Participation Requirements for Principal Carer Parents Advice V 2.1 Disclaimer This document is not a stand-alone document and does not contain the entirety of Job Services Australia Providers' obligations. It should be read in conjunction with the Employment Services Deed 2012-2015 and any relevant guidelines or reference material issued by DEEWR under or in connection with Employment Services Deed 2012-2015. Participation Requirements for Principal Carer Parents Advice D13/489058 Effective Date: 1 January 2013 Table of Contents Background...............................................................................................................................................3 The definition of a Principal Carer Parent.................................................................................................3 When Principal Carer Parents have Participation Requirements ..............................................................3 Identifying Principal Carer Parents in the Employment Services System (ESS).........................................4 Recording Principal Carer Parents Participation in Activities....................................................................4 Recording activities in an Employment Pathway Plan (EPP) .....................................................................4 Recording activities in Activity Management ...........................................................................................4 Participation Requirements......................................................................................................................4 Participation with a provider ....................................................................................................................7 Summary of participation requirements for PCPs ....................................................................................8 Exemptions from participation requirements ..........................................................................................8 Participation Requirements for Principal Carer Parents Advice D13/489058 Effective Date: 1 January 2013 Participation Requirements for Principal Carer Parents Advice Document Change History Version 2.1 Start Date 01 Jan 2013 Effective Date End Date Change & Location Policy: Updates made to reflect the changes to parenting payments coming into effect 1 January 2013 (p3-10). 01 Jan 2013 2.0 18 Jun 10 18 Jun 10 31 Dec 12 1.0 06 May 09 06 May 09 18 Jun 10 Policy: Updates made to reflect the 'More Flexible Participation Requirements for Parents' 2009-2010 Budget Measure effective from 1 July 2010 (p1-8). Original version of document. Background The purpose of this document is to outline the participation requirements for Principal Carer Parents (PCPs) and how these job seekers can satisfy their participation requirements. This document should be read in conjunction with other reference material on the Participation and Engagement page of the Provider Portal. The definition of a Principal Carer Parent A PCP is a person who is legally responsible for the day-to-day care, welfare and development of a child under 16 years. When Principal Carer Parents have Participation Requirements PCPs may receive one of the following income support payments: Parenting Payment Single; Parenting Payment Partnered; Newstart Allowance; Youth Allowance; or Special Benefit. To qualify for Parenting Payment (Partnered), partnered parents must have principal care of a qualifying child under the age of six. To qualify for Parenting Payment (Single), single parents must have principal care of a qualifying child under the age of eight. If a parent requires income support once their youngest child has turned six years of age for partnered parents or eight years of age for single parents, they may qualify for another income support payment, for example Newstart Allowance. Until their youngest qualifying child turns 16 years of age, principal carer parents may qualify for Newstart Allowance. All PCPs (including grandfathered recipients) on income support payments such as Parenting Payment and Newstart Allowance are subject to part-time participation requirements once the youngest child in their care turns six years old. Participation Requirements for Principal Carer Parents Advice D13/489058 Effective Date: 1 January 2013 PCPs are required to meet their part-time participation requirements by looking for work of at least 15 hours per week or by undertaking any combination of part-time work, study or voluntary work (in limited circumstances) for 30 hours per fortnight. PCPs must meet their participation requirements to continue to receive payment unless they have been granted an exemption. Identifying Principal Carer Parents in the Employment Services System (ESS) Providers are able to determine if a job seeker is a PCP recipient by referring to the Participation Profile. Recording Principal Carer Parents Participation in Activities Job Services Australia (JSA) providers are required to record all of the activities a PCP agrees to undertake in order to meet their participation requirements. This is a two part process for JSA providers that commences with all activities being listed in a PCP’s Employment Pathway Plan (EPP). Recording activities in an Employment Pathway Plan (EPP) These activities should be recorded in the EPP to ensure compliance, as PCPs must comply with the approved activities outlined in their EPP. In circumstances where a PCP is undertaking a combination of activities, details for each activity should be entered separately in the EPP. Any job search and provider appointments that a PCP is required to undertake or attend must also be entered into the EPP. Further information on the EPP, including relevant codes, can be found in the Employment Pathway Plan Sections and Activity Codes Advice document. Recording activities in Activity Management The second part of the process is then reflecting the chosen activities the PCP has agreed to undertake by creating the activity placements within the Activity Management Component of the Employment Services System (ESS). Recording the activity/ies placement/s within the ESS enables the provider to keep an accurate record of actual participation in a PCP’s chosen activities, and equips the JSA provider with additional job seeker management tools such as Expected to Start Noticeboard messages to assist in monitoring their actual participation. Creating activity placements is essential as it is used as the system triggers to have the Department of Human Services (DHS) assess PCP’s eligibility for any additional supplement payments they may be entitled to receive. Noticeboard messages alerting JSA Providers to expected end dates of participation are also triggered as part of this process, and can be found when a PCP’s participation in activities is due to cease within 7 days. Upon a PCPs completion of participation, respective activity placements within the ESS will need to be closed, reflecting the exit reason and actual end date, regardless of the activity type a PCP is engaged in. This process is crucial as this triggers the cessation of supplement payments to job seekers upon completion of their participation in the activities. Not accurately recording and managing these activity placements may lead to either under or overpayments that may result in debts being incurred for PCPs. Participation Requirements Meeting Participation Requirements PCPs can satisfy their activity test or participation requirements by complying with approved activities outlined in their EPP. All activities that a PCP participates in to meet their requirements MUST be included in their EPP to ensure compliance. PCPs can meet their participation requirements by undertaking at least 30 hours per fortnight of: Participation Requirements for Principal Carer Parents Advice Effective Date: 1 January 2013 D13/489058 paid work; approved study/short course including any contact and non-contact study hours; self-employment, where the income earned from self-employment is equivalent to, or above, 30 hours at the Federal Minimum Wage; a combination of study and paid work including contact and non-contact study hours; and/or approved voluntary work (where the PCP lives in a poor labour market, there are limited training opportunities locally available and there is a significant vocational aspect to the voluntary work). Note: PCP Job seekers identified as Early School Leavers (ESLs) who are fully meeting their PCP requirements through paid work or voluntary work or a combination of paid and voluntary work, are encouraged but not required to undertake additional education and training in order to meet ESL participation requirements. Meeting requirements through Paid Work, Study or a combination of the two PCP job seekers fully meeting requirements through approved study or paid employment or a combination of the two are not required to look for work or engage or remain connected with an employment services provider, although they can choose to volunteer for employment services should they wish to do so. Participation in Study PCPs who commence study while they are in receipt of NSA, YA(o) and SpB are able to fully satisfy their participation requirements if they undertake an approved Short Course for 30 hours per fortnight (including contact and non-contact hours). An approved Short Course is generally defined as a vocational course which is beneficial to a job seeker's prospects of seeking or obtaining employment. Participation in Short Courses can only be approved for up to a maximum of 12 months. If a PCP is participating with a provider, then only the provider is able to approve a Short Course. Under these circumstances, the provider is responsible for including the course in the job seeker’s EPP. While a PCP job seeker is participating in an approved Short Course of at least 30 hours per fortnight, they are deemed to be fully meeting their requirements and may be eligible to exit from employment services. For information regarding PCPs who either commenced full-time study (30 hours per fortnight) while receiving Parenting Payment, or who are still in receipt of Parenting Payment and wish to commence study, please refer to the Short Course Participation Advice. Hours of study When calculating the amount of time a PCP spends studying, the total number of contact and noncontact study hours are combined. Confirmation of a PCP's contact hours for the purposes of study requires checking the course outline produced by the educational institution. In confirming a PCP's non-contact hours, providers should consider: the course outline; any assessable items that the person is required to complete in order to pass the course; any additional indications of the time required to complete the course provided by the course educator; the PCP's previous education experience; and the PCP's personal situation. Participation Requirements for Principal Carer Parents Advice D13/489058 Effective Date: 1 January 2013 Suitable Work for Principal Carer Parents In addition to the general factors which make a job unsuitable for all job seekers, providers should be aware of the following when identifying a suitable job for a PCP: PCPs are not required to accept employment of more than 25 hours a week, although they may choose do so; whether the parent has access to appropriate care and supervision for their child/children at the times when the parent would be required to undertake the work; whether the location of either the workplace or the child care venue makes the total travel time to work unreasonable; and whether the parent will be financially better off as a result of undertaking the work. Where a job offer involves employment outside school hours or on school holidays, the job is generally considered suitable (subject to other considerations described above). Parents should be actively investigating child care options in their local area while job searching in case they are offered work. Information on unsuitable work can be found in the Guide to Social Security Law (http://guidesacts.fahcsia.gov.au/guides_acts/ssg/ssguide-3/ssguide-3.2/ssguide-3.2.8/ssguide3.2.8.60.html) Sufficient work test A person will fully satisfy their activity test or participation requirements if they meet the ‘sufficient work test’. That is, if: the total hours worked are at least the minimum number required for the person, AND the remuneration is at least the applicable hourly rate (usually the federal minimum wage) multiplied by the minimum number of hours required for the person. Principal carer parents on NSA or YA (other) are subject to the same sufficient work test as other NSA and YA (other) recipients with the exception that PCPs are required to undertake at least 30 hours per fortnight of appropriately remunerated work to satisfy the activity test. Where a principal carer parent does not satisfy the sufficient work test, the person will generally be required to participate in one or a combination of approved activities to make up the balance. Where a PCP is undertaking one or a combination of approved activities such as suitable paid work, approved study (where the total number of hours includes contact and non- contact hours) and in some circumstances voluntary work of less than 30 hours per fortnight, they will need to undertake or look for sufficient work of at least the number of hours required to make up the balance. Voluntary Work In some circumstances PCPs can meet their participation requirements by undertaking voluntary work in an approved organisation, either by itself or in combination with study and/or paid work for a combined total of 30 hours per fortnight. PCPs can only undertake voluntary work if it is approved by a JSA provider, and providers can only approve voluntary work if ALL of the following conditions are met: the PCP lives in a poor labour market area; there are limited training opportunities locally available; and there is a significant vocational aspect to the voluntary work. Participation Requirements for Principal Carer Parents Advice D13/489058 Effective Date: 1 January 2013 PCPs who are undertaking voluntary work to satisfy their participation requirements must remain connected to a JSA provider. They will be required to accept any suitable paid work that fits around any study, as outlined in their EPP, and is appropriate in respect of their caring responsibilities. This requirement to accept employment and attend interviews MUST be included as an activity in the PCP's EPP in order to ensure compliance. Where a PCP is aged 55 years and over, they can satisfy their participation requirements through undertaking voluntary work. For more information on voluntary work placements, including information on a PCP’s Work Experience Phase please refer to the Voluntary Work Advice. Job Search PCPs engaged in Job Services Australia (JSA), who are not meeting their requirements through paid work, study or voluntary work, may be required to undertake job search and report their job search efforts to DHS via their Claim for Payment (SU19) form. Job search contacts should not exceed six per fortnight for PCPs, and job search must be included in their EPP as a compulsory activity. For more information on job search requirements please refer to the Setting job search contacts reference material. Requirements during the Work Experience Phase For information on activities for PCPs during the Work Experience Phase, please refer to the Work Experience Phase page on the Provider Portal. Participation rules for job seekers aged 55+ who are Principal Carer Parents on Newstart Allowance or Parenting Payment PCP job seekers aged 55+ who are participating in 30 hours per fortnight of approved voluntary work or a combination of 30 hours per fortnight of approved voluntary and paid work are required to attend job interviews (as necessary) and accept increased hours up to 30 hours per fortnight of suitable paid work if offered. Failure to attend job interviews and accept increased hours may result in compliance action. Those undertaking 30 hours of paid work per fortnight are fully meeting their requirements and have the choice to exit their employment services provider. Participation with a provider Where PCPs are not fully meeting their participation requirements through employment, study or a combination of these activities, they must connect with a provider and undertake activities designed to assist them into employment. Providers should schedule job seeker activities during school hours (i.e. generally between 9am and 3pm during school terms), unless it is otherwise agreed by the parent. PCPs are also not required to attend provider appointments during school holidays, however, PCPs are required to engage with providers through alternate means, such as via telephone. PCPs may volunteer for assistance should they wish to do so. PCPs are not required to meet their participation requirements during the fortnight that includes the Christmas Day public holiday. PCPs undertaking any amount of voluntary work in order to meet their participation requirements must remain connected with their provider and attend provider appointments as required, attend job interviews and accept any suitable offers of employment (unless in school holiday periods, as stated above). Please refer to Voluntary Work Advice for situations in which voluntary work is appropriate for PCPs. Participation Requirements for Principal Carer Parents Advice D13/489058 Effective Date: 1 January 2013 Summary of participation requirements for PCPs Paid work (30 hours per fortnight) Study (30 hours per fortnight) Combination paid work and study totaling 30 hours per fortnight 30 hours per fortnight of voluntary work Combination 30 hours per fortnight of voluntary work and paid work Combination 30 hours per fortnight of voluntary work and study Combination 30 hours per fortnight of voluntary work, paid work and study Suspended in Service Required to look for work Required to accept work Required to attend job interviews Yes No No No Required to attend regular provider appointments No Yes No No No No Yes No No No No No – (Yes for Mature Age 55+) No Yes Yes Yes – (No for Mature Age 55+) No – (Yes for Mature Age 55+) No Yes Yes – (No if it conflicts with their paid work) No No Yes – (No if it conflicts with their study) Yes – (No if it conflicts with their study) Yes – (No if it conflicts with their paid work or if they are Mature Age 55+) Yes – (No if it conflicts with their study) No No Yes – (No if it conflicts with their study) Yes – (No if it conflicts with their study or paid work) Yes – (No if it conflicts with their study or paid work) Exemptions from participation requirements PCPs have access to a range of exemptions from their participation requirements in recognition of their special circumstances. For example, a PCP may be granted an exemption if they are a foster carer, have experienced domestic violence or are caring for a dependent child with a temporary illness or injury. PCPs will not be subject to participation requirements while they have an exemption, however they may volunteer for employment services should they wish to do so. DHS is responsible for determining if a job seeker is eligible for an exemption. Providers can see if someone has an exemption by viewing the participation profile screen in the ESS. In situations where a Job Services Australia provider suspects any presence of domestic violence they MUST refer the job seeker to DHS social work services. Participation Requirements for Principal Carer Parents Advice D13/489058 Effective Date: 1 January 2013