Compulsory Participation Interview Service Update for JobSeeker Payment (JSP) and Youth Allowance (YA) principal carers when youngest child turns 16 years 102-01130060

The purpose of this contact is to explain to job seekers they are no longer considered a principal carer when the youngest child in their care turns 16. Job seekers who no longer meet the criteria of being Centrelink managed are required to be connected to an employment services provider and negotiate a new Job Plan with the provider. The Job Plan will reflect their new full time mutual obligation requirements. This interview is not an annual event as it only occurs at the time the relevant child turns 16.

Jos seekers can be identified for this Service Update when their youngest child has turned 15 years and 11 months. Once profiled, the relevant Service Component 226 will be automatically started and the system will automatically book a phone appointment for these job seekers for a date after the youngest child has turned 16.

System functionality manages the job seekers appointment booking and notification of the requirement to attend a phone appointment. These appointments display on each Service Centres Daily Appointment list. Service Officers conduct these appointments via outbound telephone contact. Where the job seeker has no phone contact details listed, an e-mail will be sent to the relevant Service Zone for follow-up action. A face to face appointment at the job seeker’s home Service Centre may be manually booked where practical.

Where no phone appointment can be automatically booked:

• an email will be sent to the relevant Service Zone for manual booking action
• the e-mail must be actioned within 48 hours to ensure an appointment is manually created for the job seeker within a timely manner

This occurs when the system is unable to book a phone appointment due to:

• the job seeker not having telephone contact details listed; or
• a lack of appointment profile capacity exists

Note: Remote Job seekers without telephone contact details who cannot participate in a phone appointment or attend a Service Centre (due to their remote location) are serviced using alternative arrangements managed by the relevant Service Zone in conjunction with the Remote Servicing Team where possible.

The compulsory participation interview will cover issues including:

• advising single job seekers of potential change to their rate of payment
• advising principal carers of changes to their mutual obligation requirements
• informing job seekers of their reporting and contact obligations
• connecting job seekers to an employment services provider and discuss the need to negotiate a new Job Plan to reflect full time mutual obligations
• referring for an Employment Services Assessment (ESAt) if required,
• negotiating a new Job Plan with Centrelink managed job seekers who meet another participation category and fully meet requirements i.e. Mature Age 55+ or those with an assessed partial capacity to work and JSP customers in receipt of Carer Allowance
• changes to their concession card entitlement, if applicable

This Service Update is required to be completed as soon as possible once the job seeker falls into the target group, because they need a relevant Job Plan which reflects their new mutual obligation requirements. Job seekers cannot unreasonably delay entering into a Job Plan by rescheduling such appointments. If they do not attend this interview the appropriateness of a payment suspension ‘Failed to Attend Interview (FAI) should be considered to prompt contact with the agency.

Alternative remote servicing options should be considered before a payment suspension is considered for those living in a remote location.

There are certain special family circumstances exemptions only available to principal carers. As the job seeker will no longer be a principal carer due to their child turning 16, any exemption they may currently have is likely to cease from the child's 16th birthday, and they will be required to undertake full-time mutual obligation requirements. However, exemptions for job seekers facilitating home schooling or distance education of their child(ren), large family or providing emergency and respite foster care, can extend past the child's 16th birthday in some cases. All other exemption considerations should be reassessed under existing policy – see Mutual obligation requirements exemptions.