Approved activities for principal carers 001-09070150

Principal carers can undertake a combination of paid work, self-employment and/or study to fulfil their requirements. Services Australia may approve any combination of study and work hours as long as the minimum combined total hours undertaken equal at least 30 hours per fortnight.

Allowable Break provisions may apply to customers with this activity, and who are affected by employer closures over the Christmas school holiday period.

JobSeeker Payment (JSP) (principal carers) qualifies as a Pensioner Education Supplement (PES) attracting income support payment.

JSP single principal carers must apply for PES, and the course must meet PES approval.

See Initial contact with students claiming Pensioner Education Supplement (PES).

Defence Force Reserves (DFR) can be regarded as an approved activity and may include annual training camps, programmed courses, full-time or part-time work in the Defence Force.

Disability Employment Services (DES) providers work with job seekers who have disabilities to help them gain and maintain employment.

If a job seeker lives in a Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR) designated remote area, they are referred to a Community Development Program (CDP) provider. The CDP provider will provide services similar to DES for job seekers with disabilities.

• Job seekers are encouraged to engage in part-time work as a way to maintain skills and increase opportunities to move to full-time employment. For principal carers, part-time paid work (PTW) of at least 15 hours per week at the national minimum wage or above, will fully meet the mutual obligation requirements.
  Allowable Break provisions may apply to customers with this activity, and who are affected by employer closures over the Christmas school holiday period
• Self-employment as an approved activity to satisfy mutual obligation requirements is a recognised approved activity (SEL) and can be included as an approved activity. For principal carers, self-employment of at least 15 hours per week, generating net assessable income equivalent to the national minimum wage (for 15 hours per week), will fully meet the mutual obligation requirements
• Self-Employment Assistance is an approved activity that assists eligible job seekers with training and support to establish a viable business. Small Business Coaching (under Self-Employment Assistance) can only be included in a job seeker's Job Plan by Services Australia if the customer is still eligible for income support payment. Participants in receipt of Self-Employment Allowance, who continue to receive a partial rate of their income support payment, will be assessed as fully meeting their requirements.
  Principal carers can participate in the Self-Employment Assistance components of Small Business Training and Small Business Coaching activities on a part-time basis, consistent with their requirements
• Principal carers can meet their participation requirements in full through a combination of suitable paid work and self-employment, providing the total hours are at least 15 per week, and the total income is equivalent to the national minimum wage for those hours

Note: some principal carers will have their approved part-time work (PTW) activity automatically updated if the job seeker:

• is a principal carer, and
• is in receipt of JobSeeker Payment (JSP), Parenting Payment Single (PPS), or Youth Allowance (YA) (job seeker), and
• has declared in their last 2 consecutive fortnights that they have worked at least 30 hours each fortnight and earned income that is equal to or above the national minimum wage

Note: providers can approve a job seekers part-time work (PTW) activity if they are fully meeting mutual obligation requirements. These job seekers become Centrelink managed and must negotiate a Job Plan with Services Australia.

In cases where a principal carer has had the Activity and Exemption Summary (AEX) screen updated automatically, a 'Change of Circumstances' work item will be allocated to Service Officers for a Job Plan to be negotiated. The Job Plan needs to reflect the new dates on the AEX screen.

Principal carers are required to seek part-time paid work of at least 15 hours per week (unless exempt or meeting their requirements by other approved activities) and to accept a job offer of paid work up to 25 hours per week, subject to the work meeting the financial suitability test. Principal carers who are not fully meeting their requirements will be referred and/or stay connected with an employment services provider. They may also be required to have job search requirements included in the Job Plan that is negotiated by their provider. See Mutual obligation requirements for principal carers.

Principal carer job seekers, job seekers assessed with a partial capacity to work (PCW) (15-29 hours) and job seekers in receipt of Carer Allowance (CA), can fully meet requirements if participating in approved voluntary work (or a combination with paid work) for at least 30 hours per fortnight. These job seekers undertake voluntary work with approved volunteer organisations. Services Australia and providers can approve voluntary work (VWK) and activities combined with voluntary work, such as paid work, self-employment or study.

Principal carers under 55 years of age can be approved to participate in approved voluntary work (either standalone or combination activity) of at least 30 hours per fortnight, by their provider only.

• PVS activity - Voluntary Work and Study (combined)
• PSV activity - Voluntary Work, Study and Paid Work (combined)
• PVP activity - Voluntary Work and Paid Work (combined). From 1 April 2025, this activity can no longer be approved by providers. Job seekers with this activity approved by a provider prior to 1 April 2025 with an end date beyond 1 April 2025, can continue to participate in the activity until the activity end date
• PVW activity - Voluntary Work (standalone). From 1 April 2025, this activity can no longer be approved by providers. Job seekers with this activity approved by a provider prior to 1 April 2025 with an end date beyond 1 April 2025, can continue to participate in the activity until the activity end date

The provider will use their discretion to approve this, only if they assess that:

• the job seeker lives in a poor labour market area
• there are limited training opportunities available locally
• there are significant vocational aspects to the voluntary work

If this is approved, the job seeker will become Centrelink Managed and must have a Centrelink Job Plan negotiated.

Job seekers can participate in Work for the Dole (WFD) under Workforce Australia to improve their job prospects, get valuable work experience and help their local community. Participants are entitled to a supplement when participating in WFD. WFD can only be approved by providers.

A Community Service Order can be imposed by the Court (with the offender's consent) on suitable offenders, sentencing them to perform community work for a certain number of hours instead of serving time in prison. For example, community service can be done in lieu of paying a fine.

The offenders perform unpaid work at approved organisations and are supervised during their community service. These customers are not considered to be in prison. A community service order is a type of Community Based Order that can be imposed by a Court.

Job seekers identified as requiring assistance with language or literacy skills can be referred to Skills for Education and Employment (SEE) or for those whose first language is not English, can be connected to the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP).

Job seekers may benefit from one of the following activities which can only be approved by providers:

• Undertaking an assessment of their present capacity or needs by a provider or organisation
• Drug and alcohol rehabilitation
• Intervention Non Specific
• Parenting Skills Program
• Health Maintenance Program
• Child Care

Part-time or full-time study can be undertaken as an approved activity, depending on the circumstances.

• Approved study of a minimum of 15 hours per week (or 30 hours per fortnight), of any combination of contact (classroom or other directed activities) and non-contact hours, will satisfy a principal carer's requirements. This is regardless of the institution defining a course as full-time or part-time
• If a principal carer starts approved study of at least 15 hours per week on Parenting Payment (PP) and transfers to JobSeeker Payment (JSP)/Youth allowance (YA) as a principal carer, they can continue to do the course as an approved activity in lieu of job search or other activities for the remainder of the same course
• JSP (principal carers) qualifies as a Pensioner Education Supplement (PES) attracting income support payment
• JSP single principal carers must apply for PES, and the course must meet PES approval

See also: Initial contact with students claiming Pensioner Education Supplement (PES).

Principal carers can combine approved study and suitable paid work (SPW activity code) and/or self-employment, providing the total hours are at least 15 hours per week, and the total income is equivalent to the national minimum wage for the agreed hours.

If the activity is a part-time course, and the customer is Indigenous, they may also be eligible for ABSTUDY Incidentals Allowance.

Only providers can approve the following combination study and paid work activities:

• Study and Paid Work (PSW activity code) for any Workforce Australia job seeker participating for at least 70 hours per fortnight
• Study and Paid Work (PPW activity code) for principal carers and those assessed with a partial capacity to work (PCW) (15-29 hours) for at least 30 hours per fortnight