Participation requirements for Disability Support Pension
Disability Support Pension customers who are under 35 years of age and have been assessed as having some capacity for activities such as work, study or volunteering, may need to meet with us for regular participation interviews. At these participation interviews you will be asked to develop a participation plan which will outline activities to help you get involved in the community or prepare you for work. The activities in this plan are voluntary.
Participation interviews
At the participation interview we will meet with you to discuss your circumstances, goals, and plans for the future. Information will be provided at the interview about local support services that may help you progress toward your goals. We will also use this time to put together a participation plan with you.
We will meet with you every three months after your first interview. Then, after 18 months, we will meet with you every six months to see how you are progressing with your goals.
Even if you are working, you will need to meet with us for your first interview. We are flexible and will take your circumstances into account. The time required to complete your appointment will vary according to your circumstances. Please allow up to an hour for your appointment.
The participation requirements apply to Disability Support Pension customers who are under 35 and have been assessed as having some capacity to undertake activities, unless they:
- are working in an Australian Disability Enterprise
- are working under the Supported Wage System, or
- have a dependent child under six years of age
If you are a DSP customer who is not required to attend, you can still choose to have participation interviews.
We will arrange an assessment with you if we need more information in order to assess your current ability to work.
The information gathered from this appointment will determine whether you need to attend participation interviews. Although your capacity will be assessed, this assessment will not be used to review your eligibility for the Disability Support Pension.
Read more information about the Employment Services Assessment.
Participation plan
Your participation plan will be flexible and will include activities to help you get involved in the community or prepare you for work. Other than the requirement to attend your participation interviews, activities in your plan will be voluntary.
We will send you a letter to let you know the time and date of your participation interview.
Before the interview, you might like to consider what your goals could be for the future and what assistance, if any; you would need in order to achieve these goals. If you have any information about any work or study you are doing, please bring it with you.
You can bring a friend, family member, or other support person along to this interview if you would like to.
If you have any special requirements for attending the interview, please let us know so that we can do our best to help you.
If your circumstances change and your participation plan no longer suits you, we will review and change your plan at your next interview.
We will work with you to help you attend these interviews. If, for any reason, you cannot attend an interview, let us know before your interview so that we can organise a new interview time. If you do not attend and do not contact us, your payments may be stopped until you reschedule or attend a participation interview.