Eligibility for Workforce Australia as a Fully Eligible Participant (FEP) 001-02020020

Job seekers who are eligible for FEP services are registered by Services Australia in a process that includes the application of the Job Seeker Snapshot and an Employment Services Assessment (ESAt) if applicable.

To be eligible for services as a FEP, job seekers must be:

• claiming an income support payment with mutual obligation requirements
• a Disability Support Pension (DSP) recipient with compulsory requirements. This includes:
• DSP recipients aged under 35 years with a work capacity of 8 or more hours per week (without a youngest child under 6 years)
• DSP recipients undertaking a Program of Support
• a Nominated Visa Holder (including Temporary Protection Visa Holders and Safe Haven Visa Holders) in receipt of Special Benefit and have mutual obligation requirements
• a Special Benefit recipient who is required to meet the Special Benefit Policy activity test
• a New Zealand non-protected Special Category Visa holder eligible for JobSeeker Payment or Youth Allowance
• a Vulnerable Youth and Vulnerable Youth (Student), or
• a pre-release detainee or prisoner aged 15 to 21 who is not in full-time education or training and who has been registered with Services Australia as looking for work
• newly arrived refugees eligible for the Better Targeting of Support for Refugees measure. These customers can choose to participate in Workforce Australia as a fully eligible participant. See Refugee entrant service offer for more information.

Note: newly arrived refugees who are eligible for the Streamlining Services for Refugees measures are only eligible to access Workforce Australia as a Volunteer. See Refugee entrant service offer for more information.

The procedure, Eligibility to access employment assistance services through Workforce Australia, has full details about eligibility for all registration types.

Principal carers who are fully meeting their mutual obligation requirements by undertaking suitable paid work or self-employment for at least 30 hours per fortnight or studying full-time can participate on a voluntary basis with an Employment Services Provider. If they volunteer, they will be registered as FEP and referred via the online diary. However, if principal carers who are fully meeting their mutual obligation requirements do not want to volunteer for employment services, they should be registered as a Job Seeker Registration Only (JSRO) job seeker.

If the principal carer's income or activities reduce so they are no longer fully meeting their mutual obligation requirements, a referral to an Employment Services Provider as a FEP is mandatory.

It is compulsory for mature age job seekers (aged 55 or over) with mutual obligation requirements to be registered as FEP and referred to an Employment Services Provider, even when they are fully meeting their requirements.

Mature age job seekers who are undertaking approved voluntary work, suitable paid work or a combination of thereof for at least 30 hours per fortnight to meet requirements, must be referred to an Employment Services Provider.

From 20 September 2018, job seekers aged between 55 and 59 who are within the first 12 months of receipt of their current income support payment (including suspension periods of up to 3 months) may fully satisfy mutual obligation requirements through either:

• 30 hours per fortnight of paid work, or
• 30 hours per fortnight of a combination of paid work and approved voluntary work, at least 15 hours of which must be paid work

After being on their current payment for a 12 month period, eligible job seekers aged 55 to 59 may fully satisfy their requirements by undertaking 30 hours or more per fortnight of any combination of approved unpaid voluntary work and suitable paid work/self-employment, including solely through approved unpaid voluntary work.

Whilst a mature age job seeker is fully meeting their mutual obligation requirements, their participation with the Employment Services Provider will be voluntary, however, they must still be available for suitable full-time work, accept an increase in hours and attend suitable job interviews with employers.

Job seekers who live in a Department of Employment and Workplace Relations designated remote area, are registered and referred to Community Development Program (CDP) providers as Remote Fully Eligible (RFE).