Restoration of JobSeeker Payment (JSP), Youth Allowance (job seeker) and Special Benefit (SpB) 001-03030030

Payment cannot be restored unless the customer remains eligible for the whole period covered by the restoration. To ensure the customer is paid the correct payment, any changes of circumstances must be updated as part of the activity to restore the customer's record.

Customers with compulsory mutual obligation requirements must have met their requirements for the period.

In most cases, payment cannot be restored if it is more than 13 weeks after the customer was notified of the decision to cancel or suspend. The customer must test their eligibility and reclaim the payment.

Payment can be restored if the cancellation was in error, the cancellation is restorable and the customer has continued to meet their mutual obligation requirements since last paid. If the cancellation is not restorable, a new claim will need to be indexed through Assisted Customer Claim.

If a customer who has mutual obligation requirements has their payment suspended due to failure to attend an Employment Services Assessment (ESAt), see Job Capacity Assessment (JCA) and Employment Services Assessment (ESAt) appointments.

Job seekers managed by Disability Employment Services (DES) must contact their provider to discuss if payment was suspended because the job seeker did not attend a participation appointment or activity. Job seekers participating in Community Development Program (CDP) may have their payment restored.

Job seekers managed by a Workforce Australia provider must contact their provider to discuss if payment was suspended because the job seeker failed to meet their points target.

Before restoring payment for a customer released from prison, the Service Officer must first confirm, with the appropriate state authority, the date the customer was released. Contacts for confirming release are included in the Resources tab of Confirming prison admission and release dates.

If it is verified that the job seeker has not been employed in full-time ongoing work, payment should be restored, if it was suspended or cancelled within the last 13 weeks. Any arrears owing should be calculated and paid.

If a job seeker has been suspended YBS as a result of a provider error, payment can be restored. The date of restoration depends on whether they contact within 13 weeks of being notified of the decision.

If the job seeker has been cancelled YBS or YBE after 26 weeks suspension, payment cannot be restored. These customers will have to reclaim an income support payment. If they disagree with the decision, they can ask for a review.

Customers participating in Self-Employment Assistance may have their income support payment (ISP) cancelled (CAN-SEA or CAN-CPP), if they are being paid Self-Employment Allowance from the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR).

If DEWR subsequently advise the customer did not receive Self-Employment Allowance and the current placement was created in error, a Manual Follow-up (MFU) activity will be generated. See Self-Employment Assistance.

Check the ISP is restorable, for example, cancelled less than 13 weeks; customer meets the income and assets test; has continued to meet mutual obligation requirements, etc.

If the customer's address details have not changed, but mail has been returned, proof of address details are required before payment can be restored.

If the decision is made to not restore a customer's payments when contact has been made within 13 weeks of suspension/cancellation, document the reasons for not restoring, before referring the customer through the new claim channels.

Payment may be restored with full arrears if the customer's payment was suspended or cancelled whereabouts unknown (WUK), as long as the customer continues to be qualified and retains payability during the period of suspension/cancellation.

This may be the case even when the customer contacts more than 13 weeks after they were advised of the decision to suspend or cancel payment. The customer would not have received advice of the decision to suspend or cancel, if they were not at their known address and/or advice of the decision was returned to Services Australia.

The date of effect of the favourable determination (restoration) resulting from review of the decision to suspend/cancel is the date of the original decision, as per Legislation. See the References page for a link.