At School 5-18

Financial Assistance - Eligibility

Eligibility criteria

To be eligible for the EMA:

  1. Your child must be under the age of sixteen; and
  2. Your child must be enrolled at a primary or secondary Government or registered school in Victoria on, 29 February 2012 for the first instalment and 3 August 2012 for the second instalment; and
  3. You must on 1 February 2012 for the first instalment and 16 July 2012, for the second instalment:
    • be a parent or legal guardian of the student; and
    • be an eligible beneficiary within the meaning of the State Concessions Act 2004, that is, a holder of Veterans Affairs Gold Card or be an eligible Health care card (HCC) or Pensioner Concession Card (PCC) holder or
    • be a foster parent.
  4. Submit your application to the school by the due date:
    • 29 February 2012 for the first instalment*
    • 3 August 2012 for the second instalment.
    * Please note: you only need to make a second application in August if your child changes schools between March and August.

The Pension Concession Card (PCC) or Health Care Card (HCC) is subject to electronic confirmation with Centrelink to verify that the cardholder is receiving a benefit.

 

 To be eligible for the SSB:

  1. Your child must be enrolled in Prep (Year 0) or Year 7 in a Victorian registered school in 2012; and
  2. Your child must be enrolled and attending a primary or secondary Government or registered school in Victoria by census day (29 February 2012); or
  3.  Be registered for home schooling with the VRQA (Victorian Registration & Qualifications Authority) to undertake Prep or Year 7 equivalent in 2012. and
  4. Your child must not have already been paid the SSB for that year level; and
  5. You must on 16 January 2012:
    • be a parent or legal guardian of the student; and
    • be an eligible beneficiary within the meaning of the State Concessions Act 2004, that is, a holder of Veterans Affairs Gold Card or be an eligible Health care card (HCC) or Pensioner Concession Card (PCC) holder or
    • be a temporary foster parent.

The Pension Concession Card (PCC) or Health Care Card (HCC) is subject to electronic confirmation with Centrelink to verify that the cardholder is receiving a benefit.

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Foster parent eligibility

Applications made under the foster parent category apply to the foster child only. Temporary caregivers through the Department of Human Services are considered to be foster parents*.

* Please note: foster parents must provide their school a copy of the letter stating temporary care arrangements from the Department of Human Services or the courts for the school's records.

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Concession card codes eligible for EMA & SSB

The following cards are eligible provided that you are receiving the eligible benefit on:

EMA

  • 1 February 2012 for the first instalment, and 
  • 18 July 2012 for the second instalment.

SSB

  • 16 January 2012

 

Eligible Pension Concession Cards:

  • Age pension (card code - AGE/AGE BLIND)
  • Bereavement Allowance (card code - BVA)
  • Carer payment (card code - CAR)
  • Disability support pension (card code - DSP)
  • Disability support pension – blind (card code - DSP BLIND)
  • Mature age allowance (card code - MAA)
  • Mature age partner allowance (card code - MPA)
  • Newstart allowance – over 60 (card code - NSA)
  • Newstart mature age allowance (card code - NMA)
  • Parenting payment – partnered over 60 (card code - PP)
  • Parenting payment – single (card code - PPS)
  • Partner allowance – over 60 (card code - PA)
  • Sickness allowance – over 60 (card code - SA)
  • Special benefit – over 60 (card code - SL)
  • Widow allowance – over 60 (card code - WA)
  • Wife pension (card code - WFA, WFD, WFW)
  • Widow B pension (card code - WID)

Eligible Health Care Cards:

  • Exceptional circumstances relief payment (card code - DR)
  • Family tax benefit – part A (card code - FA)
  • Farm help income support (card code - FFR)
  • Low income card (card code - LI)
  • Newstart allowance (card code - NS)
  • Newstart mature age allowance (card code - NMA)
  • Parenting payment – partnered (card code - PP)
  • Partner allowance (card code - PA)
  • Sickness allowance (card code - SA)
  • Special benefit (card code - SL)
  • Widow allowance (card code - WA)
  • Youth Allowance (card code - YA)
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Parents not eligible for EMA & SSB

If you receive a Carer Allowance (formerly Child Disability Allowance), Mobility Allowance, Remote Area Allowance or any other benefit not income tested by Centrelink you are not eligible for the EMA & SSB unless you are also a holder of one of the eligible concession cards listed above.

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Further information