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

Searching for the principal carer Compulsory Participation Interview youngest child 16 years' Service Update - JobSeeker Payment (JSP) and Youth Allowance (YA) customers.

In Customer First:

• Go to the Service Component Search (PQCS) screen via the Next: field
• Code the following fields on the Service Component: line
• In the ID: column enter 226 as the applicable Service Component number
• In the Status: column code as 'STA' for started
• For the Area/CSC: field enter the service centre or Area that the work is required for
• Press [Enter]

A list of customers with the required Service Component that match the search criteria will be displayed on the PQCS screen.

'S'elect the required number of customers to meet the relevant Service Update target - up to a maximum of 15 can be selected at one time.

Note: if the Service Update should be deferred, use the Defer or Cancel workflow.

Service Component 226 starts automatically when customer enters the profile.

• The Service Component 226 will be automatically started so the status of 'STA' (started) should display
• A Centrelink Appointment System appointment with the Appointment Type 'Compulsory Part Ivw' will be automatically booked. Note: the appointment should be booked for the date after the youngest child has turned 16
• For remote customers, go to Step 2
• For other customers, go to Step 3

Remote customers will undertake a phone appointment for this Service Update.

Clearly DOC the customer's record with details of the phone conversation.

• Attempt to contact the customer at the scheduled appointment time. Service Officers should create a pre-call notification (SMS only) using Desktop Electronic Messaging Capability (DEMC). After creating the SMS, wait 1 to 2 minutes before making the outbound attempt
• If unable to contact the customer on the first attempt, try again approximately 15 minutes later. (Two contact attempts must be made to the customer)
• Sufficient detail about the outbound contact attempts must be included in a DOC

Has the customer attended the appointment?

• Yes, go to Step 5
• No, go to Step 4

Where no appointment has been booked due to customer not having current telephone contact details:

• an email will be sent to the relevant Service Zone for action
• the e-mail must be actioned within 48 hours to ensure an appointment is made for the customer in a timely manner

The participation interview for principal carers when youngest child turns 16 years a Service Update is compulsory. The customer should contact Services Australia prior to the appointment if they are unable to attend, or to reschedule.

Failure to attend this appointment without a reasonable excuse means the customer has not met their mutual obligation requirements for JSP or YA.

If the customer did not:

• attend a scheduled compulsory participation interview (without rescheduling), their payment should be suspended for not attending an interview (FAI)
• contact to arrange an appointment for a compulsory participation interview after a letter was sent to them to do so, their payment should be suspended for failing to respond to correspondence (FRC)

Access the Service Profiling Update workflow:

• Start the workflow by:
• launching it directly from the booked appointment, or
• selecting it from Workspace in Customer First
• Select the Principal Carer Compulsory Participation Interview - child turns 16 Service Update

On the question Did you complete the Compulsory Participation Interview, indicate NO followed by marking the appointment with a reason of Did Not Attend

DOC the record advising payment SUS using the SUS/CAN/RES reason Fast Note.

Record a Fast Note. Select Auto Text option > Generic > SUS/CAN/RES > Suspend Cancel Reason.

When considering whether to suspend payment, take into account:

• the existence and type of any vulnerability and its impact on the customer's capacity to comply
• any recent events (as documented) that may impact on the customers capacity to comply, or
• any other known factors that may indicate customer was unable to comply, or had a reasonable excuse for not doing so

Reasons for not suspending must be clearly documented on the customer's record.

Use Benefit Action (BA) screen to suspend the record FAI or FRC

Procedure ends here.

Access the Service Profiling Update workflow.

• Launch the workflow directly from the booked appointment, or
• Select the workflow from the workspace page in Customer First
• Select the Principal Carer Compulsory Participation Interview - child turns 16 Service Update

Conduct principal carer Compulsory Participation Interview youngest child 16 years' Service Update - JobSeeker Payment (JSP) and Youth Allowance (YA) customers.

• Advise the customer they are no longer considered to be a principal carer for mutual obligation requirements purposes, now their youngest child is 16 years
• Remove the Principal Carer flag from the Principal Carer Circumstance Details (PCCD) screen if not already updated
• Consider ongoing eligibility for exemptions, for example, home schooling, distance education or foster care, which may extend past the child's 16th birthday, and are not subject to the customer being a principal carer. For further information see Exempting a job seeker from mutual obligation requirements due to special circumstances
• Discuss whether the child meets the secondary pupil child definition after turning 16 years old and therefore allows the customer to have the large family exemption
• For single customers who were previously granted an automatic principal carer exemption, advise their rate of JSP or YA will also reduce as they are no longer considered a principal carer
• Advise single customers of potential changes to their rate of payment due to their change in principal carer status:
• For single principal carers receiving JSP, ordinary income above the fortnightly income free area reduces payment at a different rate to that of other JSP recipients. These customers also have a higher fortnightly income limit. For further information see Income Test for single allowance customers
• If the customer is 55 years old or over or has been assessed as having Partial Capacity to Work (PCW), the customers mutual obligations requirements will remain the same.
  If under 55 years old or the customer has not been assessed as PCW the flexibility of their previous mutual obligation requirements, such as the 'part-time requirements', will cease and they will have standard mutual obligation requirements
• Advise the customer they must comply with compulsory requirements and the consequences if they fail to comply
• Advise the customer how certain exemptions may apply if they are unable to meet their requirements

Discuss options with the customer as to how they can meet their new requirements, such as:

• actively seeking work as a job seeker
• maintaining registration with the Online Employment Service, an Employment Services Provider, or
• joining a program of assistance

See Approved Activities included in Job Plan for further information.

The customer should already be connected to an Employment Services Provider and should have the status of being a Fully Eligible Participant (FEP)/Remote Fully Eligible (RFE).

However, the customer's Job Seeker Snapshot should be updated via the Participation Summary in Process Direct to reflect any changes in their circumstances determine any appropriate exemptions or refer them to the Assessment Services Team for an Employment Services Assessment (ESAt) if required.

In Process Direct:

• select the Customer Summary tile from the Process Direct Landing page
• enter the customer’s CRN, select Go
• select anywhere in the Search Results field to enter the customer’s record
• select the More Options menu, select > Participation Summary > Job seeker registration & provider referral information > Start job seeker registration

The customer will be required to negotiate a Job Plan that reflects their new status and mutual obligation requirements. The customer's previous Job Plan covering part-time mutual obligation requirements is no longer current and a new plan must be negotiated. The Participation Summary displays who manages the customer for the purpose of the Job Plan. If the customer is Provider managed, it is the responsibility of the provider to negotiate the new Job Plan. If the customer is Centrelink managed, negotiate and update customer's Job Plan. See Negotiating Centrelink Managed Job Plans.

As the interview is conducted over the phone for a remote customer, the Job Plan can be posted to the customer with a Requesting information (CLK) letter. The letter must advise that if the plan is not returned within 14 days, a suspension may apply.

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.

In Customer First:

• Complete any outstanding activities if required
• Provide details in a DOC of the mandatory information provided to the customer during the conversation, including key dates and mutual obligation requirements
• Complete the Service Component by finalising the Service Profiling Update workflow. This will automatically update the status of the Service Component to 'COM' (completed)

Note: once the Service Component is completed it cannot be restarted.

For information on how to correctly attribute a Service Profiling debt to the associated Integrated Review System (IRS) Service Update, see Attributing Service Profiling Debts to Integrated Review System (IRS) Service Updates.