Lockouts

People that are officially "locked out" of their workplace by their employer may be able to access additional financial assistance from Work and Income if they are in hardship.

Generally, when a lockout occurs Work and Income have established relationships with union officials in affected area. This is to establish whether any issues require resolution and to understand the impacts for workers of continued industrial action.

Given that locked out workers are not unemployed and actively seeking work, their entitlement to benefit is considered under the Emergency Benefit provisions.

To be entitled to Emergency Benefit applicants affected by a lockout must meet the hardship criteria. This requires an income and cash asset test. Those with sufficient other income (eg a spouse working) or cash assets (eg savings) may not be eligible for Emergency Benefit under the hardship criteria.

For more information see:

• Client in hardship

The entitlement to Emergency Benefit starts from the day the client is locked out or the date the client can prove they are in hardship from, whichever date is the later.

Emergency Benefit granted for clients in Lockout situations are considered a benefit for a specific period and the initial stand down period is not imposed when the benefit is granted from the day the client is locked out. If the benefit is granted from a date after the lockout because they do not meet the Hardship criteria until that date, then the initial stand-down should be imposed.

Emergency Benefit entitlement ends when the lockout ends.

For more information see:

• Benefit paid for a specific period
• Lockouts [no link find out why]