Examples of determining applicable parents
This page contains examples of determining a young person's applicable parents for the Parental Assistance Test.
Living with a step parent
Example 1
Kiyomi has 2 natural parents who are separated and have both remarried. Kiyomi lives with her natural mother and her stepfather.
Kiyomi has a Parental Support Gap with her natural father, which means he cannot be an applicable parent. She does not have a Parental Support Gap with any other parents. This means one of her step parents must be the other applicable parent.
As Kiyomi is living with her mother and stepfather, her stepfather will be her other applicable parent. Kiyomi's mother and stepfather will have their income assessed for the Parental Income Test.
Example 2
Ari has 2 adoptive parents who are separated. Her adoptive father is remarried but her adoptive mother is not in a relationship. Ari lives with her stepmother but has a Parental Support Gap with her natural father who is in long-term hospital care. She does not have a Parental Support Gap with her adoptive mother or stepfather.
Ari's adoptive mother will be one of her applicable parents. Her stepmother will be her other applicable parent, instead of her stepfather. This is because Ari is living with her stepmother.
Ari's adoptive mother and stepmother will have their income assessed for the Parental Income Test.
Not living with any parents
Example 3
Pranav has 2 adoptive parents who are separated and have both remarried. He has a Parental Support gap with his adoptive mother, which means she cannot be an applicable parent. He does not have a Parental Support Gap or live with any of his other parents.
As Pranav is not living with any of his other parents, his stepmother will be his other applicable parent. This is because she is in a relationship with Pranav's adoptive father, who he does not have a Parental Support Gap with.
Pranav's adoptive father and stepmother will have their income assessed for the Parental Income Test.
Example 4
Caleb has 2 natural parents who are separated. Caleb's natural mother is remarried, and he does not have a Parental Support Gap with her or his stepfather. Caleb has a Parental Support Gap with his natural father.
As Caleb's natural father cannot be an applicable parent, his natural mother and stepfather are his applicable parents. Their income will be assessed for the Parental Income Test.
Safety concern with a parent
Example 5
Blaire has 2 natural parents who are separated and have both remarried. She has a Parental Support Gap with her natural father because he poses a risk to her safety. She does not have a Parental Support Gap with her natural mother.
As Blaire has a Parental Support Gap with her natural father because he poses a risk to her safety, his partner (Blaire's stepmother) cannot be an applicable parent.
Blaire's natural mother and stepfather will be her applicable parents and will have their income assessed for the Parental Income Test.
Example 6
Jude has 2 natural parents who are separated. His natural mother is remarried but his natural father is not in a relationship. Jude has a Parental Support Gap with his natural mother because she poses a risk to his safety. He does not have a Parental Support Gap with his natural father.
As Jude has a Parental Support Gap with his natural mother because she poses a risk to his safety, her partner (Jude's stepfather) cannot be an applicable parent.
Jude's natural father is his only applicable parent. His income will be assessed for the Parental Income Test.
