Partners with no children or youngest child 14+ years
Full-time work obligations apply to:
- partners with no children and
- partners with a youngest child aged 14 years or over
Partners with full-time work obligations must make themselves available for suitable employment, training or other suitable activities of at least 30 hours or more each week.
If a partner is in employment for less than 30 hours each week, they are still expected to be available for other work, training or other activities up to a total of 30 hours each week. The partner must understand that they are still required to accept suitable full-time work if it becomes available.
For more information see:
Partners may participate in approved training as long as they continue to meet their work obligations, unless they are granted an exemption for approved full-time training.
For more information see:
- In approved training (no children or child 14+)
- Approved training
- Exemptions - approved full-time training
Partners may undertake volunteer work as long as they continue to meet their work obligations. For more information see:
Partners may apply for an exemption from their work obligations. For more information on exemptions see:
If a partner fails to comply with their work obligations, their portion of the benefit may be stopped.
For more information see:
Partners aged 16 to 19 years old
Young partners (aged 16 to 19 years old) of clients receiving Jobseeker Support 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 to, in a civil union, or de facto relationship with a person getting Jobseeker Support
For more information see:
Legislation
- Specific obligations: work-test obligations section 141 section 144 and sections 146-147 Social Security Act 2018
- Deferral of work-test obligations regulations 74-75 Social Security Regulations 2018
- Deductions are held in trust regulation 222 Social Security Regulations 2018
