Kelly Vincent MLC helps Families with Kids with Disabilities get School Fee Help
03/09/2010
Carer Allowance no longer considered income by DECS for School Card eligibility.
Kelly Vincent, MLC for Dignity for Disability is pleased to announce that more South Australian families with children with a disability will be eligible for School Card fee assistance.
When Riverland resident and father of children with disabilities Neville Jenke called in April, he was distressed that his application for School Card was rejected.
“The Jenke family’s application for School Card was denied this year – with their Carer Allowance funds (a non-means tested, non-taxed federal payment of around $50/week for carers of children with a disability) pushing them just over the limit for eligibility” said Kelly Vincent.
“It seemed especially strange when we realised that Child Support payments were NOT included as income for the purposes of School card eligibility.
“I am very grateful to the Hon Jay Weatherill, Minister for Education, for his prompt action on this anomaly in DECS policy. It certainly did seem odd that a payment of $50/week – which is meant for payments to help support the needs of their children with disabilities, would push families out of a program designed to help those who are doing it tough with their families’ school fees” said the Dignity for Disability MLC.
“People are hurting, especially people with disabilities” said Mr Jenke, whose children suffer from a rare blood disorder. “So it’s important to get these things right. Good on Kelly Vincent and Minister Weatherill for fixing this”.
What is School card?
School Card is a Department of Education and Children’s Services (DECS) program. It provides financial assistance towards school fees incurred by families who meet the eligibility criteria. As an example, for a family with two children in full time schooling, the income criteria has a gross annual income limit of $33,021, and provides $197 to the school for each full time primary student, and $263 for each child is high school.
Dignity for Disability would also like to take this opportunity to inform families of a little-known provision which may enable more families to become eligible for School Card. DECS also offers “Hardship Provisions” where a families’ income would be within the eligibility limits were it not for Extraordinary and unavoidable expenses such as out of pocket medical and/or disability related expenses, or funeral expenses.
