Obligations

Emergency Benefit clients and partners (if any) have the following obligations:

• they must advise of any changes in circumstances that affect their entitlement or rate of benefit payable and
  • if they have dependent children, take all reasonable steps to meet social obligations that apply for each dependent child in their care
  • for partners, if required, undertake and pass a pre-employment or pre-course drug test
  • for partners, if required, meet all their work obligations
  • for partners, if required, meet all their work preparation obligations
  • if required, participate in a Work Ability Assessment
  • if required, work with a contracted service provider
  • advise MSD if they are intending to travel overseas, before they depart

Note clients who met the Parental Assistance Test to qualify for Emergency Benefit must also advise MSD of any change in a parent's circumstances that affects their entitlement.

If a client has a partner included in their Emergency Benefit, test the partner's eligibility to another benefit in the first instance. If the partner is not eligible for another benefit, they may be included.

Partners of clients getting the Emergency Benefit may have work or work preparation obligations (including the drug test obligation). See:

• Work or work preparation obligations - partners
• Drug test obligations

Young partners (aged 16 to 19 years old) of clients getting Emergency Benefit have youth activity obligations and not work or work preparation obligations if they are:

• aged 16 or 17 years old without dependent children or
• aged 16 to 19 years old with a dependent child or children and
• married, or in a civil union or de facto relationship with a person getting Emergency Benefit

See:

• Youth activity obligations

Note social obligations do not apply to young partners of Emergency Benefit clients as some of their youth activity obligations are similar to social obligations.

Emergency Benefit clients can also have conditions similar to those of the equivalent benefit.

These additional obligations are set as a condition of granting the benefit and you must advise the client in writing at the time of grant of these conditions for getting the Emergency Benefit.

For more information see: