Deferring an Employment Services Assessment (ESAt) referral 001-02330020

If the customer already has a current and valid assessment of the customer's work capacity, this may be reapplied to finalise an ESAt flag for a pending Job Seeker Snapshot.

Referral for an ESAt is not required in most cases. To view an existing report, go to the Referral Summary screen in Process Direct:

• key 'RRSUM' in Super Key, select Enter, or
• select Participation Summary > Activity type/Non-applied exemptions > Referral summary
• select the relevant ESAt/JCA report

If the customer's circumstances have changed since the last assessment was completed, or if it is evident that the assessment does not reflect the customer's current circumstances, a new ESAt may be required.

Is a new ESAt required?

• Yes, go to Step 2
• No, use the current and valid assessment. Procedure ends here

Job seekers:

• with mutual obligation requirements, where there is a valid reason for deferment and the job seeker has a current exemption from mutual obligation requirements, go to Step 3
• who have been granted (but are not currently receiving) a payment with mutual obligation requirements, where it has been determined that the ESAt is still required and deferment is appropriate, go to Step 4
• without mutual obligation requirements, where deferment of the referral is appropriate, go to Step 5
• who have a Disability Support Pension (DSP) claim in progress, go to Step 6

Referral for an ESAt for a job seeker with mutual obligation requirements can be deferred if the following conditions are met:

• the job seeker has been granted a current exemption from their mutual obligation requirements (any type of exemption will be valid for this purpose), and
• there is a valid reason why the referral should be deferred, because of the customer's current circumstances (for example, major personal crisis, major personal disruption)
• valid reasons are:
• Major Personal Crisis
• Major Personal Disruption at home
• Other Special Circumstances
• Refugee - first 12 weeks
• Caring responsibilities
• Expectant customer
• Overseas
• Community Service Order
• Jury Duty
• Bereavement
• Pending medical evidence

Job seekers with mutual obligation requirements should have an exemption coded on the Activity and Exemption Summary (AEX) screen.

The customer's circumstances will normally be reflected in the type of exemption granted, but there is no requirement for the exemption to be restricted to the above list. This is a list of circumstances, and not a list of exemption types.

The fact that an exemption from mutual obligation requirements is granted does not automatically mean that the ESAt referral should be deferred. A decision to defer the ESAt referral is made on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the customer's circumstances. For example, if a customer is currently experiencing a major personal disruption (such as where their home has been damaged in a bushfire) but states that they wish to be referred to an assessor as soon as possible and it is reasonable for them to attend an appointment for this purpose, the ESAt request should be made as normal, even though the customer may have a current exemption from mutual obligation requirements.

Note: refugee customers will have their ESAt deferred for up to 12 weeks at the new claim interview. From 6 weeks after their arrival in Australia, a refugee customer may request to be linked to Workforce Australia as a volunteer to look for work before their mutual obligation requirements exemption end date.

Is this the circumstance that applies to the customer?

• Yes, go to Step 7
• No, go to Step 4

The ESAt referral may be deferred for customers who have been granted (but are not currently receiving) a payment with mutual obligation requirements, such as JobSeeker Payment (JSP), in the following circumstances:

• the customer's payment has been granted, but the payment start date is in the future because of a waiting/preclusion period such as an Income Maintenance Period or Liquid Assets Waiting Period
• the customer's payment is suspended, for example, because they are imprisoned, or overseas and payment is not portable (generally the suspension period is for a maximum of 13 weeks, after which payment should be cancelled)
• the customer is subject to a non-payment period, unemployment preclusion period or where the job seeker has entered into a post cancellation non-payment period

The ESAt referral may only be deferred for these customers if:

• an ESAt is required (because it is not appropriate to reapply the outcomes of a current and valid assessment, or to withdraw the ESAt flag), and
• the customer has been offered the opportunity to be referred to an Assessor on a voluntary basis, and has declined (this is not an option for customers who are imprisoned or overseas)

In these circumstances the customer does not need to have an exemption from mutual obligation requirements for an ESAt request to be deferred.

Is this the circumstance that applies to the customer?

• Yes, go to Step 7
• No, go to Step 5

The customer is not receiving a payment with mutual obligation requirements, and it is appropriate to defer the ESAt referral for a limited period.

Is this the circumstance that applies to the customer?

• Yes, go to Step 7
• No, go to Step 6

The ESAt referral can be deferred for a job seeker who has a DSP claim in progress if the customer has the Claiming DSP exemption applied.

Go to Step 7.

Is it appropriate to defer the ESAt referral?

• Yes, see Step 1 in Table 2
• No, request an ESAt. Procedure ends here

In all cases the period of deferment is limited to a maximum of 13 weeks after the Job Seeker Snapshot identified the need for an ESAt. The ESAt referral for a newly-arrived refugee should normally be deferred until 6 weeks after the customer's arrival in Australia, but this may be extended where appropriate for a maximum of 13 weeks from the date that the Job Seeker Snapshot identified the need for an ESAt.

A deferment should not exceed the end date of the current exemption from mutual obligation requirements.

Refugee customers may have their ESAt deferred for up to 12 weeks (end of exemption from mutual obligation requirements period).

If the customer has met the requirements to defer the ESAt referral in Process Direct:

• select Participation Summary > Key information
• the deferment is not recorded automatically by the system
• select Deferred Referral from this screen and complete the following fields:
• Type field - indicates the type of deferred referral
• Source field - indicates where the deferred referral was originated
• Reason field - indicates why a customer's referral has been deferred
• Start Date field - indicates when the referral was deferred
• Review Date field - indicates the date when the deferred referral matures
• Outcome field - indicates the result of the deferred referral
• Outcome Date field - indicates the date when the deferred referral is finalised
• AMR field - indicates the Activity Management Reference Number

The system will display the job seeker's current exemption, which is coded on the AEX screen if one exists. When the user enters a Review Date which is greater than 13 weeks from the start date for ESAt/JCA Deferred Referral, an error E258JM will be displayed preventing a further deferment period from being recorded.

Once the deferment is recorded:

• the JSR/UPD activity on the customer's record indicating the requirement for an ESAt (with keyword of 'ESAREFRQ') will be automatically finalised. This activity will be re-created once the deferment expires
• the Job Seeker Snapshot status will remain 'pending'
• there will not be any activities or prompts on the customer's record indicating a requirement for an ESAt

Advise customer about the reason for the deferred referral.

• When referral matures, go to Step 4
• If customer volunteers to attend an ESAt during deferment period and it is deemed appropriate for them to attend, go to Step 5

When the deferred referral matures, the system will create an automatic activity to advise the Service Officer about the ESAt requirement unless there has been a change in circumstances, for example, the customer's payment is cancelled.

The JSR/UPD activity (with keyword of 'ESAREFRQ') is automatically re-created following expiry of the deferment period. See Request an Employment Services Assessment (ESAt).

A new period of deferment cannot be granted if this will make the total deferment period more than 13 weeks after the Job Seeker Snapshot identified the need for an ESAt.

If a customer volunteers to attend an ESAt during the deferment period and it is deemed appropriate for them to attend, the Service Officer can:

• code an end date for the deferment period
• request an ESAt