Refugee Activities (RAC) as an approved activity 005-18101837

The RAC is an approved activity which is only available to newly arrived permanent refugee customers who:

• have mutual obligation requirements
• are eligible under the Better Targeting of Support for Refugee (BTSR) measure and
• remain Centrelink managed after their REF mutual obligation exemption ends

The Participation Summary will indicate if the refugee is eligible for the BTSR measure.

See Negotiating Job Plans for refugee appointments at 12 weeks, and conducting circumstance reviews at 12 months for more information.

Newly arrived permanent refugees receiving an income support payment with mutual obligations requirements (such as JobSeeker Payment (JSP), Youth Allowance (YA) (job seeker) or Parenting Payment Single (PPS) (where mutual obligation requirements apply) will receive the 'Refugee in first 13 weeks in Australia' (REF) mutual obligation exemption for the first 13 weeks from their arrival in Australia.

The REF exemption is recorded on the Activities and Exemptions Summary (AEX) screen.

The exemption end date is adjusted to end before the 12 week reporting end/due date during the new claim assessment. For more information on changing the exemption date, see Refugee Service Offer.

During the exemption period, refugee customers are not required to look for work, but must attend the following scheduled appointments:

• Multicultural Service Officer (MSO) seminar, and
• Employment Services Assessment (ESAt) if required
• 12 week post exemption review

After the REF exemption and 12 weekly reporting has expired, newly arrived permanent refugee customers are subject to:

• mutual obligation requirements, and
• fortnightly reporting

Newly arrived permanent refugee customers with mutual obligation requirements must:

• agree to a Job Plan and
• satisfy their mutual obligation requirements outlined in their Job Plan

Failure to enter into a Job Plan within 28 days may result in suspension of income support payment.

Refugees who are eligible for the BTSR measure remain Centrelink managed until they have been in Australia for 12 months and require a Centrelink Managed Job Plan. See Negotiating Centrelink Managed Job Plans.

The Participation Summary will advise if the refugee is eligible for the BTSR measure. This is located under Key information tab > Key information.

Depending on their circumstances they may not be eligible for the BTSR measure as a more suitable employment service is deemed more appropriate.

Refugee customers will not be eligible for the BTSR measure or to be Centrelink managed, if they are eligible for referral to:

• Inclusive Employment Australia (IEA)
• Transition to Work (TtW)
• Remote Australia Employment Service (RAES)

To cover the 12 month period, these refugees require an appropriate activity to be recorded on the Activities and Exemptions Summary (AEX) screen.

A service officer in the refugee's local service centre is responsible for recording the activity on the AEX screen at the refugee's 12 week post exemption review contact.

Most refugees who are eligible for the BTSR measure will have the Refugee Activities (RAC) coded as an approved activity on the AEX screen.

Note: as per normal processing, a Job Plan cannot be negotiated for a customer who has a current exemption from their mutual obligation requirements.

To be eligible for the RAC as an approved activity the newly arrived permanent refugee must be engaged or participating in one or more of the following:

• the Humanitarian Settlement Program (HSP), Community Refugee Settlement Integration Program (CRISP) or Refugee Student Settlement Pathway (RSSP)
• the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP)
• Workforce Australia on a voluntary placement, see Selection or allocation of a Workforce Australia employment services provider

Note: newly arrived permanent refuges are generally linked to a settlement provider, such as HSP, CRISP or RSSP on arrival in Australia. The refugee customer does not need to provide evidence they are participating in these activities when their Job Plan is being negotiated.

If the refugee customer is not engaged with a settlement provider or is not participating in AMEP or Workforce Australia, discuss whether participation in either program may be appropriate. If the refugee customer requests a referral to a Workforce Australia Provider as a volunteer, they must only be referred if they have:

• chosen to be referred, and
• had an Employment Services Assessment (ESAt) completed (only if medical conditions and medical evidence exist), and
• negotiated a Job Plan with Services Australia

If the refugee customer is not connected to a settlement provider or declines participation in AMEP or Workforce Australia, another appropriate compulsory approved activity must be recorded on the AEX screen and negotiate a Job Plan with the approved activity.

For further information on determining appropriate AEX activities for BTSR customers, see Negotiating Job Plans for refugee appointments at 12 weeks, and conducting circumstance reviews at 12 months.

Where RAC has been determined as the appropriate activity to satisfy the refugee customers mutual obligation requirements, a service officer in their local service centre is responsible for recording the RAC as a compulsory approved activity at their 12 week post exemption review contact.

The activity must cover the full period that the refugee customer remains Centrelink managed under the BTSR measure (for example, until the refugee has been in Australia for 12 months). This means setting the end date to be equal to 12 months from the refugee customer's date of arrival in Australia.

See Negotiating Job Plans for refugee appointments at 12 weeks, and conducting circumstance reviews at 12 months for further details.