Legend

 

  • SPI: Stronger Participation Incentives Explanation
All Stream A job seekers as well as Stream B job seekers subject to Stronger Participation Incentives (SPI) for Job Seekers under 30 measure will enter the Work for the Dole Phase in their first year of service and every subsequent year that they remain unemployed.
  • AAR = Annual Activity Requirement Explanation
Mutual Obligation Requirements include the range of requirements a job seeker can be compelled to fulfil under Social Security Law in return for activity-tested income support. These include attending Provider Appointments, undertaking Job Search and acting on referrals to jobs, undertaking an Annual Activity Requirement and participating in any other activity that is relevant to their personal circumstances and that will help the job seeker improve their employment prospects.
  • PCP/PCW = Principle Carer Payments / Partial Capacity to Work Explanation

Job Seekers with part-time participation requirements, such as Principal Carer Parents (PCP) or those assessed as having Partial Capacity to Work (PCW), will generally have to undertake less activities than other Newstart recipients

69 comments

  1. im a bit confused with the changes to the unemployed. im 59 this year and on newstart my job provider told me with the new changes that i can no longer look for work min 15 hours a week. i have to look for full time work. is this right. thankyou.

    1. If you find part time work it will shut them up a bit 16 hrs or more and they should remove or refuce the job search requirements when questioned about it. They will try to get their hands-on your payslips though. Even though your earnings will be reported to centerline by yourself they will ask for your payslips query this refuse using AUWU guidelines.

  2. I can’t find an explanation to ‘Stream A, B and C’.
    Your website is very informative, unlike the two organizations that have now taken it upon themselves to micro-manage my life (apparently) wrongfully.

  3. Common law precedents have long ago established that no govt or govt entity can use its powers to coerce people to sign contracts with private companies. What happens if I simply decline to sign a contract with a service provider? Centrelink is itself a private corporation. How is it that people who happen to be unemployed can be forced to do this to access benefits they are entitled to.
    Statute law does not extinguish these long established rights. How is it exactly that these so called ‘mutual obligations’ can override these basic common law rights?

    1. Youre 100% right.. what they are forcing people to do just to access a payment theat we are entitled to is interfering with our basic rights. The jobsearch agencies are all privately owned… we should not have to enter into any contract with any private corporation to access a payment that we are entitled to just to survive!! Please post more laws on this topic as there MUST be loopholes in this disgusting system.

      1. I am 5 months pregnant and working part time, and I am being forced to go to regular jobfind appointments, in order to get a “full time job”. Number 1 – people who are in need of financial assistance are not in capacity to work full time, there is NO law that says all humans must work full-time. Its outrageous, ridiculous, and impossible as there are not enough full-time jobs available in ratio to people… so how does this even make sense? Every person who goes through their private jobseeking system is just another number they add to their list, in order to get funding by the government. The government (yes!) pays millions of dollars to all these private companies, meaning there are private indivuduals who are getting rich, while the masses are being used, mistreated, abused, and taken advantage of, in order for others to profit. This system needs to be shut down. In america the same thing has happened as private companies calling themselves jobsearch take over the lives of the people. There has been lots of media attention there – the system is obviously not benefitting the people.. what about simple incentives for local businesses so that they can afford to hire more staff? This seems the most obvious and practical first step, but we are not seeing it. The people need help, companies are breaking the law in order to make some fast cash.

        1. So these jobfind agencies are registered training organisations. Who get funded by the government. The goverments money = the peoples money. Why is the peoples money going straight into the hands of privately run companies?? This is not helping an unumployed population. All one has to do is skim over some of the hundreds of thousand jobseekers comments online to realise people are not happy with this system, and it is not benefiting the average person. Eg the 55 yr old mother who has suddenly been contracted to attend countless jobfind meetings even though she has no car, no licence, no extra fuel money, no capacity to work full time for some other private business, nor the time for such idiocracies. Who is benefitting the most? These companies…. dodgy stuff. Australia stand up, protect our basic human rights!

        2. Is anyone here aware that the agencies staff actually get paid commissions to get you into a job – payment incentives to staff range from 10% through to 30% commission per placement….. What a rort – and yes you the tax paying public foot the bill for that….

          1. Thought that might be the case. I am seriously considering telling my job agency to stick it up there collective asses. My consultant who I have been with for some time has gone from nice to a complete cow, I get anxiety everytime I have to go there, infact I was just there today and she has forced me to go to an interview for a job tomorrow in an area that’s not what I’m looking for it will interfere with other commitments I have and she point blank told me that if I mention these other commitments at the interview that she will report me. Her only other alternative was to exit me from the system. To give you some background I work part time already so I don’t get a full payment from centrelink, centrelink accepts this employment, they have never penalised me and I always report my income and yet this cow consultant is telling me I can’t do this work and have to find full time employment. I have had enough of this job network and there bs.

          2. yes i do know this and that should be stopped, all it does is force the staff to place people in jobs that are not suited to them just so they can get more money in their pay each week.

        3. I own my house, (a very cheap house, but im thankful i won’t ever have to face the very real threat of homelessness) on an Island with few svcs and zero jobs, i have no car on the mainland and 2 children aged 7 and 9 in primary school on the island (i am 48 was married 20 yrs he left and suddenly i found myself dealing with this insane system) so its a half hour each way ferry trip to the mainland, and runs approximately every 45 mins, sometimes an hour, i do not own a car on the mainland, only the island, i cannot drive my car of the island unless i choose to pay $100 round trip… and this takes 1hr each way, school starts at 8:5am and finishes at 2:45 pm… This is my home i chose to live here as it was the only place i could afford to buy a home for my kids, i only just got my kitchen inside (slow renovation, all done by myself) … I had a “woman” in my last Job provider service actually tell my i would have to move to the mainland or loose my payments. Why would i choose to pay upwards of $350 a week rent for a non secure job, move my kids from their home and friends, have the threat of more moving (one of the biggest causes of depression) than that due to rentals not always being offered longterm etc…Needless to say i changed Job providers after i had a mini breakdown from the pressure being put on me to find a job within the timeframes of school hours (there is no b4 or after school care on the island) and travel times… its buses once i reach the mainland … with ferry times etc… apparently the jobs i was putting down on my job network were not realistic, what was not realistic was 20 jobs available to me to apply for within the parameters set by my life… therefore her conclusion was “move”

          1. Nicala, how dare she talk down to u in that way? i would love to see her survive, yr consultant is being a total BITCH. I bet she has no kids, is jealous that u do, and own yr own home. You often don’t understand why women behave in such controlling, spiteful ways. She’s shown No empathy for your suffering and situation, the trauma of being abandoned, (that in itself is criminal, IMO). You’re so strong, u are doing what’s best for your family – keeping a stable, affordable roof over yr families head! don’t let anyone tell u how to live yr life. Speak to your local polatition about this discriminative bully! I Mr I lived somewhere isolated, i would get a prepaid internet service, a cheap laptop, and apply for ‘work from home’ customer service jobs, thats a perfect for you! Stay positive and strong love. And Best of luck to you.

          2. Nicala, how dare she talk down to u in that way? i would love to see her survive, yr consultant is being a total BITCH. I bet she has no kids, is jealous that u do, and own yr own home. You often don’t understand why women behave in such controlling, spiteful ways. She’s shown No empathy for your suffering and situation, the trauma of being abandoned, (that in itself is criminal, IMO). You’re so strong, u are doing what’s best for your family – keeping a stable, affordable roof over yr families head! don’t let anyone tell u how to live yr life. Speak to your local polatition about this discriminative bully! I Mr I lived somewhere isolated, i would get a prepaid internet service, a cheap laptop, and apply for ‘work from home’ customer service jobs, thats a perfect for you! Stay positive and strong love. And Best of luck to you. Ps, is it compulsory to work on parenting payment? U have an exemption until yr youngest child enters primary school, unless legislation has recently changed

      2. Greetings Fellow earthlings… in the fight for our rights and freedoms…

        Just for your quick reference info:
        I run a website called LegalNameFraud.com
        Go have a look at that, and blow your mind….

        But simply, make sure you only ever sign your
        lowercase name…. not your LEGAL NAME… it can be as simple as you initials.
        with the words
        Vi Coactus… = (google that) which means signed under coercion…
        and always include;
        Without Prejudice =which means lots of very good things actually…
        google that too and

        if you like you can add
        All Rights Reserved

        I agree they cannot force you to sign a contract with anyone…
        so Vi Coactus them at least….

        cheerings LNFer

        1. Vi Coactus – disingenuously adding VC to a signature, evidence of details of the unlawful conduct need to be provided. The term is not automatically taken on face value.

        2. I signed my job plan vi coactus over a year ago and have not complied with so called obligations since.
          I am constantly being suspended
          but this always resolves in my favour. I am 66 yes old and have no intention of complying. Lectures about taxpayers money will not work with me because I know where money comes from. Mutual obligation underpins contact law there is NO MUTUAL OBLIGATION
          Until you sign the contract. There is no mutual obligation in social security law. This is not generally understood but it means most of the advice in this blog is nonsense.
          Br

    2. Statute law DOES override common law. That is mostly the point of each statute/legislation. Example = MABO high court decision overridden by subsequent federal legislation.

  4. I just finished work of the Dole and I am PCP of my 8 year old son hmmmmmmmmmm..I am over 50 years just also…I admit I was allowed to have school holidays off and enjoyed working but I have trouble finding a job that suits my hours for my son…..

  5. do i have the same rites as being employed by the government SICK DAYS etc.Is it the same laws except you payed well below minimum wage

    1. I am 49,25 hours pw WFD.
      When we had a public holiday,I had to make the 8hrs up,when I was sick for one day,they needed a medical Certificate and I had to hand it in the same day to the job provider.

  6. I am with a disability employment provider and was just checking on how many appointments I must attend and it is 6 contacts over a 6 month period compared with a normal job provider 1 a month isn’t this discrimination ??????

  7. I am with a disability employment provider and just checking how many appointments I need to attend and it is 6 every 3 months compared to 1 a month for normal job providers, isn’t this discrimination ????????

    1. Yes I also thought you only needed to attend 1 appointment per month? Even with disability employment providers ? What’s the go ?

      1. i’m on normal newstart and for months was getting called in for weekly appointments plus any job groups they had going, i did query this once and all they said was they were stepping up on everyones appointments, i’m 47 with a husband in heart failure, which they wont put on disability pension just newstart with a medical exemption, i hate leaving him alone while i go do all my activities as he has a difribulator implant which can go of at any time. i think the whole system needs looking at again.

  8. Yes that is discrimination Kelly! I dont believe just because of a disability you should be required to attend extra appointments, if anything should be once every 2 months or something atleast. geez centrelink is messing with peoples lives now.

  9. Mate why should I work for the dole for $20 a fortnight when it costs me $300 a f/n for Childcare when I end up doing this shit how the fuck can you pay a mortgage and feed 2 kids on 280 a f/n want too kill my self

    1. Thats exactly what this kind of crap leads people to do. I felt like killing myself too.
      Centrelink workers are trained to put you off applying for the dole as soon as you walk in to apply.
      They ask rediculous questions which also raise privacy issues.
      They make you run around getting ID, ownership, bank documents, only to have them tell you to come back again with more paperwork. Its nuts. It does drive people over the edge & at a time your feeling your most down.

      1. wow this is insane I feel it too. I get extreme anxiety when my phone rings because they bombard me constanly. Im feeling like kms too. I cant live like this

        1. In 2023 I hear you loud and clear constantly getting cutt off even with medical certificate sent my anxiety and depression through the roof and lead to being cut off completely for about 5 months

    2. Kevin Its not worth killing yourself. Saddened to read this.
      You know my friend told me she felt this way.
      She threatened to go public due to the trauma She is a very willing worker but the stress and hassle made her feel suicidal No one should be made to feel this way.
      My thoughts and prayers go out to you.
      Your children need you.

    3. Stay strong Kevin. I know the system is so unfair on sole parents. Get a medical exemption for a month or 2, get them off your case for a little while

  10. I was bullied by the work for the dole team at people plus Bendigo, a lady named Teagan was so rude and pushy I was in tears. I called to say I cannot make my 2.00 app due to having to pick kids ups, and she called me back and said Im making you an app at 2.00 Thursday and I said no I cannot come at that time my kids come first, I have to pick up my kids, and she said I have and if you dont attent your payments will be stopped, I said to her dont be so rude and she said, Im, not rude, I said yes you are and Im going to repoert you and she said report me all you like and then she hung up in my ear and suspended my payment..so I went in at 2.00 and she was very cold nasty, I told her I had to go at 2.30 and she said I will make you an appopointment for monday instead, so I was forced to go in there and it was all for nothing and I have to go back Monday…she was treating everyone in the info session the same, like a piece of dirt under her feet. I have anxiety and she has me so upset when I go in there I shake.

    1. Make a complaint, firstly to the agency and then to the commonwealth – google not happy with my provider and hit them with an official complaint. There is also the centrelink complaint service – drop into ur local centrelink and tell them face to face you are complaining – it will be noted on ur file for when the agency starts getting the craps with you. I complained about mine and their response (rather foolishly I might add as they couldn’t prove their ‘tip off’) was to attempt cutting payment for a non engagement of a working person – centrelink laughed so hard with that one ???????????? I was in the right they were just plain stupid – no tick and funding for them in that instance….

    2. Kass “they” don,t get to make it up as they go as this smart ass bitch thinks.First take a friend with you a witness for the defense if you will .2nd be polite raise your issues suggest a time that suits you & record everything out of her sight.Complain to your local member & ask them to help not centrelink. Here are 2 links to read … https://docs.jobs.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/ttw_job_plans_0.pdf its about 4th down the page on google. Then particularly the section… Considering a Participant’s circumstances when deciding the activities in the job plan. http://guides.dss.gov.au/guide-social-security-law/3/2/10

    3. that’s terrible kazz, i hope you got it sorted, i have 1 lady at mine who is so rude every appointment i have with her i come away feeling so down and out, you try and explain something to her and she turns her back and ignores you.

  11. Hi. The above ‘explanation’ of “Annual Activity Requirement” doesn’t EXPLAIN it at all! It merely uses the phrase in a partial explanation of “Mutual Obligation Requirements”. Isn’t that a bit dodgy? Why evade an explanation/definition of AAR?

  12. I am 60yrs and currently on Stream A which apparently means I should be looking for full time work…or at least 15hrs voluntary every week. I notice your chart states those over 60 have no “Activity Requirement”. Is this correct & where can I find this on Centrelink website as they are still making me look o=for work or volunteer?? I don’t mind the volunteering bit as I do heaps of hours every week!! however what I do is not approved by them???

  13. i was on a medical certificate i had one appiontment a and ask cut my payments before i even got in there, no come in or anything, what do you think will happen when a hard core crimminal just out of jail gets his payments cut and has nothing to looze, god help the smart arse fuck head that makes that guy poor petrol on them,ex prison officer it will happen sooner or later

  14. Australian Federal Government is run by Zionism. Every Prime Minister since Robert Menzies has been controlled by Zionism. This country has been gutted by Governments that have no interest for this Country and its People. The only interest is to support Israel getting back its promised land. Israel must love us, as they have named 3 of their Forests after Bob Hawke, John Howard and Robert Menzies.
    It was John Howard that started to take away our freedom and rights.
    We are screwed. Its to late, nothing can be done. We are slaves and it is only going to get worse. Nobody notices, nobody seems to care.
    Israel will be the Central Hub for the New World Order, and the Royals are right behind it.
    It does not matter who is Prime Minister or what Party has power, they are all controlled Zionists with an agenda, bought out by Rothschild.
    The Commonwealth Law is being slowly pushed out, and our Government friends are going flat out creating their own secret laws for the New World Order. No more freedom of speech, no more private property, no more freedom of driving a car.
    When we go to a cashless society, that will be the start of full enslavement.
    Who are you going to vote for?

    1. Totally!! Like really I listen to the senate and house of reps it’s a joke…on us! And who is Scott Morrison , been following politics for years especially the area he was meant to minister for, never heard of the guy. And Matias Corman is a suss one also appearing on the seen with a Belgian ascent, after all those other polis lost their jobs based on dual residency of another country.. bit strange. But no one says or asks? Anyone know what Belgian famous for history? An outage still occuring in Africa today. Also there secretary surrounding Australia Jewish migration history. And so many liberals now seem to have Jewish influenced surnames. Man I could go on … Just yeah totally agree. John Howard, it’s too late we all prisoners thus is still a convict country, a prison state.

  15. I’m just going back into the work force. The hoops are many. But when I was with a job network, I was forced to work in jobs that were unsuitable for me. One even left me very ill. Others I wasn’t paid and had to chase it through means of fair trade. This was because they were not suitable. I went to inquired about one line job and happen to mention that I was doing this to my consultant. This also ended up unsuitable due to long hours over 6 days a week plus travel of 2 hours. I was penalised for this and was cut off payments just before Christmas. I had to call another department to explain what had happened. No one would listen. I ended up so stressed by being treated so poorly that I had to see doctors and a psychologist. My son went through the same thing with the same job network and he was in the DES. They put so much pressure on him that he snapped. He is just re applying now after months of being off the payments and job networks. We are hoping to be treated better this time around.

  16. Theres not enough jobs out there in for Adelaide for blue collar workers. Adelaide is going down the toilet with employment, strict laws, paying the highest electrisity in the world etc.
    Everytime I attend my job network (Status employment at Modbury) appointments, I find the next day on my gov account, it says that I did not attend, I have occurred a demerit point & my pay is cut, so I ring up my job network, they knew I attended, my proof is that I signed in, they re-establish my pay but the demerit points they cannot take off. It’s not fair, all the demerit points that are on my account is from their mistakes.

    When I have reached 6 demerit points, my pay will be suspended.

    Status employment havnt re-done my resume as promised, as my current resume doesnt pass the automated resume selection. I have continuesly reminded them if they can re-do my resume, they say yes but never do it.

    Status employment dont do anything to help a person get employment.

    The previous status employment worker that was allocated to me, wrote on my, My gov account that I went jail, (I had never been to jail), my gov account is set on visible to employers.

    I believe that I could do a better job than these workers at Status employment

    1. Did u go to the Ombudsman to complain that you were defamed in character.?
      And, I wonder if they do this to a lot of people and we don’t know it, because yes they do treat some of us like we’ve been inside But Haven’t. They assume assume and assume. Never assume anything, but they do.

  17. • Using capital letter’s by Government Departments and courts is not some conspiracy to sell your person on the stock exchange or some corporate name by the government is garbage – absolute bullshit debunked a long time ago

  18. im over 55 and had my centrelink account stoped for no reason other than they want to check a payment my wife was payed in 2013 which will come to nothing . Is the goverment hopping ill kill myself and save them some money.

  19. I have been in this cycle for 8 years. I was summarily dismissed from a company I assisted a childhood friend establishing, for fabricated reasons which were created to match a list of “Summary Dismissal Guidelines”. No final pay, no entitlements paid, centrelink couldnt even get a separation certificate of them. I informed the bank that financed my vehicle hire purchase that I wanted to get some extra time to pay and they advised me ,”in order to claim relief on the grounds of financial hardship you have to registered with CLink and receiving unemployment benefit’. 8 years….I had no intention of going to Centrelink and if i could travel back iin time i would not have. I feel like ive been raped a thousand times. I blame myself for allowing it to have happened, i knew no better and thought that wrongs would be righted. I hold every individual who, over the 8 years, has held a position of authority with the ability to intervene but chose not to, responsible for the mental defiling of a decent human being, who, in good faith believed he was being led along the path to salvation….and ending up on the sadistic merry go round that is the Australian Social Welfare System. I have no faith in any institution, man or God.
    “Maybe this world is another planet’s hell.”

    ― Aldous Huxley ~

    1. You took the words right out of my mouth. Some are unrelenting bastards too. Devious, narcissistic bullshit. Especially the Back2Work team. A bunch of communists and Tyrants

  20. Wouldn’t a collective refusal to comply force the Government to change a corrupted system that makes money off Broken Australians.
    How do they sleep at night

    1. They…
      What I believe are a bunch of robots and narcissistic idiots. They employ them because they have no empathy. I reckon they probably do a test of some EQ or IQ to see what their gifts are. If they do not react I reckon they employ them. Like I said, robots. It really should be called in some departments, the department of inhumane services

  21. We have a Jewish controlled country (or world now). Jewish new world order (communism). They have been working diligently for 2 thousand years. There’s only one way out of this and it’s through them. They are cruel and evil beyond measure, which is why you see our society so broken. They own and control everything. Our government has people come and go as individuals but the Jewish hand that controls it always stays the same. To the others who said there’s no hope Re zionism which is code for Jewish power, you are wrong. They are cruel and evil but they are weak and ely on us doing nothing. Think Sparta not slavery.

  22. Back to work are the rats here holding everyone to slavery against jobs The client can’t do for their own pay packet. I don’t know what it is. Is it white slavery. Is it communism. Is it tyranny. I give up. Now we want the next boat out of here before it becomes like other countries. Where is our utopia. Where is our paradise of being a free country. Isn’t this what Anzac day was for. is it white slavery. Is it communism. Is it tyranny. I give up. Now we want the next boat out of here before it becomes like other countries. Where is our utopia. Where is our paradise of being a free country. Isn’t this what Anzac day was for. We shouldn’t have to retaliate like they did in the past as it hurts people. I am also sick of dealing with people in the system they have actually come from other countries and can’t understand English or use their words properly because their vocabulary isn’t all there, but they actually also use that as an excuse. I had one girl confuse a word that completely sent me sideways or was it a Freudian slip to suspend me instead of exempt me from pay as I have a severe chronic condition. She is trying to assess me for capacity even though this has already been done through Centrelink, but back to work want to use me for their commissions if they get me a job. She said she wanted to assess me. I said this is already been done by a specialist and she even has the letter but she proceeds to go over my head so I reported her. I was exempt as well from appointments. She even broke the calendar on my Jobactive page to sabotage me in her own way Without them knowing. This is for her own KPI’s so that she has a job to go to or an itinerary of people to see so that she gets paid and they know that she has some activity to do. This person calls herself a psychologist. What a load of bloody rubbish and a contradiction. Talk about turning tables and pulling the wool over our eyes. She wants something to do without them knowing. This is for her own KPI‘s so that she has a job to go to or an itinerary of people to see so that she gets paid and they know that she has some activity to do. This person calls her self a psychologist. What a load of bloody rubbish and a contradiction. Talk about turning tables and pulling the wool over our eyes. She wants Only to sabotage the fact that this country actually allows people not to starve on some level or receive some money in a crisis whatever it is. These guys are out to stop that even if people are so chronically ill they want you to work to death literally and physically until you are dead anyway. I don’t know what you call this ism. …But it is alive and kicking. It seems to be from a certain race. I am not Racist, but it seems to be the ideals of a certain country. Things that we have tried to stop happening here. But they are in there

  23. I have missed two 5hr shifts at work, Im 65 and work for the dole volunteering, I have been told by my employer that I must get a medical certificate and as soon as I return to Volunteer work I must make up my lost hours and work extra shifts. I have been sick and do not want to go and sit with other sick people to get a medical certificate, but I will if I have to. And do I have to do extra shifts when I get back to volunteering ? Im upset because if done extra shifts when my employer has had limited staff to help them out and now they are not very caring or fair with me.

  24. What the government are doing is outrageous. Forced contacts with private corporations is ILLEGAL. Yes, sign every job plan with V.C. Because we are being forced to comply with these mutual obligations for something that is a HUMAN RIGHT under the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights. DO NOT sit and whine about the way we are treated. Acting like victims will NOT cause this illegal activity to go away. The basic problem here is one of head versus heart. The government is acting from head and we want it acting from heart.. but they won’t because they are corrupted individuals. If you thought things would be better under a new government you were wrong.. because job provider contracts were signed before the election making it impossible to change the system. It’s so inextricably linked to the American stock market that you must accept you are a mere commodity so evil people like Megan Wynne can become billionaires. All unemployed people must band together and force the government to change the welfare system entirely.

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