Thursday, July 05, 2012

Student allowance numbers rise 61 percent in 5 years

Student allowances aren't classified as benefits. A case could be argued why they should be. But they are part of the Education budget, not Social Development and Employment.  As it stands, keeping them separate makes benefit stats look better. If someone moved from the DPB to a Student Allowance they officially stop being a beneficiary and become a student. But they remain the same (or very similar) item of government expenditure.



table SA.2: Types of Student Allowance received
Type of Student Allowance received Students receiving a Student Allowance1
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Single – parentally income tested away from home 11,404 12,704 14,031 18,280 21,041
Single – parentally income tested at home 18,851 21,158 23,202 26,872 31,921
Single – not parentally income tested away from home 1,959 1,987 2,110 3,456 3,404
Single – not parentally income tested at home 14,887 14,467 14,845 20,249 24,067
Single – student in independent circumstances 2,187 2,121 2,071 2,205 2,078
Single – student with dependent child(ren) 1,542 1,572 1,583 1,868 2,243
Couple – both students2 1,684 1,622 1,279 1,512 1,647
Couple – student with dependent spouse or partner2 5,638 5,524 5,288 6,497 7,400
Couple – student with earning spouse or partner2 1,307 1,350 1,296 1,699 2,147
Total 59,459 62,505 65,705 82,638 95,948
Notes
  1. The number of students recorded as receiving a Student Allowance during years ended 31 December.
  2. Includes couples both with and without children.
The 2010 cost of student allowances was $570 million. Also up 61 percent from 2006 when it was $354 million.

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