Compulsory Participation Interview Service Update for JobSeeker Payment (JSP) and Youth Allowance (YA) principal carers when youngest child turns 16 years 102-01130060

Centrelink managed job seekers will be expected to negotiate a Job Plan that reflects their new full-time mutual obligation requirements. This interview is not an annual event as it only occurs at the time the relevant child turns 16.

Customers can be identified for this Service Update when their youngest child has turned 15 years and 11 months. Once identified, the relevant Service Component 226 will be automatically started and the system will automatically book a phone appointment for these customers for a date after the youngest child has turned 16.

For this Service Update remote customers undertake a phone appointment. The phone conversation with the customer should be clearly documented and any documents requiring the customer's signature as a result of the phone interview, including the Job Plan, should be posted to the customer for their return within 14 days.

The Job Plan can be negotiated over the phone. If the customer has an online account, the customer can agree to their Job Plan in their online account therefore removing the need to post the document to the customer.

The participation interview will cover issues including:

• advising single customers of potential change to their rate of payment
• advising principal carers of changes to their mutual obligation requirements
• informing customers of their reporting and contact obligations
• connecting customers to an Employment Services Provider (if not already connected to one) and referring for an Employment Services Assessment (ESAt) if required, and
• negotiating a new Job Plan with Centrelink managed job seekers to reflect full-time mutual obligation requirements

This Service Update is required to be completed as soon as possible once the customer falls into the target group, because the customer needs a relevant Job Plan which reflects their new mutual obligation requirements. Customers cannot unreasonably delay entering into a Job Plan by rescheduling such appointments. If customers do not attend this interview their payment should be suspended with the reason 'Failed to Attend Interview' (FAI) to prompt contact with the agency.

There are certain special family circumstances exemptions only available to principal carers. As the customer will no longer be a principal carer due to their child turning 16, any exemption they may currently have is likely to cease from the child's 16th birthday, and they will be required to undertake full-time mutual obligation requirements. However, exemptions for customers facilitating home schooling or distance education of their child(ren), large family or providing emergency and respite foster care, can extend past the child's 16th birthday in some cases.