In-hand allowance

When a young person is getting Youth Payment with youth money management, they can get up to $50 a week paid directly to them as an in-hand allowance.

After the young person's accommodation, service costs and lawful debts are paid by redirection, the balance of payment, if any, is divided between the young person's payment card and their in-hand allowance. The maximum amount that can be paid direct to a young person as an in-hand allowance is $50.

Generally, when there is more than $50 available after all of a young person's redirections have been taken out, $50 is paid directly to the young person and the remainder is placed on their payment card. This is unless YSSU thinks that another distribution would be more appropriate for the young person.

Youth Service providers are responsible for making recommendations to YSSU on how their clients' payments should be divided between the payment card and the in-hand allowance. When doing this, providers consider what would be the best distribution for the young person, given their individual circumstances.

YSSU then makes the final decision on how the young person's payment will be distributed, taking into account the information supplied by the young person's service provider.

A young person renting has $85 left after their accommodation and service costs and any debts have been paid. A maximum of $50 can be paid directly to the young person.

However, the service provider wants to make sure the young person has money to buy enough food for themselves. The young person lives within walking distance of the school they are attending and does not have transport costs to get there. 

The provider discusses with the young person in their budgeting sessions what their spending habits are, and the young person advises them they go to the market to get fruit and vegetables. The provider decides to recommend the young person gets a $25 in-hand allowance and will check with them that they are still going to the market and have enough food with $60 on their payment card.

YSSU agrees with the recommendation and pays the client a $25 in-hand allowance, and puts $60 on the payment card.

A young person in a boarding situation has $70 left after their board costs (which include food) and any debts have been paid. The young person has transport costs to get to school.

The young person buys their own personal toiletry items from the supermarket.

After discussions with the young person, the provider recommends paying a $50 in-hand allowance to the young person and placing $20 on the payment card to be used to purchase their personal toiletry items.

YSSU agrees with the recommendation and pays the client a $50 in-hand allowance and puts $20 on the payment card.

If, at any time, a Youth Service provider considers that the current distribution of an existing client's payment between the payment card and in-hand allowance is inappropriate for the client's circumstances, they can recommend to YSSU that the distribution be altered.

When determining whether it is appropriate to recommend a client's payment distribution be altered, providers must take into account a range of factors.

Note a young person cannot review the decision on how the Youth Payment is paid to them.