Mutual obligations: what you agree to do

Inside the State Library of South Australia. Libraries are a common place for job search and study. Photo: Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

The La Trobe Reading Room in Melbourne. Mutual obligations can include study and training. Photo: Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5.

Woombye station, Queensland. Getting to interviews and activities is part of the Job Plan. Photo: Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Most JobSeeker recipients must agree to a Job Plan and meet it. The plan is the bargain at the heart of the payment: income support in return for genuine effort to find work, or to become able to work. The plan is individual — it reflects your capacity, your caring responsibilities, and your local job market — so no two plans are identical, and this page describes the system, not any individual's plan.

What a Job Plan usually contains

A Job Plan sets out job search and activities, often expressed as a points target: different activities carry different points, and you meet the target by combining them. Job search itself — applying for suitable jobs — is the core activity for most people, but activities can also include training, study, work experience, and other steps that improve employability. Your plan may also set appointments and reporting dates, and meeting those is part of meeting the plan.

Exemptions and reduced requirements

Not everyone carries the same requirements. Exemptions or reduced requirements can apply for illness or injury, for caring responsibilities, for partial capacity to work, and for some people aged 55 and over. A single principal carer with an exemption is also the category that attracts the highest maximum rate ($1,068.20 a fortnight) — the system recognises that full-time caring and full-time job search cannot both be demanded at once. Exemptions are granted, not assumed: they need evidence and a decision, and they are reviewed.

If requirements are not met

Failing to meet mutual obligations can lead to payment suspension or financial penalties, and repeated failures are treated more seriously than a first one. This site deliberately describes consequences only in those general terms: the specific outcome depends on the type of failure, the person's history, and whether there was a reasonable excuse. Anyone facing a compliance issue should contact Services Australia promptly and explain the circumstances, rather than relying on a general guide for the outcome.

Your plan is the document that counts. General articles — including this one — cannot override what your own Job Plan says. If this site and your plan ever seem to disagree, your plan and Services Australia's advice govern, and the discrepancy is worth raising at your next appointment.

General information only. This page explains JobSeeker Payment in plain English. It is not legal, financial, or medical advice, and it cannot decide whether you qualify. Only Services Australia can decide a claim. Rates and rules change over time — rates are indexed on 20 March and 20 September each year — so always confirm the current position with Services Australia before you act on it. Contact: hello [at] tapetoolhq.com.