Employment assistance for people claiming Disability Support Pension 001-02230020

One pathway for referral to employment assistance is when a person makes a claim for DSP.

If a person is claiming DSP and is not on another payment with mutual obligation requirements, they can be offered a referral to an Employment Services Provider as a volunteer job seeker. When a claim for DSP is lodged, claimants should be made aware of non-payment related services, including information about employment assistance.

Some customers claiming DSP may need to meet the Program of Support requirements for DSP.

If a Job Capacity Assessment (JCA) is required to determine a person's claim for DSP, an assessor will also determine the most appropriate employment assistance service. If the claimant is assessed as having a partial capacity to work, the assessor will be responsible for engaging the claimant in participation discussions and referring them to the appropriate Employment Services Provider.

Referral options may include Disability Employment Services (DES), Workforce Australia, or the Community Development Program (CDP).

DSP recipients with participation requirements who have employment assistance as their compulsory activity will have those details in their DSP Participation Plan. If the recipient is successful in gaining employment they will be required to attend annual follow-up interviews.

DSP recipients who do not have participation requirements can volunteer for referral to an Employment Services Provider. These recipients can also choose to decline the offer of a referral at new claim stage.