Additional Child Care Subsidy (ACCS) (transition to work) approved activities and time limit 007-17103151

To meet the ACCS (transition to work) activity requirements a customer must meet at least one of the following:

• study requirements;
• job search requirements; or
• work requirements; or
• training requirements
• vocational training
• other non-vocational training programs

Activities that commence during a week are taken to have commenced from the start of that week. For example, if a term starts on a Monday, but classes are held on Tuesdays and Thursdays, the customer will be taken to have commenced the activity on the Monday of the week their first Tuesday class occurs. Similarly, if the customer starts a new job, and their first shift is on a Wednesday, they will be taken to have started their job from the Monday of that week. This means they may be entitled to ACCS (transition to work) from the start of that week if that Monday is the start of a CCS fortnight, or from the Monday of the next week at the start of the next CCS fortnight

Note: if the customer is unable to participate in 8 hours of activity per fortnight, they are not eligible for ACCS (transition to work).

Customers must undertake at least one approved course of education or study that is higher than any level of study previously completed in the last ten years, or at the same level as study previously commenced in the last ten years, unless they are:

• undertaking a Senior Secondary Certificate of Education course
• undertaking a University Enabling course
• eligible for Skill Shortage exemption, or
• subject to the 6 week rule

Customers must also be making satisfactory progress.

Full time and part time study may qualify, as long as it meets the study levels for ACCS (transition to work) at the secondary or preparatory level, or between levels 2 and 8 of the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) study levels.

To meet the work requirements, customers must be engaged in:

• Paid Work, including self-employment
• Unpaid Work, including:
• work experience placement
• internship
• unpaid work in a family business, or
• voluntary work which could reasonably be expected to improve a customer's work skills and/or employment prospects
• Actively setting up a business

To meet the training requirements for ACCS (transition to work), a customer must undertake either:

• vocational training, or
• other non-vocational training programs which are likely to improve their employment prospects

The description of training for ACCS (transition to work) is the same as CCS. That is, the customer must be enrolled in, and actively working towards completing a training course for improving their work skills and/or employment prospects.

To meet the activity requirements for other non-vocational training programs, the customer is required to demonstrate that the program has a reasonable likelihood of improving their employment prospects. This includes programs run privately by registered organisations.

The Process page contains further details of training activities that may be considered.

ACCS (transition to work) is available to participants of the AMEP. ACCS (transition to work) is not available to participants of the AMEP with under school aged children, when the customer is:

• using the AMEP provided free child care services for under school aged children, while
• participating in AMEP classes

Note: the customer is entitled to claim ACCS (transition to work) if:

• they are a participant of the AMEP with under school aged children, and
• are liable to pay fees at a non AMEP child care centre

For more information see Participation in Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP).

To meet the job search requirements for ACCS (transition to work), a customer must be actively looking for work and be able to provide evidence of doing so.

Activities can include:

• Looking for job vacancies
• Preparing resumes and job applications;
• Contacting potential employers;
• Preparing for and attending job interviews

Customers are required to prove their participation in approved activities at the time of claiming (where they have not previously provided it) or claims will be made not effective.

This includes proof of:

• Job search
• Employment
• Enrolment for Study or vocational training or other suitable training to improve employment prospects

See Additional Child Care Subsidy (ACCS) (transition to work) eligibility and applications for more detailed information about suitable evidence.

The approved activities for which customers can receive ACCS (transition to work) are subject to time limits, depending on the type of activity being undertaken.

The Process page contains detailed information about the time limits for the different activity types. The Resources page contains a table outlining ACCS (transition to work) approved activities and corresponding time limits.

When a customer is participating in more than one activity at the same time which meets the requirements for ACCS (transition to work), all activities are recorded. The hours spent participating in these activities should also be recorded as recognised activities for CCS. This is because the hours of subsidised care a customer is entitled to receive for ACCS (transition to work) is based on their Activity Test result (or the lowest result where the customer is partnered).

When applying for ACCS (transition to work), customers should advise details of all activities they are undertaking. The processing Service Officer will determine which activity will be used for the purposes of ACCS (transition to work), based on the Most Beneficial Activity Principle. This is explained in more detail in the Process page

Once the time limit is reached for a particular ACCS (transition to work) approved activity, or level of study, the customer will not qualify for ACCS (transition to work) for the same activity type. If the activity type is study and the customer is meeting all eligibility criteria, including the step-up rules, they may undertake another level of study and qualify for further periods ACCS (transition to work).

Customers may contact querying the status of the application or requesting their application be processed urgently. For more information about managing progress of application enquiries, see Claiming Child Care Subsidy (CCS) and Additional Child Care Subsidy (ACCS).