Using an Employment Services Assessment (ESAt) report to determine payment type 001-02320040

A request for an ESAt may be made if job seekers with a medical condition or other barriers are requesting employment assistance or claiming or receiving an activity tested payment such as JobSeeker Payment (JSP), Youth Allowance (YA) or Disability Support Pension (DSP). See Determining when an Employment Services Assessment (ESAt) is required.

Assessors will record a condition as Persists for less than 2 years if it:

• is verified by medical evidence, and
• is not likely to last longer than 2 years (previously recorded as temporary)

For a condition to be considered permanent (likely to persist for more than 2 years), it must be verified by medical evidence indicating the condition is likely to persist for more than 2 years. This is for the purposes of determining:

• the partial capacity to work status, or
• the appropriate Employment Service Provider assistance

There is no requirement for the condition to be Diagnosed, Reasonably Treated and Stabilised (DTS) for this assessment, although DTS conditions are also taken into account.

In some circumstances, an ESAt can be upgraded to a Job Capacity Assessment (JCA), where the assessor has enough evidence to assess the customer's medical condition/s as Diagnosed, Reasonably Treated and Stabilised (DTS). An impairment rating can be recorded under the Impairment Tables.

From 1 April 2023, a new version of Impairment Tables was introduced. The new Tables are used to assess a customer's medical eligibility for all Disability Support Pension (DSP) claims lodged on or after this date. The existing 2012 version of the Tables will still apply for any DSP claims/reviews and appeals lodged before this date.

There are changes to terminology which is reflected in ESAt/JCA report.

These changes include:

• the term Diagnosed, Reasonably Treated and Stabilised (DTS) will replace the current term of Fully Diagnosed, Treated and Stabilised (FDTS)
• the term likely to persist for more than 2 years, will replace the term permanent condition
• the term likely to persist for less than 2 years, will replace the term temporary condition

Customers are considered to have a partial capacity to work (PCW) if they are not eligible for Disability Support Pension (DSP) but are assessed as having:

• an impairment that prevents them from working, or being trained for work for at least 30 hours per week, at or above the relevant minimum wage, independently of a program of support, within the next 2 years

If a customer with a partial capacity to work (PCW) is receiving JobSeeker Payment (JSP), Parenting Payment (PP) or Youth Allowance (YA), they may have reduced participation requirements, and be eligible for Pharmaceutical Allowance (PhA) and a Pensioner Concession Card (PCC).

For some JSP customers, they may also be entitled to a higher rate of payment and Clean Energy Supplement (CES).

YA and ABSTUDY customers with a partial capacity to work are entitled to Youth Disability Supplement (YDS).