168Young person aged 18 or 19 years, who is receiving jobseeker support as spouse or partner of person granted that benefit, or who is work-tested spouse or partner of specified beneficiary, and who is at significant risk of long-term welfare dependency

1. This section applies to a young person (P) aged 18 or 19 years without dependent children who—

2. is receiving jobseeker support under sections 20 to 24 as the spouse or partner of the person granted the benefit; or
3. is the work-tested spouse or partner of a specified beneficiary (other than a spouse or partner described in paragraph (a)).

4. If MSD determines that P is at significant risk of long-term welfare dependency (as that risk is defined in subsection (8)), MSD may require P to receive services of a kind referred to in section 373(1)(a) (youth services).

5. In exercising the discretion under subsection (2), MSD may consider factors that affect MSD’s ability to provide the young person with youth services (for example, funding and capacity to provide the services in the young person’s area).

6. However, before requiring the young person to receive youth services, MSD must take reasonable steps to consult the young person about—

7. the young person’s risk of long-term welfare dependency (as that risk is defined in subsection (8)); and
8. the proposal to require the young person to receive youth services.

9. A requirement under subsection (2) that is placed on a young person who is aged 19 years at the time the requirement is made continues—

10. until the close of the day that is 6 months after the date on which the requirement was placed on the young person, even if the young person turns 20 during that 6-month period; or
11. in the case of a young person who, on the day on which he or she turns 20, is continuing in a course of education, training, or work-based learning, until,—
    1. if the course is a course of secondary instruction or if the course ends in December, the close of the following 31 March:
    2. in any other case, the close of the day on which the course ends.

12. The following apply to a young person who is required to receive youth services under subsection (2) as if the person’s jobseeker support, or the portion of the jobseeker support or the specified beneficiary’s benefit payable to the young person under section 337, were a youth payment:

13. the obligations in section 162(1)(b) to (i) in addition to the young person’s work-test obligations or obligations under sections 124 and 125:
14. sections 55 and 289 as if the appropriate incentive payments were those set out in clauses 8 and 9 in subpart 3 of Part 6 of Schedule 4:
15. section 288:
16. sections 339, 340, 341, and 378:
17. regulations made under section 418(1)(c), (d), (l), and (m).

18. MSD may from time to time review a requirement placed on a young person under subsection (2) and may confirm or revoke it.

19. In this section, risk of long-term welfare dependency, in relation to a person, means the risk, determined using risk factors set by the Minister for the purposes of section 165 and this section by direction under section 7, that the person will, for an indefinite period, not be able to obtain full-time employment and will be likely to remain wholly or largely dependent for the person’s financial support on all or part of a main benefit under this Act.