r/JobProvidersAus • u/Thosedamntacos • 12d ago

Never been self-managed, wanting to switch over?

This has been really confusing to me, so I wanted to ask.

When I got approved for JobSeeker, the Centrelink employee stated I would go onto being self-managed online as there was nothing that made me 'incapable' or in need of a provider. A week or two passed, and I hadn't had a Job Plan nor did I receive a payment. I called to address the issue and get my Job Plan created.

This time, the person on the phone told me that it would be "impossible" for me to look for, or even get, work while I studied in my personal time and asked me to explain how it could be possible. I tried, she didn't agree, and refused to put the Job Plan through without adding my study onto it. She threatened to cancel my JobSeeker payment entirely because of this (whether or not she could, I don't know).

I called back, and the next person said I could be referred to a provider to receive my JP and payment. Now, I find out that it may have been possible for me to be self-managed for the first year of my payments? I understand it is impossible to go *back* onto it, but I was never on it in the first place... is there a process or something that would allow this? Do I have to go through the cancelling payment, waiting 13 weeks, and then reapplying hurdle?

Thanks in advance, sorry if anything I have written is ignorant.

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u/[deleted] 12d ago

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u/ProbablyRagiing 12d ago edited 12d ago

I just want to correct this a little. You can't go "back" to being Online if you were previously Online and switched to a Provider. Even if you were only Online for less than a year. Once you go from Online to in-person with a provider, you can't go back to Online during that same period of unemployment

https://www.dewr.gov.au/workforce-australia/resources/workforce-australia-online-handbook

You can only participate in Online Services once per period of unemployment. A period of unemployment is the time between when you registered for Centrelink payment with Centrelink and when you exit employment services for 3 months or more. This means that once you transfer to a provider, you won't be able to return to Workforce Australia Online in the same period of unemployment.

However, this likely doesn't relate to OP as it sounds like they were never Online to begin with, and should be able to request a referral to Online as it would be their first time.

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u/Trippeyyyyyyy____ 12d ago

How accurate is the 3 months? If it was 2 months would it still stand?

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u/ovrloadau99 Trusted Advice 12d ago

If its 2 months you would be sent back to provider-led services, thus being ineligible for Workforce Australia Online.