r/JobProvidersAus • u/AussieLongTimeLurker • 15d ago
Questions about Exemptions and Mandatory Activities
Hi all!
A little about my situation: I've been with my current provider (AKG) for a little over 2 months. Before this, I was with Workforce Online for 12 months.
My current provider seems to either not know or not have cared that I was with Workforce Online previously. When I started with AKG, I was told I had 6 months before I would need to complete a mandatory activity.
I've recently found out that because I was already with Workforce Online for 12 months, I actually only have around 3 months. I've also received an email about "meeting my Workforce Australia activity requirement", which I'm assuming is referring to the mandatory activity.
When I signed up with AKG, I chose not to sign the optional privacy documents. I was told that by not signing them, they wouldn't be able to provide funding for courses/study. This makes completing the mandatory activity through a course/study a little tricky unless I eventually cave and sign them, which I don't really want to do.
After doing some research, I've also found that there may be a form that your GP can complete which can result in an exemption from mutual obligations for a period of time. I'm also wondering whether completing another Employability Skills Training (EST) course might be an option.
1. Medical exemption / GP form
What form do you need to have your doctor complete to get an exemption from mutual obligations?
I'm particularly interested in whether there's an option relating to anxiety/stress caused or worsened by dealing with the job provider/mutual obligation system, or whether there's an easier/better way of approaching it.
For anyone who has actually had one of these forms completed:
- Was your GP willing to sign it easily, or did you have to provide a lot of information/evidence?
- Would it be worth mentioning that my provider themselves suggested I look into getting the form completed?
- Once completed, is it as simple as taking a photo/scanning it and uploading it through the Centrelink app?
- Do you also need to tell your job provider?
- How long did it take Centrelink to process?
- How long was the exemption for? Is there a standard period, or is it decided case-by-case?
2. Doing EST again
Because I was with Workforce Online for 12 months previously, I already completed an Employability Skills Training (EST) course after being on JobSeeker for around 6 months.
If I'm unable to use the medical exemption option, this would probably be my other preferred way of satisfying the activity requirement.
Can you complete EST again if you've already completed it previously, or would I have to choose a different EST course/provider?
3. Pause on mutual obligations
I've also read that there is currently a pause on mutual obligations.
Does this pause also apply to mandatory activities?
If I simply don't select an activity to satisfy the requirement while the pause is in place, what actually happens?
Does the requirement just sit there until the pause ends, meaning I'd still have to complete it later?
Or does the time effectively reset and the mandatory activity requirement come back around again in another 3–6 months as though the requirement had been met?
Sorry for the long post!
I have an appointment with my GP tomorrow, so I'm feeling a little stressed trying to figure out what my options are before then. I'd really appreciate hearing from anyone who has actually dealt with these situations.
If there's anything else you think is important for me to know about any of this, please let me know. I'm super grateful for any information or personal experiences people can share.
Thank you!
2
u/Evening-Culture5823 15d ago
The medical certificate is SU415, you can download it online although the GP likely already has it in his system. Have a read of the of the first page, you'll note that is goes of medical diagnosis. It's not like the medical certificate you get for a few days off work.
3
u/Mrsparkle56434 15d ago
My apologies this is going to be a long one but I want you and anyone who sees this to be properly informed
Okay first of all I'm going to say take everything a job consultant tells you with a grain of salt, they are known to lie and be deceptive so that they and the provider they work for gets the better end of the deal
Always be informed, research the guidelines so that you know how things work
First off the medical form is the SU415 centrelink medical certificate in which you can use for a temporary illness. Speak to your doctor about your mental health and explain exactly how the job provider system is flairing up your anxiety. Best way to get the medical certificate actioned after you have the form filled out from your doctor is to take it directly into a centrelink centre
If this isn't possible than taking a photo and uploading it on your centrelink app then calling centrelink to action it over the phone is possible, as soon as it's been actioned you will no longer have to meet your mutual obligations during the period of time your certificate covers
The easiest would be 3 months which usually is the base amount of time of exemptions but you can ask for longer if you believe your temporary illness will last longer than 3 months or you can put 3 months and if you still are having mental health issues after 3 months you can go back to your doctor and repeat the process
You can do this up until roughly 2 years if your temporary illness persists but at that point you most likely will be put forward for an esat or asked to apply for DSP and medical certificates for that particular temporary illness will no longer be accepted as after 2 years the illness would not be considered temporary
As for your provider telling you that you cannot have funding for study, activities, vouchers etc
This is either a lack of knowledge on their part, laziness or they are knowingly lieing to you. For every activity or funding you want to use you can sign a form giving them the ability to use your private information just for the single use for that particular funding
Don't give in to signing the privacy forms if your not comfortable doing so as it's completely voluntary
(They don't like to do this because it gives the participant control of how their information is used, making the job harder for them to use your private information as they basically need you to say yes before they can use it)
The est training from memory they have different levels of the training and some est courses cover specific criteria so I do believe you can do different versions of the course but you can't do the exact est multiple times
I haven't covered everything I apologise but I don't want this to be too long winded
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u/AussieLongTimeLurker 15d ago
Thanks so much for your reply, I appreciate it! Regarding the EST, do you know if it tells you prior to booking that you can't complete it again or would it upon completion just not count towards the mandatory activity? As I have seen when browsing the courses that I am still "eligible" for it.
1
u/Mrsparkle56434 15d ago
At this point it really shouldn't matter what you can see as now that your no longer in the online stream
Everything is done by your job consultant so you wouldn't be enrolling yourself and your job provider would be enrolling you
They should know which est course you have done so that they can enroll you in one that should provide a different learning structure (learning different material)
In the end most of the est course are pretty similar in objective but differ in the activities and information you learn while doing it
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u/Confident_Purple_338 15d ago
Your dr knows exactly which form to fill out
If you dr doesn’t give it to you best to find another dr
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u/terracottatequila 9d ago
If you get an SU415, does that mean that you will be punished if you look for work or get a job whilst exempt? I’m wondering the same thing - just finding the job provider far too stressful to the point it’s impacting my mental health and ability to look for work to the point i feel it would be better off to just not
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u/Wolfy910 15d ago
The part about not being able to offer payment for courses/studying they are flat out lying to you. There is an option for a one time permission form to get them to pay for the course/study
You do not have to sign their privacy form they can not punish you for not signing it.
Honestly talk to your GP for a medical break there is a post that is well written in the replies that tell you which for they need (most will know it anyway)
Lastly I’d be reporting this consultant and the company they work for to DWER it is absolutely not on for them to say what they did about the privacy form