An approved money management course has three components, the registration, course reading materials and the face to face sessions.
The registration process for approved money management courses allows you to commence your 13 week minimum qualifying savings period (for the Matched Savings Payment) from the date you register for the course.
When you register for a course, you will be issued with pre course materials and advice on the course start date. The materials provided will help you to understand the course including basic information on budgeting and saving, and you can access further assistance from the organisation delivering the approved money management course to develop a savings pattern while you are waiting for your course sessions to start.
The registration process is as follows:
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You are interested in undertaking an approved money management course and are referred to a course provider delivering approved money management courses by Centrelink, another service or self-referral. A large proportion of course providers will be the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs [FaHCSIA] funded money management and Commonwealth Financial Counselling services.
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You tell the course provider that you would like to attend their next approved money management course.
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The course provider notes/registers the date you make contact and adds this to their registration records.
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The provider needs to refer back to this date when completing your Certificate of Completion as it must be included on the certificate.
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Upon registration the course provider sends you a 'registration pack' that includes a basic budget sheet, information about the Matched Savings Payment and savings pattern, notice of the date you registered for the course, and the date of your first face-toface session.
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If you do not attend your face-to- face sessions the registration date cannot be used if you decide to complete a course with another provider.
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When you complete the course, the course provider will give you a Certificate of Completion.
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The provider is required to use the template provided by FaHCSIA.
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When filling in the Certificate of Completion, the course provider must include the date you registered for the course as the 'course start date'.
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You must take the Certificate of Completion to Centrelink when you claim the Matched Savings Payment.
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When processing claims for the Matched Savings Payment, Centrelink will use the course start date from the certificate as the earliest date for your qualifying savings period.
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A later date can be agreed between you and Centrelink.
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More information on the registration process is available in the approved money management course Operational Guidelines
Disclaimer
The information contained in this publication is intended only as a guide. The information is accurate as at August 2010. If you use this publication after, please check with FaHCSIA that it is correct.