Initial contact and identification of services for job seekers 001-01000000

When a customer contacts the agency seeking help to look for work, they need to provide information about their circumstances and a willingness to tell the truth.

From 1 July 2018

Eligible customers will receive payments or concession cards from the date they actually submit a claim with all relevant supporting documentation.

Different processes apply for customers in vulnerable circumstances.

Before 1 July 2018

Where the date of initial contact was before 1 July 2018, the date of initial contact may be used as the date of claim if the customer submitted a claim within 14 days. As such, it was important that all contacts with the customer were recorded on the system where the customer was willing to provide sufficient personal details.

The initial process of claiming an income support payment can be made:

• by completing an online claim
• in person at a Centrelink service centre
• by phoning the agency
• by contacting an agent or representative of the agency

When a customer contacts about making a claim, the Service Officer should record the contact and provide appropriate advice about claiming options available to the customer.

With the introduction of online claim options, Service Officers should complete the following:

JobSeeker Payment/Youth Allowance

• Offer the online claim
• If a customer is unable or unsuitable to complete an online claim, the Service Officer must record the contact on a DOC, update the customer phone number and run the Assisted Customer Claim (ACC). The ACC is similar to the online claim workflow and contains the same questions to ask the customer

Different processes apply for customers in vulnerable circumstances.

Note: a correspondence nominee can submit a job seeker online claim on behalf of their principal.

Parenting Payment

• Offer the online claim. The online claim cannot be submitted until all Required Tasks present as done unless the customer meets the exemption criteria
• If a customer is unable or unsuitable to complete an online claim, the Service Officer must complete an ACC. Different processes apply for customers in vulnerable circumstances

The 2 primary income support payments for job seekers are JobSeeker Payment (JSP) and Youth Allowance (YA) (job seeker).

• JobSeeker Payment (JSP) provides financial help for job seekers aged 22 or over who are looking for work and willing to take part in their mutual obligation requirements to increase their chances of finding a job
• Youth Allowance (YA) (job seeker) supports young people with financial assistance if they are 16 to 21 years old and are meeting their mutual obligation requirements

There are also payments to assist principal carer job seekers and job seekers with a disability:

• Parenting Payment (PP) is a main income support payment for a principal carer of a child (under eight years if single, or under six years if partnered) where recipients may undertake voluntary or compulsory mutual obligation requirements to assist with increasing their opportunity for finding work
• Disability Support Pension provides financial support for customers with a physical, intellectual, or psychiatric condition that stops them from working
• Mobility Allowance can assist customers who have a disability, illness or injury and are undertaking approved activities. The allowance helps with transport costs if the customer cannot use public transport without substantial assistance
• The Youth Disability Supplement provides additional financial support to young people with a physical, intellectual or psychiatric condition who receive certain income support payments
• Child Care Subsidy (CCS) and Additional Child Care Subsidy (ACCS) provide extra assistance with the cost of approved child care for principal carers that meet their mutual obligation requirements as part of a Job Plan