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Jobseekers are generally eligible for Disability Employment Services (DES) if they:
There are special eligibility arrangements for specific jobseekers, which permit access to DES without an ESAt. These are:
Jobseekers can access DES either through referral by Services Australia —generally for those receiving Centrelink payments who have Mutual Obligation or Compulsory Participation Requirements — or by directly registering with a DES provider of their choice).
Apart from people who are eligible to access DES under the special eligibility arrangements listed above, jobseekers will generally need to undertake an ESAt. An ESAt is conducted by Services Australia and is used to determine the most appropriate employment service for a jobseeker with disability (e.g. Workforce Australia Online, Workforce Australia Services, DES-DMS or DES-ESS) and establish a jobseeker’s current and future work capacity with intervention (within two years) based on an assessment of their individual circumstances.
In most cases, jobseekers are referred to a DES provider by Services Australia. Jobseekers must choose a DES provider at the time of initial referral. To inform this choice, Services Australia provides information about the services available in a jobseeker’s local area. Information is also available on the JobAccess website, for the jobseeker to view, prior to their ESAt.
While a jobseeker is waiting for an appointment the jobseeker can look up DES providers in their area, and contact a provider to discuss how they could help. This conversation could help the jobseeker choose the DES provider that they feel most comfortable with. At the ESAt / JCA Appointment the jobseeker can let Services Australia know the preferred DES provider they would like to be referred to. To find a DES provider go to the DES provider search page.
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Contact a JobAccess Adviser by phoning 1800 464 800 or fill out our enquiry form.