To assist some young people who are making the transition from formal out-of-home care to independent living.

Transition to Independent Living Allowance (TILA) is a payment of up to $1,500 to help eligible young people cover some basic costs as they leave out-of-home care.

Young people aged between 15 to 25 years who are leaving or have already left formal out-of-home care may be eligible for the TILA. TILA is also for young people who continue to live with their foster carers after their care order expires.

The payment can be used to buy items such as a fridge or couch, pay for counselling, education and training courses, medical expenses, a drivers licence or any other items or services agreed between the young person and their case worker.

The allowance can be used for a range of support services as well as training and education materials such as:

• housing – including connecting utilities, moving expenses and bond payment
• essential household items – including appliances, whitegoods, furniture and consumables
• life skills training – including financial/budgeting, nutrition/cooking and home maintenance
• employment, education and training expenses – including books, a computer, enrolment fees, internet connection, clothing for work or interview and transport to undertake studies or employment
• Transport - Your own wheels, purchase or part-payment of a car, motorbike or bicycle, driving lessons, car or motorbike registration and insurance, car or motorbike repairs
• Public transport - Purchase of bus, ferry, train or tram passes, taxi fares to attend studies or employment
• counselling support – to address any issues identified in the transition to independence plan.
• Other items - Items not on this list will be considered on a case by case basis

Talk to your case worker if you think you might be eligible as only a case worker can apply for TILA on your behalf.

If you don’t have a case worker, contact your local state government department for child protection to be assigned a case worker:

• Australian Capital Territory (Community Services ACT Government) – (02) 6207 6643
• Northern Territory (Anglicare NT) – (08) 8946 4800
• New South Wales (Southern Youth and Family Services) – 1300 761 961
• Queensland (Qld Department of Child Safety, Seniors and Disability Services) – TILA@dcssds.qld.gov.au
• South Australia (Relationships Australia) - (08) 8419 2042
• Tasmania (Department for Education, Children and Young People) – 1300 654 583
• Victoria (Melbourne City Mission) – 1300 532 846
• Western Australia (Department for Communities, Child Protection Support ) – 1800 176 888

Examples of appropriate uses of TILA include, but are not limited to:

• support to enter accommodation (such as connecting utilities, moving expenses and bond payment)
• purchase of essential household items (including appliances, whitegoods, furniture and consumables)
• the cost of life skills programmes to equip a young person with the skills for independent living (for example, financial/budgeting, nutrition/cooking, or maintaining a home)
• support to access employment, education or training opportunities (such as purchase of books/computer, enrolment fees, internet connection, clothing for work or a work interview, transport to undertake studies or employment)
• one-off transport expenses (such as driving lessons or vehicle registration)
• the purchase of public transport passes or other essential items that will support the young person in accessing accommodation, employment, education or training
• the cost of counselling to address issues identified in the young person’s transition to independence plan
• other items not on this list will be considered on a case by case basis.

Examples of inappropriate uses of TILA include, but are not limited to:

• crisis assistance on an ad-hoc basis where the use of TILA has not been agreed as part of the transition to independence plan
• overseas travel
• game consoles (such as Nintendo Wii or Microsoft Xbox)
• items that are not portable and are installed into a premises not owned by the young person
• a cash payment to the young person.

To receive the allowance the young person must:

• be an Australian citizen or permanent Australian resident who resides in Australia at the time of application for TILA
• be aged from 15 to 25 years at the time of application
• either has been in, or is currently in, formal care on a court order
• left the care of the state or territory statutory department after the age of 15 years and was last in the department’s care for a continuous period of at least 6 months
• either be approaching an exit from formal care (within twelve weeks of applying), experiencing an exit from formal care, or have exited from formal care
• have the transition to independence plan
• has not received the full amount of TILA assistance previously (i.e. can only receive up to a total of $1,500)

The young person and the case worker must have agreed that the proposed use and timing of TILA is appropriate.

Unaccompanied Humanitarian Minors (UHM) are eligible for TILA.

A young person who is discharged from a court order or the order expires, and remains in the living arrangement (such as in the home of the foster or kinship carer or other residence) is eligible for TILA if all the other criteria also apply. TILA is to be used for the benefit of the young person and not for fixed items installed into premises not owned by the young person.

• Email: TILA@dss.gov.au