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Supported Living Payment : Contents

Sustainable Employment Trial

The purpose of the Sustainable Employment Trial is to encourage and support Supported Living Payment clients who want to move into employment or increase their hours of work to establish whether they can sustain that employment and cease receiving that benefit.

Supported Living Payment clients, with the agreement of their case manager, can work 15 hours or more a week for an agreed period of up to 26 weeks, without losing their entitlement to Supported Living Payment. This is known as a Sustainable Employment Trial.

No change to Supported Living Payment qualifications

The introduction of the Sustainable Employment Trial does not change the Supported Living Payment qualifications in that the client must be:

  • permanently and severely restricted in their capacity to work because of a health condition, or injury or disability from accident or congenital defect
    • these clients must be medically assessed as being incapable of regularly working 15 or more hours a week in open employment) or
  • totally blind
    • the Sustainable Employment Trial process does not apply to totally blind clients because they can already work 15 or more hours per week without their benefit entitlement being affected

Charging income against benefit rate

Clients undertaking a Sustainable Employment Trial and earning income will qualify for a personal earnings exemption. They may also be eligible for a special exemption for severe disablement. Except for income to which an exemption applies, any income earned from the Sustainable Employment Trial is to be charged against the benefit; the benefit will be reduced as under existing rules.

Note any income earned by the client may affect their entitlement to Extra Help.

For more information see:

Legislation

  • Supported living payment: on ground of restricted work capacity: encouraging open employment section 39 Social Security Act 2018
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