Mutual obligation requirements are tasks and activities you agree to do, to help you find a job. This includes reporting regularly.
You must meet your requirements to keep getting your payment. If you don’t, demerits and financial penalties may apply.
Who the principal carer is
A principal carer is the main care provider of a dependent child under 16. This can be someone like a parent or guardian.
They’re responsible for the day-to-day care, welfare and development of the child.
Only one person can be the principal carer of a child. If you and your partner give equal levels of care, you need to tell us who the principal carer is.
How to meet your requirements
You must report the employment income you and your partner get paid every 14 days, even if it’s $0. We may ask you if you’re meeting your requirements as part of your report.
If your Centrelink online account is linked to myGov you can check your reporting dates online.
If you don’t have a myGov account or a Centrelink online account you’ll need to create them.
You can also use the Express Plus Centrelink mobile app.
Accept any offer of suitable paid work
If you need to look for work to meet your requirements, you must accept any offer of suitable paid work. This is any work you’re capable of doing.
You’ll get a penalty if you either:
- don’t accept a suitable job offer
- don’t start a job you’ve accepted.
Read about demerits and penalties.
However, you don’t have to accept an offer of work that is either:
- not suitable
- more than 15 hours per week.
Reasons why work won’t be suitable include:
- appropriate child care isn’t available during work hours
- the travel time from home to work is unreasonable, for example it’s more than one hour travel each way
- the most cost-effective travel will exceed 10% of your gross wage
- the employment doesn’t make you at least $50 per fortnight better off after deducting your costs.
Work that meets requirements for principal carer job seekers
You can complete suitable paid work for at least 30 hours a fortnight. This can include self-employment.
Your income must be no less than the national minimum wage, or relevant award wage for the required number of hours. Read about minimum wages on the Fair Work Ombudsman website.
You may not be able to include irregular or casual work as the only approved activity in your Job Plan. For example, if your work hours vary each fortnight. But, because it’s work that gives you income, it may still count towards meeting your requirements.
If you aren’t sure whether your work counts towards meeting requirements, you can talk to either:
- your provider
- the National Customer Service Line on the Workforce Australia website.
Studying or training
You may meet your requirements if you’re studying or training for at least 30 hours a fortnight. You can only use study to meet your requirements during your course.
During study breaks longer than 3 weeks, you may need to look for suitable work that’s one of these:
- temporary
- part time
- casual.
Alternatively, you may need to do another approved activity to meet your requirements. Your employment services provider will tell you.
If you want to do voluntary work to meet your requirements, you need to talk to us or your employment services provider about it.
If you want to talk to us about it, you can call us on your regular payment line. We may ask you for evidence of your activities. If we approve your voluntary work, we’ll update your job plan with you.
Voluntary work for principal carers aged under 55
You can volunteer for at least 30 hours a fortnight at an approved voluntary work organisation to fully meet your mutual obligation requirements.
You need to talk to your employment services provider who must approve this activity.
Principal carers aged under 55
If you want to do voluntary work to meet your requirements, you need to talk to your employment services provider.
Principal carers aged 55 to 59
You can meet your requirements by doing one or more of these activities for at least 30 hours a fortnight:
- suitable paid work
- self-employment
- approved voluntary work.
If you’re doing a combination of paid and voluntary work, you need to do:
- suitable paid work for at least 15 hours per fortnight in the first 12 months you’re on a payment
- voluntary work of no more than 15 hours per fortnight in the first 12 months you’re on a payment.
After 12 months on a payment, you can meet your requirements by doing 30 hours per fortnight of either:
- approved voluntary work
- a combination of paid work and approved voluntary work.
Principal carers aged 60 or older
When you turn 60, you can do approved voluntary work for at least 30 hours per fortnight to meet your requirements. You can do this from the time you claim. You can also choose to do a mix of activities. For example, you can do approved voluntary work for 20 hours and suitable paid work for the other 10 hours.
Other approved activities and programs
If you want to do other approved activities, you can either:
- talk to your provider, if you have one
- call the Digital Services Contact Centre on the Workforce Australia website.
When holiday period conditions apply
There are special conditions for all principal carers during the Christmas and New Year holiday period.
Christmas Day and New Year’s Day public holiday fortnight
You don’t have to meet the requirements in your plan during the 2 weeks of public holiday period for Christmas and New Year’s Day.
This applies to all principal carers regardless of your payment type. You must still report employment income you and your partner get paid on your nominated reporting day. This applies even if it’s $0.
Allowable breaks
These breaks are in addition to the Christmas holiday period break. Allowable breaks may apply to principal carers during Christmas and New Year where their normal employment either:
- closes down temporarily
- has reduced work hours or shifts.
You won’t have to do other activities in your plan.
You must resume your usual hours of work at the end of the close down period.
A maximum of 8 weeks applies to this type of break. If the employment doesn’t start again, you’ll need to do a new plan.
Other breaks in activities
As a jobseeker, there’s no change to your requirements where a holiday or break is either:
- outside of your control
- less than 4 weeks.
This applies to principal carers who meet their requirements through paid work.
If the break is more than 4 weeks, you need to do other approved activities. For example, job search for the period of the break.
Permanent part-time paid work
You don’t need to do other activities if your employment income doesn’t change during the break.
What exemptions may apply
For principal carers, your requirements recognise the caring responsibilities of parents and guardians. For some family situations, there are specific exemptions from requirements.
You may be eligible for an exemption from mutual obligation requirements for a period of time.
While we assess your request for an exemption, you need to keep meeting your requirements. This includes attending appointments with your provider.
You may also be exempt in other circumstances.