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Learner Policy & Procedures

Published Date: January 01, 2019
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Learner Income Support Benefits

Continuous Supplementary Benefits (General Policies)

High School Incentive Benefit

AUTHORITY

Income and Employment Supports Act, sections 5, 7 and 9
Income Support, Training and Health Benefits Regulation, section 24(2)(c)

INTENT

To encourage young single parents to remain in the family home where additional supports are available, a high school incentive benefit can be provided.

POLICY

The Government of Alberta may provide a High School Incentive benefit to a learner household in which a 16-19 year old parent who is attending the regular school system full-time and lives with their parent(s) who is also a learner.

The learner household is eligible for this benefit when:

  • the 16-19 year old is attending the regular school system on a full-time basis,

     

  • the 16-19 year old and their child(ren) must be dependants on their parent’s learner file, and

     

  • the 16-19 year old must be the legal guardian of the child(ren)


Where the youth’s parent is the legal guardian of the grandchild, the household is not eligible for this benefit.

Rate

The High School Incentive benefit is the difference between the Core Shelter and Core Essential benefits that the household would be eligible for if all members were considered as dependents, and the core benefits that the youth learner would be eligible for if an independent learner file was established.

PROCEDURE

The rate for the High School Incentive is determined by:

  1. Calculating the rate (A) that the learner (head of the household unit) would receive if the single parent youth and the child(ren) of the youth were considered as dependants of the learner.

     

  2. This rate is then deducted from the sum of the rates (B+C) that the two families would receive if they were considered as individual learner household units. This difference is the High School Incentive Benefit.

     

  3. The High School Incentive is then added back to the rate that the learner household unit would receive if the youth and the child(ren) of the youth were considered as dependants of the household (the rate in #1).

Formula
(B+C)-A=High School Incentive

The learner must submit a Learner Income Support Application (Full Time Study) or a Change in Circumstances for Learners with a request for the High School Incentive benefit.

APPROVAL

Learner Benefit Coordinator, Learner Income Support Office