1.1.2 Policy interpretation and application The Department of Social Services (DSS) provides advice on the application of the ABSTUDY policy. 1.1.3 Who Administers ABSTUDY? ABSTUDY is administered and delivered by Centrelink on behalf of DSS. 1.2 Financial Administration 1.2.1 Financial controls Payment procedures and practices for ABSTUDY benefits, unless otherwise specified, are to be carried out in accordance with the . 1.2.2 Overpayments and recovery Provisions relating to overpayments and recovery matters, including delegations to waive or recover student assistance debts, are authorised under the . 1.3 Freedom of information All documents created or held by the Department with regard to ABSTUDY are subject to the (“FOI Act”). Unless a document falls under an exemption provision, it will be made available to the public if requested under the FOI Act. 1.4 Privacy and Data-Matching DSS and Centrelink are bound by the provisions of the . Section 14 of the Privacy Act 1988 contains the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) that prescribe the rules for handling personal information. Persons, bodies and organisations involved in the ABSTUDY programme must also abide by the APPs and the Privacy Act 1988 when handling personal information collected for the purposes of that programme. It is an offence under Part 10, Division 3 of the , for persons to use or disclose protected information collected by Centrelink or DSS for purposes of this Act for purposes not authorised under the . Centrelink collects personal information from , students, their parents/guardians and their partners, where relevant. Centrelink may only collect this personal information necessary for, or directly related to, the ABSTUDY scheme. Relevant purposes are those identified in the , the and this ABSTUDY Policy Manual, or information that is directly related to those purposes. Centrelink and DSS may also disclose personal information where required or authorised by other legislation. For example, DSS and Centrelink may disclose personal information to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) in accordance with the
the school principal must approve the curriculum for this subject; and all curriculum documents for the Indigenous Australian studies subject, including assessment and endorsement documents from the Ministerial Council for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education, must be forwarded to DSS at the following address. Branch Manager Work and Study Payments Department of Social Services GPO Box 9820 Canberra ACT 2601 A copy of the timetable must be included showing that the equivalent of a minimum of four hours has been allocated per week for the Indigenous Australian studies subject, and the curriculum for the course of study (subject) must meet The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Curriculum Framework K-12. 28.2.2 DSS approvals DSS will advise Centrelink of: any non-government schools that have had a specialist course of study (subject) for Years 810 Indigenous Australian Studies approved; and State/Territories where Indigenous Studies is offered as an integral part of the curriculum. 28.3 Prerequisite to post-secondary course A secondary course that is an essential criterion for entry to a specific post-secondary course can be considered a special course in the following circumstances: the student is in one of the final two years of secondary school; and the student has clearly decided to enter the chosen tertiary course if accepted; and there is no similar tertiary course that could be regarded as an available alternative; and the school that the student has been attending has provided satisfactory evidence that the student has the potential to gain admission to the nominated course. 28.4 Formal specialising qualification A full-time secondary course on completion of which students receive a formal specialising qualification such as the International Baccalaureate Diploma can be considered a special course in the following circumstances: State or Territory education authorities recognise the course as a specialisation not generally available at secondary schools; and State or Territory education authorities recognise the completion certificate as a formal qualification.
58.3.7 Tax free pensions and benefits The following payments are tax free pensions or benefits that are included for the parental income test: Disability Support Pension where the individual is under age pension age, Wife Pension where both the individual and partner are below age pension age, Carer Payment where both the carer and the person being cared for are under age pension age, Department of Veterans’ Affairs invalidity service pension where the individual is below age pension age, Department of Veterans’ Affairs disability pension, war widow's and war widower's pension, Department of Veterans’ Affairs service pension and partner service pension where both partners are under age pension age and the veteran receives an invalidity service pension at the time of death, Department of Veterans’ Affairs income support supplement paid on the grounds of invalidity if the person is under age pension age, Department of Veterans’ Affairs , where DFISA is exempt from income tax, Special Rate Disability Pension safety net payment (SRDP) paid by the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission, compensation for permanent impairment paid by the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission, additional compensation for impairment from another service injury or disease paid by the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission, interim compensation paid by the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission while waiting for compensation payment for permanent impairment or additional compensation payment for impairment from another service injury or disease, and compensation for eligible widowed partner paid by the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission. Note: The payments made by the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission can be fortnightly instalments or a lump sum. Lump sums are deemed to be income only in the tax year they are received. Tax-free pensions or benefits do not include bereavement payment, Pharmaceutical Allowance, Rent Assistance, Language, Literacy and Numeracy Supplement or Remote Area Allowance. Payments not included in this section are not tax free pensions or benefits for the purposes of calculating ATI. 58.4 Income assessed under the Parental Income Test Income assessed under the Parental Income Test is combined parental income in either: