Hardship criteria

You can consider that a client is in hardship if:

• the client has no other means of supporting themselves and any dependent family

and

• the client has cash assets of or less than:
  • $4,300.00 if the client is single or
  • $7,464.00 if the client is married, in a civil union or de facto relationship, or is a sole parent

and

• the client:
  • has been receiving a Student Allowance during the academic year of a programme of study or
  • at the time of application, is entitled to a Student Allowance or would be entitled to a student allowance if their course of study had started

It is important to ensure that the client is entitled to Student Allowance at the time of application and not at some future date.

Example

Emma is not entitled to Student Allowance because of their parent's income. Emma is going to turn 24 years old before the next academic year starts (and would no longer be subject to the parental income test).

Emma is not entitled to Student Allowance at the time of application for a Jobseeker Support Student Hardship.

Emma may not be eligible for Jobseeker Support Student Hardship, but may be eligible under other hardship criteria.

• Cash assets
• Additional hardship criteria
• Cash assets earmarked for fees
• Hardship and Student Allowance

In exceptional circumstances you can disregard some of the client's cash assets see:

• Exceptional circumstances for cash assets