Good and sufficient reason for failure to complete Report Job Search

A client may be unable to complete Report Job Search for a good and sufficient reason. These reasons may include, but are not limited to, the client:

• was unable to complete and/or report on the required number of job-search activities in any one of the four weeks due to reasons outside of their control, for example:
  • there was a death or serious illness in the client's family
  • they were sick or injured within the sanction period and this impacted their ability to complete the required number of job-search activities
  • they had an unexpected event occur (e.g. they were involved in an accident that affected their ability to complete the required number of job-search activities)
• faced an unsafe environment while completing their job-search activities
• could no longer report and/or complete their job-search activities as the device they were using was unavailable (through loss, damage, or theft) and they were unable to access another device or get to their nearest service centre

Note before deciding there was a good and sufficient reason for not completing a job-search activity (e.g. an unsafe environment or their device not being available), MSD should consider if the client could have completed a different activity or used different methods to meet Report Job Search requirements.

Alois failed a work obligation and his case manager imposed Report Job Search as a non-financial sanction. He was one week into his 4-week sanction period when he had a minor accident and was in hospital for a few days.

By the time he got home, he had not completed the required 3 job-search activities and missed self-reporting in MyMSD for week one. His benefit has stopped.

He calls his case manager to let them know what happened. His case manager is satisfied there is a good and sufficient reason Alois was unable to complete the requirements of Report Job Search and that he contacted MSD as soon as he reasonably could.

A replacement financial sanction is imposed from the date his payments stopped and Alois is given a different recompliance activity. Alois is paid arrears for the period his benefit was stopped for being non-compliant.

If a client is delayed in notifying MSD of their good and sufficient reason, the delay must only be for a reasonable period. MSD will determine on a case-by-case basis whether the length of the delay is reasonable or not.

If MSD determines that they are unable to complete Report Job Search for a good and sufficient reason, and a client has notified MSD within a reasonable period, MSD must impose a Grade 1 financial sanction. The date the financial sanction is imposed depends on when MSD determines the client has a good and sufficient reason for failing to complete their Report Job Search requirements.

MSD must also assign a recompliance activity to the client as soon as possible.

Note if a client informs MSD of a good and sufficient reason within a reasonable period, but after the Report Job Search sanction period has ended, a replacement sanction can no longer be imposed. They must be given a different recompliance activity to complete, after which their payments can be increased or resumed.