Dept of Employment & Jobactive contractors in Work For The Dole outcome payment fraud -Centrelink clients entitled to compensation

by Ganesh Sahathevan

The Department of Employment and at least one  JobActive contractor have been found to be in breach of the Department's own rules and regulations with regards the Work For The Dole Scheme.
 Job Plans containing compulsory WFD requirements may be illegal, and job seekers may be entitled to compensation for any hours worked in compliance with the illegal Job Plans.

In one instance a Jobplan was determined by Centrelink to be illegal because the job seeker was not entitled to the full New Start Allowance,and therefore not required to participate in a WFD  activity.
Other instances of likely illegality include cases where  job seekers have been  placed in WFD  assignments regardless of whether the activity has any relevance to  finding  work,despite the fact that  the Department Of Employment  explicitly requires that WFD  assignments be directly relevant to the job seeking effort.
While the Work For The Dole Scheme has drawn much publicity due to the demands placed on job seekers,  it appears now that there is a systemic problem of compliance at the Department of Employment and  its JobActive contractors. The contractors get paid for "outcomes" by the Department, and hence it is in the interest of contractors to place as many persons as they can in WFD schemes, or in any other activity.
One contractor that has been found to be in breach, Olympus Solutions Ltd, prides itself on its "activity" rate and advertises the fact as a selling point. Meanwhile, the Department of Employment continues to hand over tax payers' money to its contractors disregarding the breaches. The Department has attempted to treat the breaches by its contractors as issues  between job seekers and its contractors.


1st rank nationally for jobseeker Annual Activity Requirement participation

Stream A performance is 35% above 

the national average

  • Olympus Solutions
  • National Average

Stream B performance is 17% above the national average

  • Olympus Solutions
  • National Average

Stream C performance is 4% above the national average

  • Olympus Solutions
  • National Average









References 
Work  the Dole 

A Job Plan must not include participation in WFD (or other approved programs of work) as a compulsory item for job seekers receiving less than the full rate of income support, where the rate is reduced due to the income test (Note: A reduced rate can result from the job seeker's own income and/or their partner's income.) This can be included as a voluntary item.




Participation in WFD must also not be included in the Job Plan as either a compulsory or voluntary item for job seekers under the age of 18.Act reference: SSAct section 607B Newstart Employment Pathway Plans-requirement to participate in an approved program of work, section 544B(7) YA Employment Pathway Plans - terms


Policy reference: SS Guide 3.2.8.10 Mutual Obligation Requirements for NSA/YA Job Seekers Overview, 3.2.9.10Mutual Obligation Requirements for NSA/YA Job Seekers - Suitable Activities - Overview, 3.2.9.20 Job Search - Overview, 3.2.9.100 Suitable Activity - Study & Training, 3.2.9.130 Suitable Activity - Voluntary Work, 3.5.1.170Suitable Activity - Job Search (PP), 3.5.1.180 Suitable Activity - Study (PP), 3.5.1.190 Other Suitable Activities (PP),1.1.P.418 Principal carer - study, 3.8.3.10 Qualification for PES, 3.2.11 Mutual Obligation Requirements for NSA/YA - Exemptions, 3.2.8.60 Unsuitable Work, 3.2.8.40 What Should Not be Included in a Job Plan









































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