The Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC) payment supports families who are home educating because their child cannot reasonably access their local school, including due to distance, disability, mental health, anxiety, or when the school environment itself is not a safe or suitable option for that child. The payment is made over four terms for the year.

Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ - Eligibility

What is the AIC payment?

Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC) is a group of Centrelink payments for parents and carers of children who can’t go to a local government school because of geographical isolation, disability or other needs. It is a significant payment available to some home educators, but it is not a ‘homeschool payment’. There are no government payments to home educate your children.

In most cases related to your child having a disability or anxiety, you will need a medical professional to fill in a portion of the forms to show that the child can not attend school, or that a home education environment is better for the child.

Please note that that not all home educated children will be eligible for this payment.

See the Centrelink website for detailed information about eligibility and how to submit claims.

In addition to the initial eligibility criteria, ongoing receipt of the AIC payment requires annual evidence of continuing registration. Note that if you forget to supply your registration letter with your annual paperwork to AIC staff, it can be uploaded through your MyGov account – when the MyGov system asks if it is a Centrelink form or Supporting Document, choose Centrelink form, then put AICEOY as the code. That gets your registration letter directly to the AIC team promptly.

Please note that that not all home educated children will be eligible for this payment.

See the Centrelink website for detailed information about eligibility and how to submit claims.

If it is affecting your child’s ability to attend school, then yes, you are eligible to apply providing you meet other eligibility requirements. You can find more information on those here https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/who-can-get-assistance-for-isolated-children

You do not need a formal diagnosis, but you do need to have a professional (GP, specialist, allied health) who is treating your child for the need that is affecting their ability to attend school, to attest to the reasons why. For example, if your child has severe social anxiety, or severe mental health effects as a result of bullying, you may be eligible to apply. You are eligible to apply if your child is unable to attend school for any number of reasons. You can find more information on those here https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/who-can-get-assistance-for-isolated-children

There are many situations that are considered eligible. If you are home educating, you will need to be registered for home education in your state or territory to be able to apply. Other situations that are also considered eligible (such as distance education or virtual school) can be found on the Services Australia website https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/who-can-get-assistance-for-isolated-children

AIC is available for eligible students from compulsory school age through to the end of secondary schooling, provided eligibility criteria continue to be met. The upper limit of age-based eligibility will depend on the upper registration age in your state or territory, because you can only claim while the child is still registered or enrolled in primary or secondary education. For example, in Victoria, the child can be registered until the year they turn 18, so AIC will continue to the end of that calendar year but not beyond, as home education registration cannot be extended beyond this time.

Yes, residents of every state and territory can apply. It is a federal payment, so the rules are the same for everyone.

If you are eligible to receive other Centrelink payments, then you are eligible for the AIC provided you meet the standard eligibility requirements. These can be found here https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/who-can-get-assistance-for-isolated-children. If you are unsure, call the AIC team on 132 318.

Any child that is unable to attend school may be eligible to apply. When filling out the forms for distance education (ie not home education) contact the AIC team as some fields may need to be completed differently to the instructions provided on our website https://home-ed.vic.edu.au/assistance-for-isolated-children/ . The AIC team can be reached on 132 318.

FAQ - The Application Process

Can I apply partway through the year?

Yes. You can apply at any time, you do not need to wait until the start of a school year. You can also apply for the previous year as long as your application is submitted by 1st March. You will be back-paid depending on when eligibility began.

Yes, you can also apply for the previous year as long as your application is submitted by 1st March. You will be back-paid depending on when eligibility began.

A parent/guardian needs to fill out the claim form (SY040) – https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/sy040 

 

You may also require a Medical Statement – Student Special Needs form (SY099) – https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/sy099 which must be completed by a medical practitioner, specialist or allied health professional “treating” the need that has led to the child’s inability to attend school.

 

The additional forms required will be determined by the reason for home educating.

The Medical Statement – Student Special Needs form (SY099) – https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/sy099 must be completed by a medical practitioner, specialist or allied health professional “treating” the need that has led to the child’s inability to attend school. If you don’t know who to choose, then it is usually best to pick the professional who knows the situation well and understands the need to make the change to home education.

The forms are confusing because they were not written with home education in mind. The questions most people are unsure about answering are covered below with an explanation:

 

SY040 claim form:  (updated 11th November 2024)

Q1-42 are about the applicant (parent/carer) and the student. If claiming for more than one student, multiple forms will need to be completed.

Q12 – is your home on a property? For general housing the answer is “no

Q43 – What year are you claiming AIC for? – this can be for the year ahead if you haven’t started yet, or the current year even at the end of that year if you have been home educating during that school year. You can claim for the previous year if your form is submitted before 1st March.

Q44 – Name of school / institution = ‘Home education’ with principal home address specified. Please note that if using a form of Distance Education (such as Virtual School Victoria), this is a registered school and those details must be supplied here.

  • (You must attache registration certificate to this application)
  • Grade/ year level: can be approximate
  • Tertiary course name, provider and course number = can leave blank if not relevant

Q45 – will the student be studying full time = generally this is ‘yes’ regardless of how many hours per day you spend ‘schooling’.

Q46 – if home educating for the entire year, this can be 1/1/xxxx, if started mid year, put the actual date your registration began

Q47 – tick which best applies (usually first box – go to Q48)

Q48 – how many days per week: generally 5-7

Q49 – complete if using partial school enrolment, otherwise tick ‘no’.

Q50 – only if relevant to Northern Territory Homeland Centre – if ‘no’ go to Q83

Q51-61 – only if second home applies

Q62-82 – only if boarding applies

Q83 – important question! See the information booklet (at the beginning of the PDF form) for more detail about ‘reason for applying for AIC’, however, most frequently the answer will be the second choice ‘has a disability or other condition/need which requires them to study from home’. If you choose this option you must also supply the SY099 Medical Statement form (completed by medical professional), but this can be submitted at a later date in order to begin the process. If choosing this option go to Q97

Q84-86 – change of circumstances only if applies

Q87-93 – geographic location only

Q94-96 – only answer as applies

Q97+ – payment details etc as requested

 

SY099 – Medical Statement (updated 6th July 2023)

Q1-7 – student / applicant details

Q8 – tick box A (ticking box C, even if true, will require statements from Dept of Education that are not likely to be provided)

Q9 – tick “no”! – THE ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION HAS CHANGED ON ADVICE FROM AIC LINE. 

Q11 – declaration

PART B

This may now be completed by an Allied Health Professional, provided you can reason why they are better served to complete than a GP / clinical psychologist.  STILL PREFERRED GP to fill in the form for ease of processing.  However if an AH professional knows your child best this may be the only option.

Q12-20 Dr / AH Professional details and specialty (skills must relate to reason child being home educated)

Q21 – you can tick “yes” at this question and just note referred by GP for specialist care.  It is not clear at this stage if ticking “no” is detrimental to your application.

Q22 – diagnosis and any other issues

Q23 – check A – go to 24 and answer Q24 only (unless other reasons applied under at Q8)

Then go to Q28 (NO NEED TO FILL IN Q25-27, unless you chose a different reason at Q8)

Q28 – usually “no” although you /  your GP will know if “yes” is relevant

Q29 – YES

Q30 – NO

Q31 – more than 20

Q32 – give details (unsure if required, says go to 34?)

Q33 – yes

Q34-36 – Dr declaration

 

  • Disclaimer – This information is advice only, and your individual circumstances may require different responses than those outlined above.  Your best source of information and support is always going to be the AIC line.  HEN is not responsible for the acceptance / rejection of AIC claims based on this advice.

To claim AIC for any calendar year, your form must be submitted by the 1st March the following year (for example: if you’re claiming for 2025 you can submit a claim before, during or after that school year. You need to submit a claim for 2025 by 1 March 2026). You may be back paid depending on when you started home educating and when you submitted the form.

 

When submitting your initial application, upload your form as a ‘document’ in your Centrelink app or through the website. Search for the main application form by its code in the list of forms (SY040).

You should phone the AIC line in a few days to check this has been received and actioned.

FAQ - Receiving Payments

Is AIC backpaid?

AIC can sometimes be backdated, depending on circumstances and when eligibility began. This is assessed case-by-case by Services Australia. If in doubt, apply as soon as possible, or contact the AIC team on 132 318.

There are two forms to complete, and you need the support of a medical professional or allied health practitioner. The payment is not means tested, but there are eligibility requirements, and home education does not on its own make you eligible to apply. Many families who are eligible worry they’re “not eligible enough”, but if your child cannot attend school, it is worth applying. More information on eligibility requirements are here https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/who-can-get-assistance-for-isolated-children 

No, AIC is not a taxable payment. It is not considered income, and therefore does not contribute to your total income assessment in a means test.

How much you get depends on your situation. You are best to assess that through the Centrelink website https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/what-assistance-for-isolated-children-payment-you-can-get-and-how-much Most families who are home educating get about $5200 per year (2026 rate is $5,277), split over four payments.

AIC Payment Dates are always about a week before school starts each term. In previous years, they have been based on which state you are in, but AIC have told us that it is more complex than that.

The approximate dates for payments this year are:

• 20-25th January

• 15-20th April

• 9-15th July

• 1-10th October

 

You should have received a letter with your exact payment dates when your claim was assessed or renewed for the year. The AIC team can also tell you the exact dates your individual payments are scheduled to be paid. Please call them on the AIC line 132 318.

AIC must be renewed each year, but the process is straightforward for most families. Centrelink (the AIC team) will get in touch later in the year (usually October) and ask you if circumstances have changed. A handful of families may need updated professional evidence but most do not, depending on the reason for eligibility. If your reasons for applying are lifelong, then you do not need any new evidence. Services Australia will tell you what is required when your renewal is due. You will need to upload your new certificate / letter of registration for the coming year (issued by your state or territory Department of Education or regulator).

Assistance for Isolated Children Payment Dates are always about a week before school starts each term. In previous years, they have been based on which state you are in, but AIC have told us that it is more complex than that.

The approximate dates for payments 2026 are:

• 20-25th January
• 15-20th April
• 9-15th July
• 1-10th October

The AIC team can tell you the exact dates your individual payments are scheduled to be paid. Please call them on the AIC line 132 318.

Still need help?

The HEN FAQs above should help most queries, and we also take enquiries via email (disability@home-ed.vic.edu.au). However the best source of information is the dedicated AIC helpline on 132 318. This line is less busy than usual Centrelink services, and the staff have been remarkably helpful and will take the time to help you answer all questions.