Who does the system upgrade impact?
The system upgrade will impact participants that access the jobactive site and jobactive Job Seeker app, which are being replaced by WorkforceAustralia.gov.au and the Workforce Australia app from 4 July 2022. This includes not only current jobactive participants, but also participants of other employment services that use this platform, such as Transition to Work, ParentsNext, Disability Employment Services Program or the Community Development Program.
From 4 July 2022 participants in these programs will have access to the new Workforce Australia app and website so they can benefit from the tools and information available to all individuals. The Workforce Australia app will automatically download if users have that setting enabled, otherwise they will download it when it becomes available. Participants will use their same logon in the new platform.
Income support payments won't be impacted by the planned system upgrade.
What does the new online platform mean for mutual obligation requirements?
jobactive participants will transition to either Workforce Australia Online or Workforce Australia Services, which will introduce a new flexible Points Based Activation System (PBAS) for participants in these services on income support who have mutual obligation requirements.
To support these participants during transition and give people time to adjust to the new settings:
- if a participant does not meet their points target in their first reporting period in Workforce Australia, compliance action will not be raised
- people transitioning to Workforce Australia will have their Targeted Compliance Framework demerits reset to zero.
For participants in other employment services programs, such as Transition to Work, ParentsNext, Disability Employment Services Program or the Community Development Program, the use of the new Workforce Australia platform will not change their mutual obligation settings. The PBAS does not apply to participants in Transition to Work, ParentsNext, Disability Employment Services or the Community Development Program.
Mutual obligation requirement exemptions
Existing arrangements continue to apply for exemptions from mutual obligations. Where a person is temporarily unable to meet requirements, they may be granted an exemption. Those who have already been granted an exemption will have those exemptions continue.
Reasons include, but are not limited to:
- temporary medical conditions
- major personal crisis (such as family and domestic violence, or the death of a family member)
- temporary caring responsibilities
- homelessness, and
- special family circumstances (such as caring for a child with a disability).
Exemptions are generally granted by Centrelink. In addition, principal carer parents, those aged 55 and over, or those with an assessed partial capacity to work may be able to 'fully meet' their mutual obligation requirements through 30 hours per fortnight paid work, voluntary work, approved study, or approved combinations of these activities. Participants fully meeting their requirements in this way are not required to undertake any further activities.
