Centrelink: Uni student Ashleigh broke both her legs and couldn’t work – but an outdated Youth Allowance rule meant she was denied a vital payment to make ends meet
A university student who broke both her legs and was unable to work was denied youth benefits to make ends meet due to a technical problem.
Ashleigh Griffiths, 20, is bedridden and needs a wheelchair or crutches to get around after suffering stress fractures in both her legs.
Doctors told Mrs Griffiths it would be four months before she could put pressure on her legs and walk.
The 20-year-old was forced to quit her job as a cleaner; an income she used to support herself while studying medical radiation sciences in Canberra.
Ms Griffiths has applied for a desk job, but in the meantime she has also applied to help pay living expenses and cover her medical costs Centrelink Youth Allowance.
Ashleigh Griffith, 20, worked as a cleaner to support herself while studying medical radiation sciences in Canberra, but was forced to quit after breaking both her legs
However, her application for Youth Benefit was rejected because Centrelink was of the opinion that she was not living independently.
Centrelink currently classifies people under the age of 22 as dependent, meaning the income of their parent or guardian affects their entitlement to the benefit as well as the amount they receive.
Parents can only earn $62,634 or less per year for their child to receive the full youth allowance of $639 per fortnight.
The biweekly payment is then reduced by 20 cents for every dollar above the threshold.
Ms Griffiths’ $150 a week on board covered all her expenses while she lived at home with her mother and two sisters.
To avoid HECS indexing, she also prepays her university course fees, which totaled $2,400 last semester.
Ms Griffiths said she has been left in a ‘terrible’ position after her claim was rejected because her mother earns too much and has used her savings to pay medical bills.
The 20-year-old is also concerned that she will not be able to afford her upcoming placement, which will involve 2,000 hours of work, not covered by the government.
“Those savings were to help me afford to go on an internship because with a placement you pay for everything, your uniforms, your food, your accommodation,” Ms Griffiths said. Yahoo Finance.
‘It’s quite stressful to keep that in mind during all my consultations… I still have to make a living and I still have my placements.
“With the cost of living, there is no way my mother or any parent can fully support their child in the average Australian household.”
Centrelink rejected her application for Youth Allowance because she was under 22 years old and considered dependent on her parents
More than 450,000 students under the age of 22 are ‘excluded’ from the youth allowance because they are considered dependent, the National Student Union has found.
The union has campaigned to lower the independence age for Centrelink support from 22 to 18.
The 2024 Australian University Accord report also suggested Centrelink would increase the means test for parents from $62,634 to $68,857 per year.
By increasing the income test, more students can qualify for the youth allowance.
In 2009, former Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard lowered Centrelink’s independence age from 24 to 22.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Services Australia for comment.