Work for the Dole (WFD) under Workforce Australia 001-09080000

Entry into the WFD program provides job seekers with an opportunity to improve their job prospects, get valuable work experience and help their local community.

Note: for information regarding requirements under Community Development Program, see Community Development Program (CDP).

Work for the Dole is the mandatory activity for eligible job seekers in Workforce Australia Services who have not met their activation requirement by the activation point. Job seekers can earn points for attendance at the activity, which contribute towards their points target.

Job seekers undertaking WFD will have their requirements negotiated by their provider. Providers use the Targeted Compliance Framework to manage WFD requirements.

Services Australia does not place job seekers in WFD, but is responsible for:

• informing job seekers of their mutual obligation requirements, and
• determining if financial penalties apply for mutual obligation when job seekers have not met their requirements and are in the financial penalty zone

The job seeker continues to be subject to the usual requirements to comply with requests from Services Australia and to meet their mutual obligation requirements throughout their placement on WFD.

The Resources page contains a link to the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR) website regarding Work for the Dole (WFD) as well as WFD provider contacts in each state and territory.

Work for the Dole is for job seekers participating in Workforce Australia or Community Development Program. It is a work experience program, which places job seekers in requirements where they can build new skills, experience and confidence to move from welfare to work, while giving back to their community. A variety of WFD requirements and placements are available. Some examples include:

• computer graphics work
• animal or wildlife shelter requirements
• retail work
• rehabilitation of public parks
• office administration
• warehouse duties
• gardening and maintenance

Requirements must provide benefit to the broader community, improve employment prospects of participants and reduce alienation of unemployed people from their community.

The provider has full responsibility for placing job seekers in a WFD requirement.

Service Officers cannot place job seekers in WFD and must direct job seekers interested in participating in WFD to their provider to discuss placement.

Job seekers aged 18 to 49 years who are receiving a full rate of income support payment will normally have Work for the Dole as a mandatory activation task to meet their requirements.

When the job seeker commences in a mandatory activation task, the provider will enter it into the job seeker's Job Plan and advise the job seeker that they must comply with the requirement. The requirement will automatically display on the Activities and Exemptions Summary Screen (AEX), showing the start and end dates.

Job seekers under 18 years of age cannot participate in WFD, even if they wish to volunteer.

Job seekers receiving employment assistance as a volunteer (base online service) are not eligible to do WFD.

Principal Carer Parents and those assessed as having a Partial Capacity to Work who do not have compulsory participation requirements of any age can volunteer for Work for the Dole.

Job seekers aged 50 and over with full-time mutual obligation requirements must:

• undertake tasks and activities to meet their points target, and
• may volunteer to undertake Work for the Dole as part of these requirements

Job seekers aged 50 and over, with full-time mutual obligation requirements, cannot be compelled to undertake Work for the Dole. However, if they choose to voluntarily undertake Work for the Dole to meet their requirements, the requirement must be entered as a mandatory activation task in the Job Plan by their provider.

A job seeker receiving a part-rate income support cannot be made to participate in Work for the Dole or another approved program of work. These job seekers can participate in Work for the Dole as a voluntary participant.

Work for the Dole participants remain entitled to their income support payment (that is, JobSeeker Payment (JSP), Special Benefit (SpB), Youth Allowance (YA), Disability Support Pension (DSP) or Parenting Payment (PP)) and receive an additional fortnightly supplement to assist with the costs of their WFD placement. Job seekers are eligible for the Approved Program of Work Supplement (APWS) regardless of the WFD requirement being undertaken on a compulsory or voluntary base, to help with the costs of attendance.

Job seekers are not able to be in receipt of the APWS and the Pensioner Education Supplement (PES) at the same time.

Job seekers may be eligible for Additional Child Care Subsidy (ACCS) (transition to work) whilst participating in work for the dole.

Job seekers will have their APWS suspended at any stage during an entitlement period. If they:

• are exempt from their mutual obligation requirements, and
• do not continue to voluntarily participate during the exemption period

The suspension will be applied from the exemption start date for job seekers with mutual obligation requirements. The supplement will be reinstated on the following day after the exemption ends, unless the job seeker volunteered to participate within the exemption period. In this case, the supplement will only be paid if there was participation during the entitlement period.

For information regarding requirements under Community Development Program, see Community Development Program (CDP).

As part of negotiating a WFD requirement:

• job seekers are expected to take personal responsibility for working with their provider:
• to identify circumstances that have the potential to impact on their ability to participate
• so that requirements are appropriate to their circumstances
• providers must ensure that the compulsory requirement:
• is consistent with relevant legislation and policies
• does not exceed prescribed maximum limits set out in social security law, and
• considers the job seeker's personal circumstances and assessed capacity

The Job Plan includes the WFD requirement. These are scheduled by the provider.

Providers are responsible for managing compliance of these requirements under the Targeted Compliance Framework. For further information, see Failing to attend or satisfactorily participate in a compulsory activity.