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

Job seekers are either required to participate in Work for the Dole (WFD) or they may choose to participate in WFD depending on their circumstances.

During the mandatory activation point, most participants are required to undertake WFD.

When a job seeker has agreed to a compulsory requirement to participate in WFD, and fails to comply with the requirement, they have committed a mutual obligation failure. Providers manage non-compliance with a Work for the Dole Requirement under the Targeted Compliance Framework. For more information, see Failing to attend or satisfactorily participate in a compulsory activity.

Any fully eligible job seeker may volunteer for WFD. Principal Carers and those assessed as having a Partial Capacity to Work, who do not have compulsory participation requirements, and are of any age can volunteer for WFD.

Job seekers aged:

• under 18 years of age cannot participate in WFD, even if they wish to volunteer
• 50-59 can choose to do WFD or other approved requirements
• 60 years of age or over can choose to do WFD or other approved requirements such as voluntary work

A job seeker who is interested in participating in WFD must be placed by their provider. Service Officers should direct these job seekers to their provider to discuss placement.

Note: for job seekers in remote communities refer to Community Development Program (CDP).

Participants continue to receive JobSeeker Payment (JSP), Youth Allowance, Parenting Payment or Disability Support Pension and, where eligible, an additional $20.80 per fortnight. APWS is paid in recognition of extra costs involved in participating.

For more information, see Approved Program of Work Supplement.

Additional Child Care Subsidy (ACCS) (transition to work) may be available to eligible job seekers to minimise child care costs, easing their transition into participation.

The WFD project sponsor is responsible for providing a safe and productive work area. This incorporates appropriate training and on-site supervision, administrative requirements such as minor personal equipment, and clothing such as safety boots or clothing necessary for public contact.

Services Australia has no role with police checks.

Providers must organise police checks from the Australian Federal Police (AFP) for participants who will be placed in activities involving schools, child care centres or any other activity specified by the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR).

A job seeker may participate in more than one requirement in a 12 month period to complete a full placement in WFD.

Providers are responsible for placing job seekers into WFD. Job seekers can only take part in one WFD requirement at any one time.

Compulsory participation is not limited to one requirement. However, job seekers are required to participate for 6 months in a 12 month period.

Job seeker commences employment

Job seekers may obtain full-time employment, part-time or casual work during the course of their placement.

Job seekers who are on a part-rate of income support cannot be compelled to undertake Work for the Dole.

Full-time employment will prevent ongoing participation in WFD. In the case of part-time and casual work, where a job seeker is earning less than the affecting income amount they will be required to remain in WFD. If a job seeker's rate is affected by employment for more than one consecutive fortnight, they may choose to withdraw from WFD.

Note: Services Australia cannot code the exit. Tell the job seeker to contact their provider who will code the exit.

If a job seeker has accrued Working Credits and their rate would have been affected by more than one consecutive fortnight if they didn't have accrued Working Credits, they may choose to withdraw from WFD.

When a job seeker is placed in WFD and they have subsequently gone onto partial rate, but have not yet been sent a letter by the provider, the system will automatically exit the job seeker from the WFD placement. The exit code which is used is NLE (No Longer Eligible).

A job seeker who is participating in WFD and has gone onto a partial rate, and has been sent a letter by the provider to attend an interview, must:

• attend the interview, and
• participate in WFD until they have had more than one consecutive fortnight of casual earnings which affect their payments

Where possible, job seekers should be encouraged to continue their placement.

• Part-time/casual work: When a job seeker states that the part-time or casual work conflicts with participation, tell the job seeker to contact their provider. The provider and job seeker should attempt to negotiate attendance suitable to both parties. The provider can allow the job seeker to leave WFD without penalty if:
• an arrangement cannot be reached whereby the job seeker is able to work the required hours, and
• the job seeker is earning more than the affecting income
• One-off employment: If the paid work is only within one fortnight and results in a reduced rate of payment, the job seeker is not exited, but is taken to have participated in WFD for that fortnight

Where a job seeker is offered paid part-time work with the WFD sponsor, the above requirements apply; however, care needs to be taken to ensure there is no conflict of interest.

Job seekers in WFD must attend job interviews as part of their efforts to seek employment. Job interviews are a high priority for job seekers and providers must accommodate these requests. Providers must explain this to job seekers during negotiation of the Job Plan. Job seekers must provide evidence of job interviews to providers.

Job seekers in WFD must look for work. WFD participation cannot be included as one of those contacts.

When a job seeker changes their address, they may be auto-exited from WFD depending on their new geographical location.

If there is no change in Services Australia region or, the job seeker's new Services Australia region is mapped to their current provider, the job seeker remains with the current provider.

If a job seeker needs to be exited from WFD due to a change of address, the exit is actioned by an automatic process linked to change of address coding in Services Australia system.

Job seekers must attend at the times and in the manner advised by their supervisor.

The job seeker will continue to look for work and receive employment services from their employment services provider.

Situations may occur where it is acceptable that a job seeker does not, or is unable to, complete their placement. The job seeker should contact their provider before the scheduled start time to explain their reasons for non-attendance.

The current guidelines on special circumstances should be followed. See the References page in Exempting a job seeker from mutual obligation requirements due to special circumstances.

Sponsor closed over Christmas etc

A job seeker is not required to make up the hours if the sponsor decides to close down over Christmas, on any other public holiday, or for other reasons. A sponsor should avoid closing down for more than a 4 week period if at all possible. If this cannot be avoided, all job seekers must be exited from the placement.

Medical certificate - general

Job seekers who supply medical certificates for their absences are not required to make up the time they missed during their WFD placement, and the time covered by the certificate will count towards their WFD placement.

Exemption from mutual obligation requirements

Ensure that the job seeker is exempt from WFD participation until the medical certificate expires.

If using Customer First, the medical certificate must be coded using the Medical Certificate Guided Procedure. On return to WFD, these job seekers need their provider to negotiate a new Job Plan, considering their personal circumstances (which may have changed).

If using Process Direct, suitably skilled Service Officers are to select 'Medical Certificate' from the Task Selector (if relevant training has been undertaken).

However, no participation hours are credited towards the job seekers WFD participation requirement for the period of absence. Exiting the job seeker in these circumstances will ensure they are not paid the APWS for the period they are not participating.

An automatic exit (NLE - no longer eligible) from WFD will occur for a job seeker who

• has commenced in WFD, but
• has not received a letter from the provider advising of the requirement to attend an appointment to discuss WFD participation, and
• the job seeker subsequently goes on to a partial rate, or has an exemption from their mutual obligation requirements

If a job seeker's payments are reduced by parental income while participating in WFD, they can cease participation in WFD. If they decide not to continue in WFD they will be notified that they are not required to attend. If they choose to continue in WFD this will be a compulsory requirement in their Job Plan.

If a job seeker's payments are reduced by their partner's income while participating in WFD they can cease participation in WFD. Services Australia cannot code the exit. Tell the job seeker to contact their provider who will code the exit.

A job seeker can choose to participate in WFD whilst serving a Community Service Order. They can also be compelled to participate in WFD where the community service is for less than 20 hours per week, however, the Community Service Order should take precedence. The provider and the job seeker should negotiate the times and days of participation if the periods overlap. If negotiation is not possible, then the job seeker can leave the requirement without penalty.

Note: participation in a WFD program cannot be used to meet the terms of a Community Service Order.

Job seekers on Army Reserve Training Camps are taken to satisfy their mutual obligation requirements. This means that while they are undertaking a Training Camp, they are not expected to participate in WFD. In this case it is treated like other exemptions such as illness, and the days spent at the camp are treated as time on the requirement. A camp that is coming up doesn't exempt the job seeker from the initial placement. For the rest of the time (whilst they are on normal weekend training) the job seeker is eligible for WFD participation and cannot be exempted. Army reserves are usually done on one weekend per month. This should not clash with WFD which is generally undertaken on weekdays.

When a job seeker leaves a placement, the provider must notify Services Australia within 2 days.