Eligibility and registration for Workforce Australia as a Fully Eligible Participant (FEP) 001-02020020

To be eligible for services as a FEP, job seekers must be a:

• JobSeeker Payment (JSP), Youth Allowance (YA) or Parenting Payment Single (PPS) recipient with mutual obligation requirements
• Disability Support Pension (DSP) customer aged under 35 years with compulsory participation requirements
• Nominated Visa Holder (including Temporary Protection Visa Holders and Safe Haven Visa Holders) in receipt of Special Benefit and have mutual obligation requirements
• Special Benefit (SpB) recipient who is required to meet the Special Benefit Policy activity test
• New Zealand non-protected Special Category Visa holder eligible for JSP or YA
• Vulnerable Youth and Vulnerable Youth (Student), or
• newly arrived refugee eligible for the Better Targeting of Support for Refugees measure. These customers can choose to participate within a Workforce Australia provider as a FEP on a voluntary basis. For more information, see Refugee Service Offer

Eligibility to access employment assistance services through Workforce Australia, has full details about eligibility for all registration types.

During the Participation Interview or Job seeker registration workflow, Services Australia will register a customer as a FEP job seeker.

This process includes:

• registering the customer as a job seeker with the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR)
• providing them with their Job Seeker Identification (JSID) number, and
• conducting the Job Seeker Snapshot to determine the appropriate referral type required (if appropriate)

Where the Job Seeker Snapshot determined that a referral to Workforce Australia Services is required:

• the job seeker will usually be automatically referred to Workforce Australia Online for Individuals, and
• a message will be displayed to explain this to the job seeker

If the job seeker required a provider appointment to be booked instead, the interview will proceed to booking an appointment with an employment services provider.

Where the Job Seeker Snapshot determined that an Employment Services Assessment (ESAt) is required to determine the job seekers work capacity and the correct employment services provider:

• an ESAt referral will be made, and
• the Job Seeker Snapshot will remain pending until the ESAt report has been accepted

All job seekers claiming or receiving an income support payment with mutual obligation requirements will have their job seeker registration and Job Seeker Snapshot interview completed by Services Australia (unless they have recently completed an online Job Seeker Snapshot at the end of the online new clam process). However, providers can register job seekers without mutual obligation requirements and apply the Job Seeker Snapshot if necessary. Where a Job Seeker Snapshot initiated ESAt is flagged, providers can make the referral directly to an Assessor.

During the New Claim Participation Interview, RapidConnect requirements will also be determined. If the job seeker is subject to RapidConnect provision and a provider appointment is required, an appointment needs to be made:

• within 2 working days, or
• up to a maximum of 14 days

Non-attendance at this appointment can affect the job seeker's start date.

Job seekers referred to Workforce Australia Online for Individuals will meet their RapidConnect obligations by creating a Career Profile within their Workforce Australia online service and agreeing to their Job Plan online.

In some circumstances, referral to the provider may be deferred.

Principal carers with mutual obligation requirements must register as FEP. Service Officers must complete the job seeker registration and referral to an employment service provider. Parenting Payment (PP) job seekers with mutual obligation requirements are not subject to RapidConnect but are required to be connected with an employment services provider, unless exempt from doing so.

New job seekers claiming for payments who are principal carers already meeting part-time mutual obligation requirements by undertaking suitable paid work/self-employment, of at least 15 hours per week or studying full-time, will be registered as FEP if they wish to volunteer for employment services. They must be connected to a provider and have the initial appointment booked. However, if they do not wish to volunteer for employment services, they must be registered as a Job Seeker Registration Only (JSRO) job seeker.

It is compulsory for mature age job seekers (aged 55 or over) with mutual obligation requirements to be registered as FEP. Service Officers must complete the job seeker registration and referral to an employment services provider. If the mature age job seeker is fully meeting their mutual obligations through an approved activity, they are not required to be referred to an employment services provider. See Approved mutual obligation requirements for mature age customers.

Mature age job seekers who are undertaking approved voluntary work, suitable paid work, self-employment or a combination of these activities for at least 30 hours per fortnight to meet their mutual obligation requirements, will be registered as FEP if they wish to volunteer for employment services. They must be connected to a provider and have the initial appointment booked. If they do not wish to volunteer for employment services, they must be registered as a Job Seeker Registration Only (JSRO) job seeker.

Job seekers in this age group who are not receiving income support are not eligible to be registered as a Fully Eligible Participant (FEP) unless they are a Vulnerable Youth (VY) or Vulnerable Youth (Student) VY(S).

Young people who wish to access employment services may be eligible to have the Vulnerable Youth (VY) or Vulnerable Youth (Student) (VY(S)) flag recorded on their record as part of the FEP registration.

VY and VY(S) can be registered either by Services Australia or directly by a Workforce Australia organisation. If they are directly registered, these young people will be referred to Services Australia within 4 weeks to test their eligibility for income support payment.

For further information on registering these customers, see Eligibility and registration for employment assistance as a Vulnerable Youth (VY) or Vulnerable Youth (Student) (VY(S)).

If they are not a Vulnerable Youth or Vulnerable Youth (Student), they may be eligible for Workforce Australia Online as a volunteer or Workforce Australia - Transition to Work (TtW).

Young people who are not in receipt of income support payments who are under school leaving age, including those under 17 years, can be registered only if they have an approved exemption from legal requirements to attend school.

Job seekers with a right to work in Australia and on an income support payment with mutual obligation requirements are eligible for Workforce Australia as a FEP.

The following job seekers are excluded from being registered as FEP:

• overseas visitors on a working holiday visa
• overseas students studying in Australia
• people prohibited by law from working in Australia

Job seekers not eligible to register as a FEP can register for Workforce Australia Online for Volunteers. This can be done via myGov or the Workforce Australia website. However, if the job seeker approaches Services Australia to register and they have a myGov account, their job seeker registration can be activated via Participation Summary. A Job Seeker Snapshot is not required for volunteer registrations.

See Eligibility for Employment Services as a volunteer.

Retrenched workers (and their partners) can access employment services by directly registering with a Workforce Australia provider as Fully Eligible Participants for the Early Access initiative.

Retrenched workers (and their partners) do not need to be in receipt of income support and do not require a Centrelink referral to be eligible.

To register in Early Access, customers must have either:

• been retrenched in the last 6 months
• been told by the business they are employed with, up to 3 months before the retrenchment date

Tell the customer to:

• register directly with a local Workforce Australia provider
• contact the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations National Customer Service Line for more information

To be eligible for the Early Access initiative:

• customers need to provide their Workforce Australia provider with evidence of retrenchment. This includes a letter or Separation Certificate, with the retrenchment date and company name identified
• partners will need to show evidence of their relationship (where applicable)

For support for retrenched workers, see Resources page.

Job seekers who live in a Department of Employment and Workplace Relations designated remote area, are registered and referred to Remote Australia Employment Service (RAES) providers as Remote Fully Eligible (RFE).