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

An Employment Services Assessment (ESAt) report is received at the new claim stage or when a review is conducted to determine the most appropriate payment type for the customer.

The ESAt report should be considered in conjunction with all other available information, such as DOCs, the customer's file and the electronic Medical/Sensitive Information File Envelope (eMIFE).

In most circumstances, an ESAt will not be used to determine appropriate payments. Exceptions to this include:

• where the ESAt has been upgraded to a JCA because there is sufficient evidence to assess the customer's eligibility for Disability Support Pension (DSP)
• for a JobSeeker Payment (JSP) claim, an ESAt has been requested to assess whether the customer is temporarily incapacitated for their usual work

Check the ESAt report to make sure it is complete, accurate and the information can be used to make a decision.

Go to Step 2.

The ESAt report should indicate if the functional impact of a condition (illness, injury or disability) is likely to persist for more than 2 years or temporarily impacts on work capacity.

The ESAt provides an assessment of the customer's current capacity to work as a number of hours per week, and their future work capacity within or after 24 months.

Is the functional impact of the condition temporary or likely to persist for more than 2 years?

• temporary, go to Step 3
• likely to persist for more than 2 years, see Table 2, Step 1

• Yes, go to Step 4
• No, go to Step 6

For the customer to successfully return to work or study, their incapacity should be assessed as either temporary (likely to persist for less than 2 years) or their incapacity is not expected to severely impact on their ability to continue their job or studies. The report should indicate a realistic timeframe for the customer's recovery.

Any follow up action required must be done where an appropriate intervention is recommended.

Go to Step 5.

Unless there is contrary information in the report, the following payment types would be appropriate in these circumstances:

• If the customer is employed, tell them they may be eligible for JobSeeker Payment (JSP)/Youth Allowance (YA) (Incapacitated)
• If the customer is a student or apprentice and currently in receipt of ABSTUDY, see Payment of ABSTUDY when a student or Australian Apprentice becomes incapacitated
• If the customer is a student or apprentice and:
• aged 24 or under and currently in receipt of Youth Allowance (YA), see Youth Allowance (YA) student or Australian Apprentice becomes incapacitated or impacted by unforeseen or extreme circumstances
• aged 25 or over and currently in receipt of Austudy, see Austudy student or Australian Apprentice becomes incapacitated or impacted by unforeseen or extreme circumstances

Procedure ends here.

Customer may be eligible for JobSeeker Payment (JSP) if they are 22 or over, or Youth Allowance (YA) if they are 21 years of age or under.

Assess mutual obligation requirements based on the ESAt report.

Customers unable to work for eight or more hours per week and who are unable to undertake another appropriate activity, may be exempt from mutual obligation requirements.

Customers presenting with a temporary medical condition that is likely to improve within 2 years are to be classified as a job seeker where the report indicates the:

• customer is able to work for eight or more hours per week, or
• illness, injury or disability is expected to improve or resolve within 2 years

A customer can satisfy their mutual obligation requirements by looking for eight or more hours of suitable work per week. An unemployed person who has a capacity to work for eight or more hours per week should be encouraged to remain in the labour market through modified mutual obligation requirements and referrals to appropriate programs of assistance.

Procedure ends here.

• Yes, YDS is payable if the report indicates baseline and with intervention work capacity is less than 30 hours per week within the next 2 years, regardless of whether conditions are Diagnosed, Reasonably Treated and Stabilised (DTS):
• when the report is accepted, YDS will be automatically calculated as part of the Youth Allowance (YA) or ABSTUDY rate. Issue manual advice. See Youth Disability Supplement (YDS). Procedure ends here
• No, go to Step 2

Does the report indicate the customer can, or is expected to, work more than 15 hours but less than 30 hours per week in the next 2 years?

Check baseline work capacity, and work capacity with intervention are not recorded as 30+ hours.

• Yes, the customer is identified as having a partial capacity to work. They are not eligible for DSP. They can claim JobSeeker Payment (JSP)/Youth Allowance (YA) if no other payment is suitable. Mutual obligation requirements are based on the work capacity bandwidth hours. See Job seekers with a partial capacity to work or a temporary reduced work capacity. Procedure ends here
• No, go to Step 3

• Yes, see Claiming Disability Support Pension (DSP)
• No, the customer may have reduced mutual obligation requirements for a temporary period. Assess mutual obligation requirements based on the ESAt/JCA report. Procedure ends here