Employment Services Assessments

What an Employment Services Assessment is

An Employment Services Assessment (ESAt) helps us understand all of the following:

• your barriers to work
• your capacity to work due to disability, illness or injury
• what type of employment services provider is best for you.

One of our qualified health or allied health professionals does the assessment. We’ll complete it over the phone, if that’s suitable for you.

You might have an ESAt if any of the following apply:

• we’ve referred you for a compulsory ESAt if you’re getting DSP and are younger than 35
• an employment services provider refers you to us for an ESAt
• you choose to have a voluntary ESAt referral if you want help to find work.

Voluntary participation in employment services

If you’re getting DSP, you can also choose to volunteer to take part in employment services.

If volunteering, you must have an ESAt unless both of these apply:

• there’s been no change in your medical conditions or work capacity
• you had an assessment in the past 2 years that is still valid.

You can ask us about volunteering and request that we refer you for an assessment.

If you’re getting DSP and are younger than 35

If your medical condition changes and you’re having difficulty meeting your participation requirements, you need to tell us.

We may send you for an ESAt, if you give us medical evidence showing your condition has changed.

The ESAt helps us work out if any of these apply:

• the changes to your condition affect your participation needs
• you’ll need extra help to find and keep work
• the changes to your condition will now prevent you from working.

If referred, it’s compulsory for you to attend the ESAt.

Referral by a provider for an ESAt

If you’re with employment services, your employment services provider may refer you to us for an ESAt. Usually they would do this if any of the following apply:

• there’s a change in your medical conditions or work capacity
• you became homeless after a period of stable accommodation
• you didn’t have an assessment while participating in the Time to Work employment services.

What happens if you need to attend an assessment

If you need to attend an assessment, we’ll contact you to make an appointment. Read more about what happens if you need to attend an assessment.

During and after the assessment

Your assessor will talk to you about factors impacting on your ability to work. They’ll write a report, which details any identified barriers to work.

Read more about what happens during and after the assessment.

What to do if you can’t attend your appointment

Call us on the number shown in your appointment letter if you can’t attend your appointment.

If the appointment time doesn’t suit, you can arrange another time to complete the assessment by calling this number.

What happens if you don’t attend your assessment

If we refer you for a compulsory ESAt and you don’t attend your appointment we may stop your payment.

What happens after your assessment

Your assessor will write a report, which details any identified barriers to work. The report will detail how they may affect your ability to work or participate in employment services.

Tell us if you want a copy of your report. We can usually give you one. In some circumstances you’ll need to make a formal Freedom of Information request.

Your privacy

The law protects your personal information. The assessor will explain how we’ll use your information.

More information

Call us on the Disability, sickness and carers line if you need more information about any part of your assessment. If you still have concerns, you can give us feedback or make a complaint.