Negotiating Centrelink Managed Job Plans 001-09100010

Service Officers must review the notes relating to Job Plan work items in:

• Customer First
• activity notes on the Activity List (AL) screen, or
• Notes tab after searching the Online Interaction History using the work item ID number
• Process Direct
• the Activity and Exemption Summary (AEX) screen displays the current approved activity
• Key Information tab within the Participation Summary
• Action item in the Job Plan tab on the Participation Summary

Note: Service Officers must not negotiate a Job Plan for job seekers placed in Post Placement Support. See the job seeker's current Placement Type on the Provider referral information table within the Participation Summary. For those in DES Post Placement Support, the DES provider will update the job seeker's Job Plan.

To action the work item:

• ZALL_JSR_PLN, go to Step 2
• ZALL_JSK_MFU, go to Step 3
• otherwise, see Table 2

The ZALL_JSK_PLN work item relates to:

• Activities and Exemption Summary (AEX) screen and Job Plan updates
• Approved activity and Job Plan reviews
• Failed Online-Mutual Obligation & Job Plan or AEX Reviews. These occur after:
• a job seeker completes their Agree to Job Plan online task, and
• the system is unable to update the job seekers record with the new activity or Job Plan information

If the error 'In the context of Data services an unknown internal server error occurred' displays, see Step 4 in Table 2 in Job Seeker Management Activities for workaround.

Complete the outstanding processing. See Table 2 in Approved Activity Review Job Plan Contact.

The ZALL_JSK_MFU work item relates to:

• WAP/MFU with WAPFMRP keyword
• This work item is to alert Service Officers of the need to negotiate a Centrelink Job Plan for a job seeker who is fully meeting their mutual obligation requirements:
• the AEX screen will be coded with the relevant approved activity code
• the Source field will display who the activity was approved by; Services Australia (Manual) or Provider (TT155 Transaction or Provider Vol Work Update)

Service Officers are unable to delete the activity approved by the provider. If the job seeker advises they did not commence or are no longer participating in the relevant provider approved activity, the Service Officer can only make relevant updates to the end date on the AEX screen.

To negotiate the Job Plan, see Step 3 in Table 3.

Centrelink managed Job Plans record the requirements that are negotiated between a job seeker and Services Australia that will satisfy the job seeker's mutual obligation requirements.

Where a job seeker has scanned a Job Plan and the data is not reflected on the record, Service Officers must ensure the Job Plan is completed correctly and all relevant fields have been updated.

Service Officers must:

• review the scan to see what has been requested and what has been provided by the job seeker
• check the Job Plan is signed by the job seeker
• check to see if an interpreter was used during the interview
• ensure the correct mutual obligation requirement has been recorded and aligns correctly to what is on the Activity and Exemption Summary (AEX) screen (update where required)

Can the Centrelink managed Job Plan be negotiated?

• Yes, go to Step 2
• No, due to reasons other than a system interruption, see Table 5

All job seekers with mutual obligation requirements must negotiate and agree to a Job Plan within:

• 4 business days of their first regular payment, or
• within 14 days of a change of circumstance

If incomplete within 28 calendar days, the job seeker's income support payments will be suspended.

A job seeker:

• with an exemption from their mutual obligation requirements, is exempt from the requirement to negotiate a compulsory Job Plan
• awaiting an ESAt/JCA appointment, is excluded from the requirement to negotiate a compulsory Job Plan until:
• their capacity to participate is assessed, and
• they are required to attend an initial Quarterly Participation Interview (QTI) with Services Australia, or
• they are referred to an employment service

Does the job seeker have mutual obligation requirements?

• Yes:
• If their payments have been suspended because they have not replied to correspondence about a Job Plan, go to Step 7
• For all other job seekers, go to Step 3
• No:
• The job seeker may wish to volunteer with their Employment Services Provider. See Eligibility for Employment Services as a volunteer
• Procedure ends here

Is the job seeker under 18 years of age and do they have 'At Risk' issues?

• Yes, see Eligibility and registration for employment assistance as a Vulnerable Youth (VY) or Vulnerable Youth (Student) (VY(S)). Procedure ends here
• No, go to Step 4

Is the job seeker a remote job seeker?

• Yes, if the job seeker is:
• in a Community Development Program (CDP) region and is provider managed, the CDP provider is responsible for negotiating the Job Plan. Procedure ends here
• in a CDP region and is Centrelink managed, Centrelink is responsible for negotiating the Job Plan. Arrange a phone interview to discuss their Job Plan. See Table 3
• Centrelink managed and does not live in a CDP region, arrange a phone interview to negotiate a Job Plan. See Table 4
• No, go to Step 5

Does the job seeker have a waiting period or IMP of more than 14 days from the date of interview?

• Yes:
• The job seeker does not need to agree to a Job Plan immediately. The job seeker can agree to a Job Plan now or at the end of the waiting period
• An Action item will be generated for Centrelink managed job seekers at the end of their waiting period or IMP. Service Officers must negotiate a Job Plan with the job seeker at their next contact
• If the job seeker does not negotiate and agree to a Job Plan within 28 calendar days after starting on an income support payment, their payment may be suspended. Procedure ends here
• No, go to Step 6

Has the job seeker had a break in their income support payment?

• Yes:
• If there is a Job Plan from before a break in payment, it remains current until another Job Plan is created
• When the job seeker resumes payment, negotiate a new Job Plan based on their current circumstances. Go to Step 7
• No, go to Step 7

The Participation Summary, Key Information and Job Plan/Summary screens in Process Direct show if the job seeker is:

• Centrelink managed, or
• provider managed

Is the job seeker Centrelink managed?

• Yes, go to Step 8
• No, go to Step 9

Centrelink managed job seekers are those who are fully meeting their mutual obligation requirements by:

• participating in an approved activity (approved by the provider or Services Australia)
• the relevant activity type, start and end date will display within the sentence text of Job Plans negotiated on or after 1 July 2024, or
• assessed as having a:
• partial capacity to work (PCW) of 0-8 or 8-14 hours per week, or
• temporary reduced work capacity (TRWC) of 0-8 or 8-14 hours per week

Job seekers granted a temporary exemption, for example, Major Personal Crisis (MPC) or temporary incapacity exemption:

• do not require a Job Plan, and
• will display as Centrelink managed

Note: the Action item Customer is Centrelink managed and has no current Job Plan. Negotiate Job Plan with customer, may appear for job seekers who:

• are participating full time in AMEP, and/or
• are yet to be referred to an Employment Services Provider

These job seekers are not Centrelink managed and must be referred to a provider. Once referred:

• they will display as provider managed, and
• their Job Plan will be negotiated by their Employment Services Provider

See Table 3.

The provider or Workforce Australia Online Services will negotiate the Job Plan. For new claim job seekers this will usually occur at the initial interview with their provider or automatically by Online Services. Refer the job seeker back to their provider or Online Services. Procedure ends here.

Note: for Workforce Australia Online Services job seekers, the Job Plan will only be presented to them once they complete the Career Profile, unless exempt from RapidConnect.

Is the job seeker eligible to become Centrelink managed, and able to provide all the information and verification needed?

• Yes:
• If income support payment is suspended for reason Failure to Respond to Correspondence (FRC), go to Step 10
• Otherwise, see Table 3
• No:
• If income support payment is suspended for FRC, go to Step 10
• Otherwise, tell the job seeker they must provide verification of the approved requirement. Do not update the AEX screen or negotiate a Job Plan until all information and verification is provided. Procedure ends here

A job seeker's income support payment will be suspended FRC if they do not have a Job Plan:

• negotiated within 4 business days of the date of their first regular income support payment, or
• within 28 days of becoming subject to mutual obligation requirements (for Parenting Payment Single (PPS) job seekers), or
• within 14 days of a change in circumstances, or
• agreed within 4 days of negotiating and submitting their Job Plan in their Centrelink online account

Are they a Centrelink managed job seeker?

• Yes, go to Step 11
• No:
• Restore the payment
• Complete the Job Seeker Snapshot interview using the Start job seeker registration workflow
• If appropriate, make a referral to a provider and book an appointment within 2 working days. The provider will negotiate the Job Plan
• Procedure ends here

Tell the job seeker:

• their failure to agree to the Job Plan has resulted in suspension of their payment, and
• agreeing to the Job Plan will allow restoration of their payment

Job seekers can restore their payment by completing the outstanding agree to Job Plan task in their Centrelink online account.

Service Centre staff, see Table 4.

Smart Centre staff who are:

• suitably skilled may negotiate a Job Plan with the job seeker by phone, see Table 4
• not suitably skilled must:
• check Office Locator and determine if it is appropriate to refer the job seeker as a walk-in or book a scheduled appointment
• where appropriate, book a Compulsory Participation Interview appointment, and
• once the appointment is booked, tell the job seeker of the time, date, and purpose of the appointment
• tell the job seeker they must notify the agency if their contact number changes so they can be contacted
• tell the job seeker they must negotiate and agree to a Job Plan before their income support payments can be restored

Record a DOC confirming the advice given, and any other relevant information disclosed by the job seeker.

If, after 13 weeks of suspension, a jobseeker still does not have a current Job Plan, their payment will auto-cancel.

Procedure ends here.

When a call is answered, Service Officers must advise the caller:

• of their name, and
• that they are calling from Services Australia, and
• at the beginning of every outbound call that the call may be recorded for quality assurance and training purposes

Service Officers must be satisfied the job seeker record being accessed belongs to the correct person:

• prior to assisting with a customer enquiry
• before commencing the job seeker claim appointment

See Authenticating a Centrelink customer

Service Officers must not:

• disclose the reason for the call
• identify the team they work with

This could reveal the type of business the person being sought has with the agency, and therefore affect their privacy. See Calling a customer or returning a customer's call.

Go to Step 2.

Does the job seeker have contact details recorded?

• Yes, go to Step 3
• No, go to Step 5

When contacting a job seeker is necessary:

• make every reasonable and genuine effort to ensure contact is successful
• if the contact number on the job seeker's record is a mobile number:
• create a pre-call notification (SMS only) using Desktop Electronic Messaging Capability (DEMC) if the job seeker is registered for SMS messaging, and
• after creating the SMS, wait 1 to 2 minutes before making the outbound attempt

Was the contact successful?

• Yes, see Step 3 in Table 4
• No:
• If the first attempt to contact a job seeker is unsuccessful, hold the work item until the next calendar day. (Go to Step 8 for details)
• Key sufficient detail about the outbound contact attempt on the Notes tab to allow subsequent Service Officers to action the second attempt
• Second outbound attempt, go to Step 4

If the first attempt to contact the job seeker is unsuccessful:

• make a second genuine attempt in line with current processes
• if the contact number on the job seeker's record is a mobile number
• create a pre-call notification (SMS only) using Desktop Electronic Messaging Capability (DEMC) if the job seeker is registered for SMS messaging, and
• after creating the SMS, wait 1 to 2 minutes before making the outbound call attempt

Was the contact successful?

• Yes, see Step 3 in Table 4
• No, go to Step 5

Issue a Q164 letter asking the customer to contact Services Australia.

They have 14 days to respond after they receive the letter.

• Add extra days to allow extra time for mail delivery
• Hold the work item until the Q164 response due date + 1
  For example, if a customer living in a major city was issued a Q164 on 2 July (day 0), the response due date will be 25 July (day 23). Set the Hold expiry date to 25 July, this will ensure the activity is allocated for action on the 26 July
• For instructions on how to hold the work item, go to Step 8

If the job seeker's address is recorded as No Fixed Address or Confidential:

• Create a Display on Access (DOA) DOC. Include:
• why the job seeker needs to be contacted
• what action to take it they do contact
• hold the work item for 13 weeks. If the job seeker contacts or updates their contact details (address or telephone) during this time, staff must attempt to contact the customer when work item is re-allocated

If the job seeker:

• contacts because of the suspension, restore payment and action outstanding activities. See Table 4
• fails to contact, go to Step 6

If the job seeker fails to contact by the response due date +1 after the Q164 is issued, determine if suspension action can be taken. Before suspending a customer's payment, see Suspension of payments (CLK) for information about factors to consider.

If it is appropriate to manually suspend a customer for Failing to Respond to Correspondence (SUS-FRC):

• Go to the Benefit Action (BA) screen:
• Key the payment type as the type of benefit in the Svc Rsn field
• Key the action to be taken in the Action field
• Key the suspension reason 'FRC' in the Reason field
• Select [Enter] and the date of effect will default or key the date of effect of the suspension in the Effect Date field. For further information, see Suspension of payments
• Complete the Source and the Date of Receipt fields
• Submit the update, leaving the activity started on the Activity List (AL) screen
• Create a DOC to record the decision to suspend:
• Use Fast Note - select Auto text, use Generic > SUS/CAN/RES > Suspend Cancel Reason
• Update the relevant Fast Note fields as required
• Select the Link to existing activity option in the Document Completion field. If multiple started activities exist on the job seeker's record, select the appropriate activity from the drop down list to link the Fast Note DOC to
• Include details of the reason for suspension
• Record the Date of Event and Date of Effect fields
• Include the follow-up action required if the customer contacts
• Advise if contact with the agency is required before payment can be restored or if Smart Centre Telephony staff can restore the payment
• Select Continue to complete the Fast Note. The DOC will be attached to the started suspension activity on the AL screen
• Select and finalise the started activity on the AL screen

Where the job seeker's payment has:

• been suspended for failing to contact:
• No further action is required by Services Australia
• Hold the work item for 13 weeks from the suspension date
• Do not cancel the work item
• not been suspended as it is not appropriate to suspend the job seeker's payment for failing to contact:
• undertake job seeker contact where appropriate, and
• hold the work item as per the Q164 process
• Do not cancel the work item

Note: go to Step 8 for how to hold a work item.

Complete the Change of Circumstance (COC) Interaction to prevent re-allocation of the activity.

Once AEX and Job Plan processing has been completed in Process Direct, the work item remains open in Customer First.

To complete the work item:

• go to the Workspace within Customer First
• search for Online Interaction Summary within the search window
• select Online Interaction Summary
• place work item ID in the Activity ID field and select Search
• after selecting the activity via the hyperlink, select the edit option at the top of the screen
• change the status from 'For Manual Action' to 'Completed'
• select Save at the top of the screen

Procedure ends here.

Where a Service Officer determines that a Job Plan work item (either ZALL_JSK_PLN or ZALL_JSK_MFU) cannot be completed on allocation, they must follow these instructions to hold the following work items correctly.

Ensure a DOC or Note is recorded on the record with key detail about the reason for holding the work item.

Circumstances when the work item can be placed on hold:

• Unsuccessful 1st attempt contact
• Job Plan update failed
• Payment restore action failed
• Customer disagrees with Job Plan

The work item is allocated in Process Direct however the activity needs to be manually placed on hold in Customer First. There are two different processes to place the activity on hold, it depends on the work item type.

While in Process Direct, the Service Officer needs to identify the relevant Claim ID number associated with the work item. To find this, go to the:

• Process Direct Landing page > Inbox tile
• Key the job seeker's CRN in the CRN field and select Go
• In the Work Items table, make a note of the Claim ID number that aligns with the Maintain Activities and Exemptions work item

Then go to Customer First and:

• go to the Workspace and search for Online Interaction Summary within the search window
• select Online Interaction Summary
• key the Claim ID in the Activity ID field and select Search
• select the job seekers name in the Description column
• select Edit
• change the status from For Manual Action to On Hold
• go to the Dates tab and select Expand
• find the On Hold Expiry Date line, update the hold date by selecting the Calendar icon in the date column and selecting the next calendar day
• select Save and Back

Do not place Interaction Record on hold without an expiry date. This will place the work item on Hold indefinitely, resulting in the item never reallocating.

In Customer First, in the job seeker’s record:

• Go to the AL screen
• Select the relevant activity Job Plan Update Required
• Click the (H) Hold radio button and Continue
• Click on the calendar on the Resubmit Date field and select the appropriate date and Continue

Procedure ends here.

Job Plan work items can have a description that displays as:

• Job Plan update failed
• Payment restore action failed
• Paper Job Plan scanned and requires updating

Does the Activity and Exemption Summary (AEX) screen require updating or has a Job Plan related work item been allocated?

• Yes:
• Restore payment if suspended FRC
• Check and/or update the AEX screen ensuring that the requirement start and end dates reflect the approved requirement
• Manually finalise the Job Plan (if required)
• If required, tell them that the system issue has been resolved and ensure they understand their requirement to comply with the terms of their Job Plan
• For coding assistance coding the AEX screen or finalising the Job Plan, go to Step 2
• No, determine if a started Job Plan activity on the AL screen needs to be cancelled from the job seeker's record, see Table 5

Before negotiating a Centrelink managed Job Plan, check the AEX screen reflects the job seeker participation activity.

Note: some job seekers who are currently undertaking approved study (either standalone or combination activity) as part of their mutual obligations may be entitled to Education Entry Payment (EdEP). A separate claim for EdEP is not needed. To assess and pay this payment, see Education Entry Payment.

Go to the AEX screen.

If the details recorded on the AEX screen do not reflect the job seeker's current circumstances, update the:

• approved activity, and
• relevant start and end dates up to a maximum of 12 months (whichever is the lesser)

Where the AEX activity coding is subject to a Quality Management Application (QMA) check:

• the system will not auto-populate the Job Plan until the Quality Management Officers (QMO) check is completed
• Service Officers must not commence the negotiation of a new Job Plan until the QMA check is completed.

Service Centre staff, see Team Leader for local escalation process to request an urgent QMA

Smart Centre staff, see Urgent QMA process for Smart Centres, Face to Face Services and Service Delivery Partners

Error E193AM - Task #### on another activity needs to be finished first may display where the negotiation of a Job Plan is attempted before the QMA completed. If this occurs, Service Officers must cancel the started Job Plan, see Step 6 in Table 5.

An Action item may display on the Participation Summary screen advising that the AEX screen has been updated and/or a Job Plan needs to be negotiated to reflect the job seeker's current activity.

After coding the AEX screen, do not attempt to negotiate a Job Plan until the job seeker's record changes to Centrelink managed.

Services Officers should not negotiate a Centrelink Job Plan when all the following is met:

• job seeker is engaged with a Disability Employment Services (DES) provider
• participating in Post Placement Support program
• Note: to identify if a job seeker is in Post Placement Support, see the job seeker's current Placement Type on the Provider referral information table within the Participation Summary

Where Services Australia or a provider approves an activity for these job seekers to fully meet their mutual obligation requirements, Service Officers must only code the AEX screen with the relevant activity. The DES provider will negotiate the Job Plan.

Go to Step 3.

Explain the purpose of the interview, and tell the job seeker about the requirement to enter into a Job Plan, their rights and obligations in relation to the terms of the Job Plan, and information about compliance:

• Restate the job seeker's mutual obligation requirements
• In accordance with the job seeker's participation category, discuss with the job seeker the requirement that is included in the plan as well as their options for overcoming any employment barriers. Make any relevant referrals to appropriate programs or activities
• If the job seeker needs to negotiate a Job Plan as part of a new claim but the new claim cannot be finalised, Service Officers may choose to negotiate a pre-grant Job Plan if they are confident the job seeker will be Centrelink managed and they are confident about which participation category the job seeker will fall into

Note: if Service Officers print the Job Plan for the job seeker, the system will check if there is a preferred written language other than English recorded on the Other Contact Details (OCD) screen. It will check the language recorded against available translations on the Information you need to know part of the Job Plan and, if appropriate, a link will display to allow Service Officers to print a translated copy of the Information you need to know part of the Job Plan. The English version of this information will continue to form part of the Job Plan.

Service Officers must not negotiate a Job Plan for job seekers placed in Post Placement Support. See the job seeker's current Placement Type on the Provider referral information table within the Participation Summary.

Go to Step 4.

Service Officers cannot negotiate a Job Plan for provider managed job seekers. The organisation responsible for the ongoing management of the job seeker is to negotiate the Job Plan.

Update the AEX screen with the current approved activity before starting the negotiation of a Job Plan. The Job Plan Status screen will show a message to remind Service Officers of this requirement.

If the AEX activity is selected for QMA, the system will not be able to auto-populate the Job Plan until the AEX QMA is completed.

To begin or continue a started Job Plan:

Process Direct

For job seekers who submit an online claim or a Service Officer has completed the Assisted Customer Claim (ACC) workflow:

• once in the claim, select > Participation Interview > Job Plan > Negotiate Job Plan

For job seekers currently receiving a payment:

• select Customer Summary from the Process Direct Landing page
• key the job seeker's CRN, select Go
• in the job seeker's record select > Participation Summary > Job Plan > Negotiate Job Plan

On the Overview screen, complete the following questions:

• Do you wish to create/update Job Plan?
• Do you wish to clean slate the customer's Job Plan?

Use Next to go through the following Job Plan screens:

• The Participation Activities screen will display. Jobseekers with mutual obligation requirements must have at least one compulsory activity included in the Job Plan. The compulsory activity will be automatically generated from the coding already confirmed on the AEX screen. Individual participation activities, for example, paid work, will be referenced within the sentence text on the Job Plan. The AEX screen is used to record the job seeker's approved activity and the period in which the activity applies.
  For example:
• Paid Work (PTW) 'I agree to undertake [number of hours] hours per fortnight of Paid Work from [Start Date] to [End Date] and will report my earnings to Centrelink'
• Self-employment (SEL) 'I agree to undertake [number of hours] hours per fortnight of self-employment from [Start Date] to [End Date] and will provide my business income details to Centrelink'
• Voluntary Work and Paid Work (VPE) 'I agree to do a combination of paid work and voluntary work for at least 30 hours per fortnight from [Start Date] to [End Date]. I will report my earnings to Centrelink'
• Where Service Officers identify a Variable field in the sentence text (for example VAR01 for 'number of hours' participation in their relevant activity) they must select the Edit icon to manually enter all mandatory fields. The error code and message SR217PA - Please finalise incomplete activities will display. Once all variable fields (where relevant) are completed, the Service Officer can continue through the screen
• The Summary screen will display to confirm the activities included in the job seeker's pending Job Plan
• The Finalise screen enables Service Officers to:
• indicate if an interpreter was used when negotiating the Job Plan
• print a PDF copy of the Job Plan for the job seeker to sign if the Job Plan is negotiated in person or they are from a remote area
• specify the job seeker has a Centrelink online account and wishes to agree to the Job Plan online
• indicate if a job seeker has signed their Job Plan, if the job seeker has declined to agree to their Job Plan online
• finalise the Job Plan

Once finalised, the details of the Job Plan will be sent to the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR).

If the job seeker has a Centrelink online account, they can agree to the Job Plan via their online account. The Job Plan will be available in their online account immediately, and they will have 4 business days to agree to the Job Plan.

If the job seeker wants to finalise their Job Plan:

• in person, go to Step 5
• using their online account, go to Step 8

Note: some Centrelink managed job seekers who have signed up for Centrelink Online Services and are fully meeting their mutual obligation requirements through part-time work, self-employment, voluntary work or a combination of these activities can have their Job Plan updated automatically when the requirement end date is reached by completing an online task. These job seekers can use the View and Agree Job Plan online service in their Centrelink online account to approve their Job Plan.

Where a Centrelink managed job seeker attempts to update their approved requirement and/or Job Plan online and the requirement fails to update, the system will generate a Change of Circumstances work item. Go to Step 9.

Issue the printed Job Plan to the job seeker and explain their rights and obligations:

• They can request a variation or negotiation of their current Job Plan at any time
• They can apply for a formal review of any decision in relation to the Job Plan
• They must notify the agency of changes in their circumstances
• Job seekers with mutual obligation requirements must comply with the terms of the Job Plan
• Job seekers who are participating voluntarily will not be subject to compliance action

Answer any questions the job seeker may have. Make sure the job seeker signs the Job Plan.

Note: for remote job seekers where the Job Plan was negotiated over the phone, print 2 copies of the Job Plan. These should be sent with a Request for Information (RFI) letter requesting one copy be signed and returned by the job seeker. If the job seeker fails to return the Job Plan, see Refusing to enter into a Job Plan. Procedure ends here.

Has the job seeker signed the Job Plan?

• Yes, go to Step 7
• No, and the job seeker is refusing to enter into an agreement, go to Step 6

If the job seeker continues to refuse to enter into a Job Plan, despite being advised that it is a compulsory requirement to receive a participation payment, the job seeker must be advised that:

• refusing to enter into a Job Plan means they are not qualified for payment, and
• cancellation of payment will occur because of their refusal to enter into a Job Plan

If the job seeker:

• subsequently advises they are willing to enter into the Job Plan, go to Step 7
• still refuses to agree to the Job Plan:
• cancel the payment with reason 'Failed to Sign Activity Agreement (Job Plan) (FSA)', and
• create a closed DOC to record the decision to cancel the payment. Use Fast Note - select Auto text, use Generic > SUS/CAN/RES > Suspend Cancel Reason
• to remove the WAP/PLN activity, see Table 5

Sign the Job Plan as the delegated Service Officer and complete the following:

• Give (fax/post for remote job seekers) the signed Job Plan to the job seeker
• Return to the Job Plan workflow in Process Direct to finalise the Job Plan. Select Yes to Has the job seeker signed the Job Plan?
• Key the date signed in the required field (for remote job seekers, the date signed will be the date the Job Plan was generated)
• A copy of the Job Plan is not to be scanned to the customer record
• Select Finish

Procedure ends here.

Job Plans are available for finalisation in the job seeker's Centrelink online account immediately (this cannot be done in the Centrelink app). The job seeker does not have to wait to receive notification. Job Plans negotiated over the phone should be finalised online while the job seeker is still on the phone.

In their online account, the job seeker has the option to:

• agree to their Job Plan
• disagree with their Job Plan, for example if there is an error
• refuse to agree to the Job Plan
• do nothing

Job seeker agrees

Agreement with the Job Plan online is the same as signing the Job Plan. It becomes current and the job seeker must fulfil the requirements in the Job Plan. Go to Step 9.

Job seeker disagrees

If the job seeker disagrees with their Job Plan, a WAP/MFU activity will be created along with an associated Action item on the Participation Summary > Key Information page. This is to alert Service Officers to contact the job seeker to re-negotiate their Job Plan. The WAP/MFU cannot be cancelled.

A work item ZALL_JSK_PLN will also be created and allocated with notes in the Change of Circumstances Online Interaction Summary for Service Officers to contact the job seeker and discuss their circumstances.

Job seeker refuses to agree in their online account

If the job seeker refuses to agree to the Job Plan in their Centrelink online account:

• payment will either reject or cancel, and
• the WAP/PLN activity will remain on the job seeker's record

A work item ZALL_JSK_PLN will also be created and allocated. There will be notes in the Change of Circumstances Online Interaction Summary for Service Officers to:

• contact the job seeker, and
• discuss their circumstances

If the job seeker still refuses to agree to their Job Plan after a discussion has occurred:

• cancel the payment with reason 'Failed to Sign Activity Agreement (Job Plan) (FSA)', and
• create a closed DOC to record the decision to cancel the payment. Use Fast Note - select Auto text, use Generic > SUS/CAN/RES > Suspend Cancel Reason
• to remove the started WAP/PLN activity, see Table 5

Job seeker does nothing

If the job seeker has a Centrelink online account and wishes to agree to the Job Plan via their online account, they must agree to their Job Plan within 4 business days of submission of the Job Plan to the online account. If they have not agreed and there is no plan on the job seeker's record, the No Job Plan process will apply.
Note: the No Job Plan process does not apply to voluntary job seekers or job seekers who do not have compulsory mutual obligation requirements.

If the job seeker:

• after 2 days, has not agreed to their Job Plan in their online account, a reminder will be sent to the job seeker if they are registered for Electronic Messaging
• after 4 days, does not agree to their Job Plan, it will trigger the Job Plan Review (JPR) and the Job Plan Suspension (JPS) review process. They will be sent a letter 14 days after the JPR is triggered, telling them to contact the agency to negotiate a Job Plan
• responds to the letter, check the status of the Job Plan in their online account via Customer Online View in Customer View. Tell the job seeker they are required to finalise the plan (for example, sign in person at a service centre or use their online account)
• requires a restoration, they must negotiate and agree to a new Job Plan

If necessary, assist the job seeker to finalise their Centrelink Job Plan via the job seeker's online account.

Note: the WAP/PLN activity will stay on the job seeker's record and they will be able to agree to their Job Plan in their online account.

If the job seeker does not respond to this letter, their payment will suspend 14 days later. The reason will be Failing to Reply to Correspondence (FRC). If they still do not have a current Job Plan after 13 weeks, their payment will auto-cancel. To remove the started Job Plan from the job seekers record, see Table 5.

Some Centrelink managed job seekers who have signed up for Centrelink Online Services and are fully meeting their mutual obligation requirements through part-time work, can:

• have their Job Plan updated automatically when the requirement end date is reached, by completing an online task, and
• use the View and Agree Job Plan online service to agree to their Job Plan

Where a Centrelink managed job seeker attempts to update their approved requirement and/or Job Plan online and the requirement fails to update, the system will generate a Change of Circumstances work item. If allocated a ZALL_JSK_PLN work item, investigate the reason automation has failed. Refer to the Notes tab within the Change of Circumstance Interaction available via the Online Interaction Summary in Customer First Workspace.

Once AEX and Job Plan processing has been completed in Process Direct, the work item remains open in Customer First.

Only the work item needs to be completed if any of the following has already occurred at the time the Job Plan work item is allocated:

• the AEX screen and Job Plan have been updated
• the job seeker is no longer participating in a Centrelink approved activity and has been referred to an Employment Service Provider, or
• is no longer receiving a mutual obligation payment

To complete the work item:

• go to the Workspace within Customer First
• search for Online Interaction Summary within the search window
• select Online Interaction Summary
• place work item ID in the Activity ID field and select Search
• after selecting the activity via the hyperlink, select the edit option at the top of the screen
• change the status from 'For Manual Action' to 'Completed'
• select Save

Procedure ends here.

It is appropriate to cancel a Job Plan where a pending plan has been started but not finalised and the job seeker:

• has a Job Plan that was started by:
• Services Australia but they are now provider managed, or
• Workforce Australia Online or an Employment Services Provider and they are now Centrelink managed, or
• circumstances have changed and they no longer need a Job Plan. For example:
• transferred to a non-participation payment, or
• no longer subject to or exempt from mutual obligation requirements
• refuses to enter into a Job Plan and their payment is cancelled

When to end a Job Plan

It may also be appropriate to end a Job Plan when the job seeker:

• previously had a Job Plan negotiated as a voluntary job seeker
• has had a change in circumstances, and
• is now subject to compulsory participation, or
• mutual obligation requirements

When the Job Plan is cancelled, all updates are deleted and the job seeker's previous Job Plan is reinstated. Note: a started Job Plan can only be cancelled once per day.

If a job seeker has changed from a voluntary participation category to a compulsory participation requirement, the current Job Plan may need to be ended prior to a compulsory Job Plan being negotiated.

Does the job seeker currently have a voluntary Job Plan and a current compulsory participation category? Refer to the Job Plan tab in Participation Summary:

• Yes:
• Go to Participation Summary > Job Plan > Negotiate Job Plan
• If Negotiate Job Plan is protected, select End Plan
• Select Volunteer decides not to participate from the picklist as the reason for cancelling the current Job Plan
• Select Confirm
• The Negotiate Job Plan button will now be available to select
• See Step 3 in Table 4
• No, go to Step 3

Provider managed job seekers referred to Workforce Australia Online or an Employment Services Provider have a Job Plan negotiated by:

• the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR) online, or
• their Employment Services Provider

Where a job seeker

• is yet to agree to their pending provider negotiated Job Plan, and
• commences a Centrelink approved activity that is fully meeting their requirements, or
• is assessed as having less than 15 hours per week of work capacity and is profiled into the Quarterly Participation Interview (QTI) cohort, and
• record has had the relevant coding completed on the Activity and Exemption Summary (AEX) screen, the job seeker will:
• become Centrelink managed, and
• require a Job Plan negotiated by Services Australia

Has another organisation commenced negotiating a Job Plan? (See Messages text on the Job Plan tab within the Participation Summary).

Yes:

• The pending Job Plan must be cancelled by the Employment Services Provider or DEWR before a Centrelink managed Job Plan can be negotiated
• If the job seeker is referred to:
• an Employment Services Provider
  - Contact the Employment Services Provider by phone
  - Request the pending Job Plan be removed
  - This will allow Services Australia to negotiate a new Job Plan
  - Once the pending Job Plan is removed, see Table 4
• Workforce Australia Online
  - Send an email to the Participation Team (See the Resources page for the email address)
  - Request the pending Job Plan be removed
  - This will allow Services Australia to negotiate a new Job Plan
  - Include the job seekers Name, JSID and CRN in the request
  - Once DEWR removes the pending Job Plan, see Table 4

No, go to Step 4

Started Centrelink managed Job Plans that are over 60 days old will need to be referred to ICT as service officers are unable to cancel or delete these plans. Note: started Job Plans for job seekers who are now receiving a non-participation payment are automatically cancelled after 60 days and should not require further action.

Has the started Job Plan been outstanding for 60 days or more?

• Yes, go to Step 6
• No, go to Step 5

Attempt to cancel an inappropriate Job Plan prior to escalating to ICT.

From Process Direct:

• Go to > Participation Summary > Job Plan
• Select Negotiate Job Plan
• Select Delete Job Plan on the Overview screen
• This will present a warning
  'Department of Employment edits control the deletion of a started (pending) Job Plan. Users may not delete two subsequent pending Job Plans on the same CRN. If you decide to delete this Job Plan now, no Services Australia user will be able to cancel a subsequent Job Plan for this customer.'
• Select Created in error from the drop down box
• Select Confirm

A confirmation message will display confirming the Job Plan has been updated successfully.

Was the Job Plan successfully cancelled?

• Yes, procedure ends here
• No, go to Step 6

Raise an incident via Roxy if a started Job Plan cannot be cancelled because:

• the plan is over 60 days old
• a plan has already been cancelled and this is a second cancellation
• there is a system issue/edit
• WAP/PLN activity needs to be removed - if this is the reason for escalation, within the Incident Summary workflow:
• Tick the Known Issue box
• Key KE12289 in the Known Issue reference field
• Submit the ICT incident

Service Officers must ensure clear instructions and information are included to support ICT to identify the issue in the first instance.