Change of circumstances while receiving services from an Employment Services Provider 001-02070000

There will be instances where a job seeker receiving an income support payment with mutual obligation requirements has a change in circumstances. A job seeker may inform either Services Australia or their provider of a change in their circumstances.

If a job seeker advises Services Australia of a change in circumstances that may affect the level of employment servicing, or trigger a referral to another programme, the agency should update the Job Seeker Snapshot. The result of this update may lead to an Employment Services Assessment (ESAt) or a referral to another programme.

An ESAt may be needed if the job seeker has a medical condition that significantly affects their ability to work. This may include situations where an existing medical condition has changed. In this case, the ESAt may indicate the job seeker is eligible for a different type of Employment Services Provider. The Service Officer should book an initial appointment with the new provider.

If a Disability Employment Services (DES) job seeker contacts the agency to advise of a change in circumstances, the Job Seeker Snapshot should not be completed.

For information about this process, see Conducting a Job Seeker Snapshot.

Job seekers generally remain with the same Employment Services Provider for their period of unemployment. However, there may be some instances where a job seeker may transfer to another provider offering the same type of service, for example:

• when a job seeker has moved address
• where there has been a breakdown in the relationship between the job seeker and their provider or Community Development Program (CDP) provider

Job seekers who approach Services Australia for any transfer reason should be advised to discuss their situation with their Employment Services Provider. The agency has no role in transferring job seekers between providers.

If the job seeker is not satisfied with the response from their provider in relation to the transfer request, the job seeker should contact the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations' National Customer Service Line to further discuss their concerns. See Breakdown of the relationship between a job seeker and their Workforce Australia provider for more information.