My name is Jeremiah R and I am gap year student planning to go to university in 2010. I graduated from Darwin High School (NT) in 2008. I am one of many students disadvantaged by the new independent youth allowance (IUA) laws that will take place on the 1 January 2010. After being told in January 2009 that I can receive independent youth allowance if I earn $19,000 plus, I started a registered business teaching breakdancing to young school children. I started working at Gloria Jean’s in hopes to earn $19,000 to qualify for Independent Youth Allowance.

I have been accepted into Griffith University (Gold Coast) to study next year and I have booked accommodation for my period of studies. I have even book flights in July to check my University and the Gold Coast out. After balancing out the books I have earnt $10,000 dollars, which is half the amount to qualify for Independent Youth Allowance. However, the changes in Independent Youth Allowance mean that I can no longer receive independent youth allowance based on the earning $19,000 plus, 18 months after leaving school. Instead I must now work 30 hours a week for at least two years to qualify for IUA.

However, the laws come into affect 1st January next year, but there is a catch. You must start studying fulltime at University before 1 January 2010 for the new laws not to affect me. This means students that graduated in November 2008 that have earnt $19,000 plus must be enrolled fulltime at a university before 1 January 2010. However since most Universities courses start in March next year, many 2008 graduate students (including myself) that took a gap year in 2009 will miss out by two months. To me this means that I can either start university next year without Independent Youth Allowance or defer another two years and work 30 hours a week for the new criteria.

I cannot start University without independent youth allowance. Therefore I am forced give up my position for my course at University and my accommodation and work until I meet the new criteria. Also, as a small business owner, how am I going to prove the amount of hours I put into the business to make it functional? Can researching, paperwork or travelling be consisted as working hours? I can easily prove the amount of money I have earnt through invoices and my tax declarations. Now these laws are going to force me to quit my business because I cannot find 30 hours of work per week (even if I can make the $19,000 plus). This to me is unfair since I have invested a lot into this business including my time, effort and money.

I believe that the new laws should be introduced no earlier than 1 July 2010 because students like me that graduated in 2008 will miss out just by two months. It is unfair for us gap year students to be told that if we earn $19,000 plus we will qualify for independent youth allowance and have this promise broken. After months of planning and organising our future at University I am now forced to forfeit my position at University to meet these new criteria, thus stuffing up what I have carefully planned so far. After all Kevin Rudd's election promise was to start an educational revolution, and so far he has been disadvantaging future University students. Please keep me informed. Please, rethink the laws regarding independent youth allowance or at least postpone it. Please keep me informed. Jeremiah R fez5stars@hotmail.com

Hi, I am currently doing my gap year and working in a local coffee shop in central west NSW. My employer and I calculated my requirements for me to earn the required amount for my independence which allow youth allowance next year. To my horror it appears I will be unable to attend university next year. I have been accepted into 2 graphic design courses, either CSU and Canberra. My dad earns reasonable money however we are a one income family and he will struggle to give me $200+ dollars next year. Mr Rudd didn't tell my dad that he would be looking at losing $10,000 per year in his budget address. Dad's voted Labor last time round but now regrets this decision. Policy on the run he reckons. K

I, like many others have taken this year off to be able to qualify for independent youth allowance. I live in a rural area and if this new legislation comes in, I will not be able to support myself for any further studies. I am not willing to give up another year of working in order to qualify for the new legislation, for the fear I will not wish to return to studying and that my hard earned OP has no relevance(what a waste!). Even if I was, in my area the chance of finding a 30hr a week, stable job, with the intention of eventually resigning to begin university, is not an incentive for employers, which means it is basically impossible to find a job. Looks like country people are once again left to suffer, due to a badly thought out change, and the timing of it.