DES Funding

Providers receive payments for helping participants to find and maintain work. Payments are structured so providers earn more funding when they place more people into lasting employment. There are three primary payments in DES:

• Service fees - which are paid every 13 weeks in advance to deliver assistance to participants to find and secure employment
• Outcome fees - which are paid when participants have maintained sustainable employment or education for a particular period of time (four, 13, 26 and 52 weeks)
  • Providers can also receive outcome payments for placing participants into an education course.
• Ongoing Support fees - which are paid if participants need further assistance maintaining their employment after the 26-week outcome.

There are two main types of Outcome fees:

1. Full Outcome payments – are payable when participants work at least their benchmark hours every week over the outcome period.
2. Pathway Outcome payments – are payable when participants work at two-thirds of their benchmark hours over the outcome period.

The full fee schedule is in the DES Grant Agreement.

The amount of funding participants will attract for their provider depends on which service (Disability Management Service or Employment Support Service) they are in, and barriers they face for employment. A participant’s associated funding will likely change during their time in the program.

If participants change their provider at any time, their service fee will move with them. For example, if participant chooses another provider 10 weeks into their 13-week service fee period, the Department will recover the funding for the remaining three weeks from the relinquishing provider. This acts as an incentive for providers to meet their participants’ service needs, thereby encouraging the participant to stay with them during their time in the program.

Please note that providers will not necessarily invest their entire fees into servicing. Like all businesses, DES providers have overheads that they will need to meet in order to remain operational and continue to deliver the program. The Department of Social Services does not prescribe how providers should invest their fees.

What does this mean to jobseekers

This means you should discuss with your DES provider about what funding is available for formal training, licenses or job interview attire. The availability of these investments may depend on what job opportunities are available to you, the specific financial circumstances of your provider, and any funding offered through your state government. Alternatively call the JobAccess line on 1800 464 800 and one of the JobAccess Advisors can look for assistance in your state.

DES Links

Disability Employment Services Grant Agreement – effective 1 July 2018

Last updated: 27 June 2018 - 1:45pm