Job Capacity Assessment (JCA) and Employment Services Assessment (ESAt) appointments 008-06100010

Service Officers can request a JCA following completion of a Medical Assessment Team (MAT) recommendation, see Streaming a new claim for Disability Support Pension (DSP). Service Officers use the JCA referral required post MAT Fast Note or the Referral function in Process Direct for DSP new claims.

All available medical evidence must be scanned before running the Fast Note. The Fast Note will create a DOC which will be allocated to Assessment Services via the workload management tool. See Job Capacity Assessment (JCA) Referral for the referral process.

Services Australia or Employment Services Providers can request an ESAt for a customer.

Service Officers can request an ESAt by using the ESAt appointment required Fast Note.

See Request an Employment Services Assessment (ESAt) for the request process.

To avoid duplication Service Officers do not need to request a new ESAt appointment required Fast Note if there is already one active for the customer.

Assessment Services will notify customers of their JCA or ESAt appointment via the Electronic Messaging (EM) service.

Note: assessors will try to call the customer and undertake a phone assessment. If unsuccessful, the appointment may be completed as a file assessment.

Participation requirements for DSP customers were introduced on 1 July 2012. These requirements apply to customers under 35 years of age who have an assessed as having a work capacity of 8 hours or more.

When requesting an ESAt for these customers, tell them that failure to attend may result in their payment being suspended.

If the customer was referred for an ESAt on a voluntary basis, no action is required if the customer fails to attend their appointment.

JCA appointments can only be rescheduled or cancelled by the relevant Assessment Services team.

Service Officers cannot cancel these appointments. Service Officers can contact the relevant Assessment Services team if an appointment is no longer required.

ESAt appointments:

• are compulsory (unless they are a DSP volunteer) as they determine the customer's participation requirements
• can only be rescheduled or cancelled by the relevant Assessment Services team and cannot be cancelled by Service Officers
• can be completed immediately by contacting Assessment Services on 1800 110 608, for customers:
• that are wanting to reschedule a future booked ESAt appointment
• are experiencing vulnerabilities, or
• have their payment suspended due to a missed ESAt appointment

Customers with a registered email address will receive letters online. They can view all JCA appointment letters using online services. Customers will require active self-service registration to view these letters.