Mutual Obligations: Check Your Plan, Report Activities and Resolve Problems

Check the current compliance notice first

This page does not predict an individual compliance outcome. Read the notice in your account and ask the responsible provider or service what is required to reconnect. Different employment-services programs can have different arrangements; do not assume Workforce Australia’s points system applies to every payment recipient.

Put your actual requirements in one place

Check your Job Plan and account for appointments, reporting dates, job-search requirements, points targets and any required activity. Income reporting to Centrelink and activity reporting to Workforce Australia are different tasks. Completing one does not necessarily complete the other.

For each obligation, write down the due date, evidence required, where to report it and who to contact if circumstances change. Keep a screenshot or receipt when you submit information. If an appointment date conflicts with work, caring or another issue, contact the relevant service before the appointment where possible and keep the response.

Requirements depend on your payment, capacity and circumstances. Medical conditions, caring responsibilities and other changes should be discussed through the appropriate assessment, adjustment or exemption process rather than self-declaring that obligations no longer apply.

Use a tailored points target, not 150 for everyone

Workforce Australia’s maximum points target is 100 per reporting period, with personal circumstances and local labour-market adjustments. Your actual target and any separate minimum job-search requirement appear in your account. The DSS points guidance and Workforce Australia points page explain the system.

Do not assume a generic list of activities or values is a substitute for the current account. Check how the activity is recognised, what evidence it needs and when it must be reported. Paid work, study and other approved activities may contribute, but an activity must meet the applicable rules.

Planning example: copy the target shown in your account, subtract only points already recognised, then list suitable remaining activities before the period ends. Keep any separate job-search requirement alongside that arithmetic. If a change makes the plan unreasonable, ask for tailoring rather than waiting until a missed deadline.

Demerits are not automatic lost weeks of payment

Under the current guidance, three demerits within six months trigger a Capability Interview and five trigger a Capability Assessment. Demerits generally remain for six months. Those review points assess whether requirements fit the person’s circumstances; they are not a simple schedule of automatic one- or four-week financial penalties. Some failures, including certain missed job-interview or work-related requirements, can have different processes.

Check the official demerit and suspension rules. A valid reason and supporting circumstances matter. The current pause does not mean you should ignore a suspended payment or an account task.

If payment is suspended or a task is disputed

1. Read the exact notice. Identify which task, reporting period or appointment it concerns and whether it directs you to a provider, Workforce Australia Online or Services Australia.
2. Contact that service promptly. Explain what happened, whether there was a valid reason and what evidence you have.
3. Ask what action reconnects payment, whether a requirement needs reassessment, and what happens to the affected period. Do not assume a deposit date.
4. Complete the agreed step and keep the confirmation, name or reference number and date.
5. If you disagree with a decision, ask for the explanation and available review route. A complaint about a provider is separate from review of a Centrelink decision.

For online-service help use the contact route shown by Workforce Australia. For a provider appointment contact the provider. For a payment decision follow Services Australia’s notice. This avoids spending time with a service that cannot change the particular record.

A practical evidence log

Keep a small log with five columns: date, requirement, action taken, proof and unresolved question. A job application entry might include the role, employer, submission date and confirmation. An appointment problem might include when you contacted the provider and the response. Do not fabricate applications or attendance to fill a points gap.

If illness, disability, language access, safety, caring or technology prevents participation, explain the functional problem and ask what support, adjustment or assessment is available. Supply evidence through the official requested channel. You do not need to post private medical or identity records publicly to seek help.

Review the next period once the immediate problem is resolved. A corrected date or tailored target is useful only if it appears in the relevant record; ask for confirmation and check the updated plan.

Frequently asked questions

Does everyone have to earn 150 points?

No. Workforce Australia uses individually tailored targets, with a maximum of 100 per reporting period. Check the target and any job-search requirement in your own account.

Are financial penalties currently operating as normal?

Services Australia’s notice checked on 30 September 2026 says financial penalties and payment cancellations are paused. Demerits and suspensions can still apply, and the notice may change.

Does a pause mean I can ignore appointments?

No. Continue meeting the requirements shown in your account, or contact the relevant service promptly about a valid reason, adjustment or exemption.

What happens at three and five demerits?

The current guidance describes a Capability Interview at three demerits within six months and a Capability Assessment at five. Read your notice; this is not an automatic schedule of weeks without payment.

Source review: 30 September 2026. General planning information. Confirm current rules and your individual circumstances with the linked official service before acting.