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Country kids back on the map.
14-September-2011
In yet another embarrassing policy back-flip the Federal Government today was forced to admit its application of the Youth (Study) Allowance on Inner regional students was unfair.
Member for Farrer, Sussan Ley, says an independent review has backed what the
Coalition has been saying all along, “Labor left thousands of country families’ worse off,
their only crime was being located on the wrong side of an arbitrary map”.
Youth Allowance is the Commonwealth payment made to students to assist them
meeting living and education costs, when studying or undertaking training, away from home.
In early 2010, Labor altered the eligibility for ‘Independent Youth Allowance’, requiring students from areas identified as ‘Inner Regional’ to work more hours for longer before being considered as ‘Independent’.
In the electorate of Farrer, the Gillard Government’s expanded ‘Inner Regional’ zone penalised students and parents within the Albury, Greater Hume, Corowa, Berrigan, Lockhart & Deniliquin Council areas.
“Unfortunately it doesn’t assist country kids for this year which the Coalition asked for,
but at least it looks like this stupid wrong will finally be addressed in 2012”, Ms Ley said.