Serious failure
A serious failure may occur if a job seeker:
- does not accept a suitable job offer and does not have a valid reason, or
- following a Comprehensive Compliance Assessment, a job seeker is found to have been persistently and deliberately not meeting their requirements.
The penalty for a serious failure is an 8-week non-payment period. This non-payment period does not affect payments from the Family Assistance Office.
An 8-week non-payment period can be shortened or averted if a job seeker agrees to participate in a Compliance Activity. Job seekers who incur a serious failure and would like to participate in a Compliance Activity should talk with Centrelink so that an appointment can be made with their Provider to negotiate an appropriate activity.
If Centrelink determines that a job seeker does not have the capacity to undertake a Compliance Activity the job seeker may be eligible for payment under hardship provisions.
Can a job seeker appeal a serious failure?
Job seekers have the right to appeal decisions made by Centrelink. For more information about how to ask to have a decision looked at again, refer to reviews and appeals.
More Information
- Read the Why it’s important to meet your Activity Test or participation requirements factsheet.