Assisting people into work
We know that most people want to work and can with the right support. Our focus is to help people to move towards sustainable employment by providing this support.
Definition of work
Work and Income defines work as any suitable employment which the person is familiar with, or other types of work that the person might reasonably be expected to be able to undertake when relevant limitations are accounted for.
For Invalid's benefit, work refers to open employment. Open employment is any mainstream employment in the open labour market which pays no less than the minimum wage. It excludes any employment designed to cater for the needs of a severely disabled person.
Factors to consider
Most people want to work and can with the right support and assistance.
It is recognised globally that work is generally good for people's health and well-being, and that long term absence from work can have serious negative impacts. People who are out of work and on a benefit have a higher risk of poverty, social isolation and deteriorating overall health. What's more, the longer people stay on a benefit, the less likely they are to enter or return to work.
As a health practitioner, you have an opportunity to help people see work as a vital part of their recovery or life with a long-term condition or disability. You can encourage them to keep their current job or move towards suitable part-time employment.
In considering whether to certify a person's capacity for work, it is important to take into account:
- the nature of the person's medical condition and/or disability and how long it is likely to last
- the client's capacity to work or ability to undertake work related activities given relevant restrictions
- psychological factors that impact on the person
- any reasonable modifications to the person's work place that might enable them to continue working or return to work earlier
- any further circumstances that could assist the person to return to full-time employment in the future such as part-time work, regular hours each day, regular days each week or the avoidance of certain activities
- treatment, interventions or support that could reduce the duration of the person's incapacity for work
- any opportunities for the person to retrain or use their current skills in an alternative environment.
Employment assistance available from Work and Income
Work and Income provides a range of assistance to help people into work. This includes specialised roles that focus on linking people to employers (such as work brokers and employment co-ordinators), employment programmes, grants and financial assistance. These include:
Offers unpaid work experience opportunities in sponsored community projects where some expenses may be paid.
A grant that can help with the costs of paying for advice and training from professionals to help start a business.
Provides assistance for actual and reasonable costs for people participating in a short-term employment related training course or programme.
An allowance that can help with the costs of starting a business, such as buying the initial stock and weekly living expenses.
A grant to help remove the physical barriers in a workplace that impact on a disabled person's ability to get work and keep working.
A wage subsidy that invests in a disadvantaged job seeker by making a temporary contribution to their wages and training to enable them to access and maintain unsubsidised, sustainable employment.
A wage subsidy that can be paid when a person is working on a fixed-term community or environmental project. It helps them gain work-related skills, work habits, confidence and self-esteem.
Provides non-taxable assistance for people receiving Emergency Maintenance Allowance, Domestic Purposes Benefit, Widow’s Benefit or Invalid’s Benefit, to undertake employment-related training that will improve their skills and increase their chances of getting work.
A non-taxable, non-recoverable payment that can be made to a person receiving a benefit, a student and/or someone who is re-entering the workforce. It provides flexible financial assistance to help them meet the additional costs of entering into employment.
We also have programmes and seminars to help people find work:
- Job Search Service – Work and Income's service to assist working age clients to find employment within 13 weeks.
- Work for You – Seminars delivered at Work and Income service centres to help people prepare for job search activities.
- Employment Workshops - One hour workshops designed to help job seekers search for jobs in a supported and structured environment.
