Summary

In response to recommendations of the Review of Higher Education (the Bradley Review), the bill amends the: Social Security Act 1991 to: phase-in a change to the age of independence from 25 to 22 years for the purposes of the independent youth allowance; provide that youth allowance claimants will not be able to attain independence through part-time employment or wages; increase the annual parental income threshold for non-independent youth allowance recipients; change the taper rate from 25 per cent per person to 20 per cent for families for the parental income reduction for youth allowance; increase and index to the Consumer Price Index the personal income free area for youth allowance, austudy students and Australian Apprentices; and provide the training supplement to all parenting payment recipients who are subject to participation requirements; and Social Security Act 1991, Higher Education Support Act 2003, Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004, Social Security (Administration) Act 1999 and Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986 to: provide for a start-up scholarship and a relocation scholarship (both to be indexed from 2011); and exempt (to an indexed threshold) merit and equity based scholarships from the income test under social security and veterans’ entitlements legislation. Also requires a review of the impact of this proposed Act on student income arrangements to be completed by 30 September 2012.