Commonwealth Consolidated Acts

DISABILITY SERVICES ACT 1986 - SECT 24

             (1)  Where a person is undertaking a rehabilitation program that consists of, or includes, employment or vocational training, the Secretary may approve payment of a training allowance to the person.

             (2)  The rate of a training allowance is such amount per week as is, subject to paragraph (3)(a), determined, by legislative instrument, by the Minister.

             (3)  The Minister:

                     (a)  shall determine different rates of training allowance for the purposes of subsection (2) in respect of persons undertaking full‑time employment or vocational training and persons undertaking part‑time employment or vocational training; and

                     (b)  may determine different rates of training allowance in respect of different classes of persons having regard to their age.

             (4)  Where the Secretary is satisfied that a person to whom payment of a training allowance has been approved is required to live away from the person's usual place of residence for the purpose of undertaking employment or vocational training, the Secretary may approve payment to the person of a living‑away‑from‑home allowance, in addition to the training allowance, at the rate determined, by legislative instrument, by the Minister for the purposes of this subsection.

             (5)  Allowances under this section are payable from such dates, in respect of such periods, in such instalments and at such times as the Secretary determines.

             (6)  The following provisions apply in relation to allowances under this section as if an allowance under this section were an age pension under the Social Security Act 1991 :

                     (a)  subsection 1223(1) and paragraph 1223(1AB)(d) (debt arising from recipient's contravention) and sections 1233 to 1237 (recovery, write‑off and waiver) of the Social Security Act 1991 ;

                     (b)  sections 44, 55 and 57 (method of payment), 58 (claim for amounts owing at recipient's death) and 60, 61 and 62 (protection of payment) of the Social Security (Administration) Act 1999 .