Initial contact by a customer who is ill, injured or has a disability 008-01010000

Customers and staff can use the Payment and Service Finder to identify the best payment to claim based on the customer's circumstances.

This includes all service offers for:

• JobSeeker Payment (JSP) or Youth Allowance (YA) (Incapacitated). Includes customers who are:
• unemployed
• employed but unable to work due to an illness or injury
• Disability Support Pension (DSP)

Customers who are not Australian residents or a certain SCV holder will not be eligible for JSP, DSP or YA.

Customers who have recently arrived in Australia may not be eligible for certain payments because of residence requirements.

For help assessing if a customer is an Australian resident (CLK), see:

• Residence assessment for customers claiming DSP
• Residence assessments for customers claiming JSP
• Residence assessment for customers claiming Youth Allowance (YA) and/or Tertiary Access Payment (TAP)

Does the customer meet residence requirements?

• Yes, go to Step 3
• No, they do not qualify for payment. Procedure ends here

To be eligible for:

• JobSeeker Payment (JSP), the customer must be:
• at least 22 years of age, and
• under Age Pension age
• Youth Allowance (YA), the customer must be within the minimum and maximum qualifying ages
• Disability Support Pension (DSP), the customer must be:
• at least 16 years of age, and
• under Age Pension age when they claim

Does the customer meet the age requirements for payment?

• Yes, go to Step 4
• No, and they are:
• over Age Pension age, advise the customer to claim Age Pension. Procedure ends here
• under YA qualifying age, the customer is not eligible for payment. Procedure ends here

Advise customers that:

• an income and assets test applies to income support payments (excluding DSP Blind)
• waiting periods may apply to certain payments, delaying the start of payment, or reducing the rate of payment for a period

Are the customer's income and assets within current limits as outlined in the Rate Charts?

• Yes, go to Step 5
• No, they do not qualify for payment. Procedure ends here

Eligibility for payment may be affected by:

• current compensation payments, or
• whether the customer has taken reasonable action to claim compensation if it is available and appropriate

Is the customer receiving, or have they ever received compensation?

• Yes, the customer will need to provide compensation details with their claim for a Compensation affected payment (CAP). Go to Step 6
• No, go to Step 6

The customer's capacity to work affects which payment they can apply for.

Does the customer think they will be able to do any work, including part-time, full-time, casual within the next 2 years?

• Yes, go to Step 7
• No/unsure, go to Step 8

If the customer would like to test their eligibility to JSP or YA incapacitated, see Customers claiming JSP or YA (Incapacitated).

Procedure ends here.

If a customer is claiming DSP, the assessment of their eligibility may take into account the number of hours they are working. Income from work may also affect their rate of payment.

Does the customer meet the work requirements for DSP by working no more than 15 hours or more per week?

• Yes, go to Step 9
• No, they do not qualify for payment. Procedure ends here

If the customer would like to test their eligibility to DSP, they may claim JSP/YA (Provisional) at the same time. See Claiming DSP.

Customers who are ill, injured or have a disability can face barriers when seeking help and when accessing services.

Advise the customer they have the option to appoint a nominee to assist with their payments and services. For more information, see Nominees.