Reviewing mutual obligation requirements for the principal carer of a dependent child 007-04080000

As part of the Participation Interview or standalone Job seeker registration workflows, a job seeker's job competitiveness, readiness and capability to look for and accept work will be determined.

A principal carer of a dependent child has part time mutual obligation requirements and is required to look for work of at least 15 hours per week to satisfy their requirements. Alternatively, a principal carer may fully satisfy their mutual obligation requirements by doing a range of approved activities, such as paid work, study, or a combination of paid work and study, for at least 15 hours per week. The requirements, agreed to in their Job Plan, will be monitored by either the agency or their provider. Principal carer job seekers who are fully meeting requirements are normally managed by the agency.

Some activities undertaken by the job seeker such as work and study will be monitored via the system if the job seeker reports using self service facilities.

Job seekers who find they cannot do the activities agreed to in their Job Plan must contact Services Australia (if they are agency managed) or their provider to renegotiate their activities, and discuss challenges they may be experiencing that impact on their ability to meet their mutual obligation requirements. Every possible effort should be made to ensure job seekers have appropriate Job Plans to reduce the likelihood of incurring a compliance action by their provider or payment suspension if managed by Services Australia.

The principal carer of a dependent child who is temporarily exempt from mutual obligation requirements is not required to enter into or comply with a Job Plan during the period of the exemption.

When a principal carer lives in a Department of Employment and Workplace Relations designated remote area, they are referred to a Community Development Program (CDP) provider.