Approved mutual obligation requirements for customers assessed as having a temporary reduced work capacity (TRWC) 001-09070170

The ESAt assesses temporary reduced work capacity according to the following bandwidths:

• 0-7 hours per week
• 8-14 hours per week
• 15-22 hours per week
• 23-29 hours per week

Services Australia uses information about the customer's temporary reduced work capacity from the Work Capacity section of the ESAt report to place the job seeker into the appropriate TRWC participation category. Once the ESAt report is accepted, this information is displayed on the Work Capacity (WC) screen.

Note: job seekers who had their Job Capacity Assessment (JCA) finalised prior to 6 March 2009 and were assessed as having a TRWC of 0-14 hours per week, will not have this information displayed on the WC screen due to system limitations. See Step 5 in the Triggering and recording a QTI requirement for a job seeker with PCW or TRWC table.

Customers with an assessed TRWC of 0-7 hours per week are not eligible to participate in Disability Employment Services (DES). However, these customers may still choose to volunteer to participate with an Employment Services Provider.

Services Australia must negotiate a Job Plan for job seekers assessed as having a TRWC of between 0-14 hours per week by an ESAt. These job seekers may volunteer to be connected with a provider who may add voluntary activities to the Job Plan. Regardless of whether the job seeker is connected to a provider, they will be managed by Services Australia and Service Australia will be required to negotiate the initial Job Plan.

Participation in drug or alcohol treatment may contribute to a job seeker meeting their mutual obligation requirements if they are provider managed.

Centrelink managed job seekers may undertake treatment activities which may be voluntarily included in their requirements. However, the job seeker must still undertake the compulsory items that have been approved by Services Australia and is included in their requirements. For example part-time work, voluntary work, Quarterly Participation Interviews etc.

Job seekers undertaking part-time work or self-employment to meet their requirements, will have this included as a compulsory item. For all other job seekers where the TRWC is for:

• 12 weeks or more, the requirements must include the Job Plan sentence text- 'I agree to attend compulsory quarterly appointments with Centrelink as advised. If I am unable to attend an appointment, I will advise Centrelink of my situation as soon as possible after being notified of my appointment date and time'
• less than 12 weeks, the Service Officer must include the Reduced Capacity Requirements sentence text 'I agree to attend all compulsory appointments made for me by Centrelink. If I am unable to attend an appointment, I will advise Centrelink of my situation as soon as possible after being notified of my appointment date and time'
• less than 15 hours per week, may choose to continue to participate in their current items during this period but it may only be included in their requirements as a voluntary item

Job seekers with a TRWC will be expected to lodge a Reporting Statement via Self Service (online or phone), in person or in writing (SU19) and comply with the terms of their Job Plan.

Job seekers with an assessed TRWC of 15 hours or more per week (who do not have an assessed PCW of less than 15 hours per week and do not have an exemption from their mutual obligation requirements) must undertake compulsory requirements, and will be required to be connected with an Employment Services Provider. A job seeker can participate in suitable part-time work or self-employment of at least 15 hours per week to fully satisfy their requirements. Job seekers who are working more than 15 hours per week may voluntarily leave employment to commence suitable work of only 15 hours per week without incurring a financial penalty for unemployment due to a voluntary act. If the job seeker is not undertaking an approved item which fully meets their requirements, they must have job search included. The Job Plan will be negotiated by the provider unless the job seeker is considered to be Centrelink managed.