Good and sufficient reason for not meeting responsibilities

A client may have a good and sufficient reason why there were unable to meet their responsibilities or complete the agreed activities set.

If there is a good and sufficient reason why a client could not meet a responsibility or activity, MSD can decide not to give the client a warning.

Good and sufficient reasons may include the client:

• experiencing or escaping a violent or family violence situation  
• having to comply with court-imposed conditions
• having to meet study requirements
• having to attend a job interview or job training or could not get time off work
• temporarily being medically unfit:
  • this could include (but not limited to): experiencing severe symptoms or episodes from a medical condition, mental disorder, mental health condition, or disability
• experiencing a death or serious illness in their family
• being unable to realistically transport themselves on the day, due to unforeseen circumstances
• having childcare arrangements that fell through on the day of an activity, due to unforeseen circumstances
• being dependent on the provision of assistance by MSD or other agencies to complete the activity (e.g. Housing Support Products to access private accommodation), and that assistance was not supplied
• having an unexpected event occur on that day of an activity, such as providing care for a sick relative
• completing another activity (not set by MSD) during the relevant period that MSD is satisfied achieves a similar or same outcome (in terms of meeting the particular responsibility) as the agreed activity that the client did not complete  

When the client does not complete all their agreed activities for a responsibility, MSD should consider whether they have made enough progress.

The client will have still met their responsibilities if MSD determines the client:

• has completed a different activity or activities and
• this achieves a similar outcome to the agreed activity (set by MSD) they did not complete

In this case, the client is considered to have a good and sufficient reason for not completing the agreed activity or activities.

Example - client must engage with support services when a referral is made

MSD sets the Shonda two agreed activities to meet the responsibility:

• attend scheduled appointment with a Budgeting Service
• attend weekly counselling session at Family Mental Health Services

Shonda only does one agreed activity (attended their counselling session).

She did not attend their appointment with the Budgeting Service. This is because Shonda went to a Budgeting clinic run by another agency.  

Although Shonda did not complete one of the agreed activities, MSD determines that she had a good and sufficient reason for this.

The good and sufficient reason is that Shonda did another activity that MSD determines is equivalent to the agreed activity that was originally set but not completed.

MSD determines Shonda has met the responsibility.

If the client does not have a good and sufficient reason for not meeting one or more of the agreed activities, they have not met their responsibilities for emergency housing.

When MSD determines the client has not met their emergency housing responsibilities, the client must be issued a written warning by MSD. 

MSD may require a client to provide supporting evidence to determine if they have met their emergency housing responsibilities.

If supporting evidence is required and the client refuses to provide it, MSD may determine whether or not the client has met their responsibilities on the information available.

If MSD determines the responsibilities have not been met and there is no good and sufficient reason, the client will receive a warning.