- What is the participation requirement of youth participants in receipt of Income Support?
- How should unpaid leave for over two weeks for Continuing Participants be managed?
- Are New Participants on Income Support to be exited from CDEPManager for a participation failure?
- Can a participant decide to register with a different Job Services Australia provider other than the one they were advised to register with?
- How long does it take to process claims for Newstart allowance?
- Can New and Continuing Participants participate in Work Experience services in positions funded by Government Agencies such as schools, following the finalisation of the Jobs Conversion package positions?
- What can be done to assist participants that are having difficulty obtaining documents (drivers licence/passport) as part of the Proof of Identity requirements for Job Services Australia registration?
- Is all CDEP funding based on utilisation?
- Can assistance be obtained for participants to assist with their employability?
1. What is the participation requirement of youth participants in receipt of Income Support?
New youth participants are required to do 25 hours per week participation in an activity.
2. Can Continuing Participants take more than 2 weeks unpaid leave and still remain on CDEP wages?
Continuing Participant eligibility requirements state that a person may only participate in the CDEP Program as a Continuing Participant if, after 30 June 2009, the person has not had an absence of more than two consecutive weeks, other than an Allowable Break.
An Allowable Break is defined as an absence of more than two consecutive weeks of:
- paid leave approved by the CDEP provider
- unpaid leave where approved by FaHCSIA in writing
There will be times where a Continuing Participant may be entitled, under the relevant industrial instrument or awards they have been engaged on, to a period of legitimate unpaid leave that exceeds two consecutive weeks.
When a Continuing Participant becomes aware that they will be absent for a period exceeding two weeks the participant must advise their CDEP provider before leaving or as soon as possible. The CDEP provider should then tell the Continuing Participant what legitimate paid or unpaid leave entitlements are available to them under the conditions that they are engaged by the provider.
If the CDEP Provider is able to determine that the Continuing Participant is entitled to be on legitimate unpaid leave for a period exceeding two weeks, the CDEP Provider should contact their Agreement Manager. The Agreement Manager will then determine whether the participant can maintain Continuing Participant status, meaning access to CDEP wages.
Where the protection as a Continuing Participant has been approved for an unpaid leave exceeding two weeks the participant must be exited from CDEPManager by the CDEP provider. If the participant is not exited from CDEPManager the CDEP provider will continue to receive CDEP wage funds or Community Development Funds and Work Readiness Funds to which they are not entitled and this would constitute a debt to the Commonwealth.
Where legitimate unpaid leave has been taken the participant will maintain their status as a Continuing Participant when they return from unpaid leave. This will require an override request form to be completed and sent to the Agreement Manager so that the participant can be added back into CDEPManager as a continuing participant.
3. Are New Participants on Income Support to be exited from CDEPManager for a participation failure?
When the CDEP provider reports that a New Participant has had a participation failure to the Job Services Australia provider they do not exit the New Participant from CDEP.
The Job Services Australia Provider or Centrelink will advise the CDEP provider when the New Participant needs to be exited for a participation failure
4. Can a participant decide to register with a different Jobs Services Australia provider other than the one they were advised to register with?
If a Continuing Participant has not been commenced with a Jobs Service Australia provider they can ring the DEEWR Customer Service line and be change the Job Services Australia Provider that they are registered with.
5. How long does it take to process claims for Newstart allowance?
New claims for Newstart should occur within 16 days.
6. Can New and Continuing Participants participate in Work Experience services in positions funded by Government Agencies such as schools, following the finalisation of the Jobs Conversion package positions?
Yes – Potential Work Experience employers such as Schools could arrange with CDEP providers to become Work Experience Employers subject to conditions in Item 16 of the CDEP Supplementary Conditions i.e. the intention would not be to displace a worker in a currently funded government position.
CDEP participants can participate in Work Experience on the basis that it is agreed by the participant and the CDEP Provider that this best fits the participant’s requirements.
For both Continuing Participants (wages) and New Participants (those on income support) the Work Experience Employer can negotiate with the CDEP Provider to offer work experience placements with participants. If a participant leaves the Work Experience Employer because they have found employment and or are in full time training the Work Experience Employer can negotiate further work experience placements with the CDEP Provider.
The reformed CDEP now has a 12 month time limit for CDEP participants on work experience and a minimum of 13 weeks. This is to ensure that the Participants are not displacing real jobs in schools as well as to ensure that the participant’s needs are being met.
The Work Experience Employer may also apply to DEEWR for the CDEP Work Experience Subsidy (CWES) for New Participants (on Income Support) only, to help pay for wages and training. Continuing Participants would remain on CDEP wages and may be offered top up from the CDEP Provider or Work Experience Employer if funds are available.
7. What can be done to assist participants that are having difficulty obtaining documents (drivers licence/passport) as part of the Proof of Identity requirements for Job Services Australia registration?
DEEWR has issued guidelines to assist Job Services Australia providers complete Proof of Identity checks and this includes the ability for certain community members to attest to the participant’s identity.
8. Is all CDEP funding based on utilisation?
No – Service Fees are based on the number of Average Agreed Places (AAP) and not the utilisation of those places.
Work Readiness funds, Community Development funds and CDEP wages are based on utilisation of AAP.
9. Can assistance be obtained for participants to assist with their employability?
Yes, CDEP providers have funding such as Service Fees and Job Services Australia Providers have access to Employment Pathway funds to assist with paying for things such as Drivers licences and training courses. Providers should work together to assist participants and discuss regularly how to pool funds to provide assistance.