more natural or adoptive parents.
The priority order means a young person cannot be expected to rely on a parent they have a Parental Support Gap with because of a safety concern, or a partner of that parent.
The table below sets out the priority order for determining a young person's applicable parents. The priority order is followed until all available parents have been considered.
Priority | Parent to be considered |
First | Natural or adoptive parents must be considered first. If less than 2 applicable parents have been determined, continue following the priority order. |
Second | If the young person lives with a step parent, that step parent is considered next. If less than 2 applicable parents have been determined, continue following the priority order. |
Third | If a step parent is in a relationship with a natural or adoptive parent who does not have a Parental Support Gap, that parent is considered next. If less than 2 applicable parents have been determined, continue following the priority order. |
Fourth | If a step parent is in a relationship with a natural or adoptive parent who has a parental support gap that is not because of a safety concern, that step parent is considered next. |
Young person has no applicable parents
When a young person has no applicable parents, they meet the Parental Income Test.
For more information see:
Legislation
- Jobseeker support: parental income requirement: applicable parent section 23E Social Security Act 2018
- Jobseeker support: parental income requirement: priority order for applicable parent determinations section 23F Social Security Act 2018
- Jobseeker support: parental income requirement: priority order for parental support gap determinations section 23H Social Security Act 2018
