What you need to do

These are the steps you need to take to set up and then meet your mutual obligation requirements.

If you’re a principal carer or aged 55 or over, you may have different mutual obligation requirements.

Complete a Job Seeker Snapshot questionnaire

The JobSeeker Snapshot is a series of questions about your circumstances. It helps us work out what support you need. You must complete this after you claim a payment.

Agree to a Job Plan

You must agree to a Job Plan and do all the tasks and activities in it. The tasks and activities in the plan can help you find a job.

You’ll have an employment services provider to help you manage your Job Plan. We don’t manage these providers.

If you have any problems with your employment services provider, call the National Customer Service Line on the Workforce Australia website.

Connect with your employment services provider

You must attend your appointments with your employment services provider.

These can be in person, over the phone or online. The information you provide in your Job Seeker Snapshot questionnaire will decide this.

You’ll connect with either:

  • a provider
  • online employment services.

In some situations, we may manage your tasks and activities. We’ll let you know if this applies to you.

Accept any offer of suitable paid work

If you get any offer of suitable paid work, you need to accept it. If you don’t accept, we may stop your payment.

Remember you need to tell us if there are any changes to your circumstances. This includes if:

  • you start or stop work
  • your personal circumstances change, including your living arrangements or relationship status
  • you’re sick or injured and this stops you from doing your usual work or study for a short time
  • your or your partner’s income or financial assets change
  • your or your partner’s personal or contact details change.

Keeping us up to date with your changes means we’ll continue to pay you the right amount. If you don’t tell us, you may get a debt and you’ll need to pay us back.

Page last updated: 22 December 2022.
QC 60072