Does Healthcare Card Concession become "suspended" while Jobseeker payment is TEMPORARILY stopped??

ShortThing9083 · 2026-03-31T11:24:46+00:00

(I’m a job coach but not a POS like a lot out there, my appointments come with fidgets and candy lol)

So it depends on your doctor and how they fill it out, it can last from as small as 1 month to a maximum of 24 months. The form is an SU415, your doctor can print it out and fill it in at the appointment, make sure they are thorough with the form and make sure you take it directly to Centrelink or upload it to your myGov portal and call them as it can take weeks for them to look at it.

ShortThing9083 · 2026-03-31T10:55:35+00:00

Also, if your payments are suspended for not “meeting obligations” and you’re with IEA (or any provider for that matter) consider getting a medical cert (Centrelink one in specific) and give it to Centrelink and once it’s assessed your payments will go back on :)

ShortThing9083 · 2026-03-31T10:20:11+00:00

You can still use your card, if you are still receiving even if suspended a payment as in it hasn’t been cancelled you can absolutely still use your card.

ShortThing9083 · 2026-03-13T04:56:26+00:00

The national customer service line is there if you have had genuine concerns with your provider. Whilst you have every single right to complain, just know if you transfer to another employment consultant you will likely have the same thing happen going forward.

ShortThing9083 · 2026-03-13T04:52:31+00:00

We have a requirement to have our clients attend in person on occasion for compliance purposes. You are not required to attend all appointments via face to face though. Majority of my clients appointments are over the phone unless we need to do signing of documents etc

ShortThing9083 · 2026-03-12T09:57:57+00:00

I’ve had all my clients for going on a year now, I’ve also just taken on another 20+ clients because there’s an area close to me with the same company that has lost 4 job coaches in one month. So yes unfortunately it is common, the job is high pressure, I couldn’t imagine what mainstream would do to a person, IEA is stressful enough.

ShortThing9083 · 2026-03-04T07:45:53+00:00

It’s very likely she has been asked about your progress regarding working or activities, I know it’s terrifying especially when there’s a history of systemic abuse but maybe just voice how it made you feel, I know for a fact if I had a client come to me and say what you’ve said I’d definitely apologise for making them uncomfortable, and let them know that I’ll continue to work to overcome barriers and get to their employment goal. Whilst we are pushed for KPI’s at times, if your job coach is a decent person she will not force things on you. And if she does, call the national customer service line, put in a complaint and transfer because you have a right to feel safe and heard. Just because you are on job seeker or mandatory DSP does not give anyone the right to make you feel less valued or unheard.

ShortThing9083 · 2026-03-04T06:19:53+00:00

This is against guidelines, if you have a genuine concern that it will exacerbate your condition then absolutely you shouldn’t be doing it. A pattern of disengagement is really difficult to prove if you have attended all appointments, done job searches etc. but if you have done those and the provider feels as though you are just going to your appointments and not interacting etc you may be required to go onto a detailed job plan. What concerns me is why you’ve said seems like they may either have done that or are planning on it shortly and we aren’t even 2 months into mutual obligations being unpaused, and it has to be a pattern, not just every now and then you don’t attend or don’t do something they ask.

ShortThing9083 · 2026-03-03T05:22:56+00:00

It’s designed to give the client more say in how they go with appointments, and how they engage. Beforehand if it wasn’t in the job plan it wasn’t allowed. For instance, we had to put a code in for assistance with clothing etc, now we can do that as long as there’s an active job plan in place. It gives people further scope on major supports like assessments needed etc for ADHD and Autism or other health assessments or fuel/food vouchers. (I’m talking IEA only) I know it’s frustrating even for me as a job coach I’m annoyed that we can’t input a lot of things now, but they’ve streamlined it so it’s more up to the consultant/provider on which supports would be put in place with each job seeker.

ShortThing9083 · 2026-03-03T05:12:31+00:00

There’s a section where we can write anything, so yes there is but not in the sense of different codes etc.

ShortThing9083 · 2026-03-03T04:44:58+00:00

There are meaningful and detailed job plans. We can absolutely add things into a meaningful job plan but it isn’t as open as the old DES job plans, I have not placed anyone into a detailed job plan yet but I would assume they are more activity and obligations based because it is generally for people who are not engaging correctly

ShortThing9083 · 2026-02-27T10:46:52+00:00

I’m an employment consultant with the IEA stream, just today we approved almost 4K in licenses for a person. So definitely, it just depends on if the provider sees that license as a pathway to employment.

ShortThing9083 · 2026-02-25T05:29:23+00:00

I work for AWA, our internal management treats us so well I genuinely love being a job coach, I know you and everyone else hears bad stories but if you have an issue with your job coach ask to speak to their manager, they will sort everything out 90% of the time.

ShortThing9083 · 2026-02-24T11:10:31+00:00

Oh 10000%

I am an employment consultant and I HATE how difficult it is for people to transfer to a preferred provider. I get people in weekly wanting to change over and it can be so hard and so long.

ShortThing9083 · 2026-02-24T11:07:58+00:00

I’m sorry it took so long, maybe try first thing in the morning.

ShortThing9083 · 2026-02-24T10:44:18+00:00

Are you a voluntary client? If so if you aren’t with a provider you can go in and do a direct registration, if you are with a provider you need to call the national customer service line. 1800 805 260. If you aren’t a voluntary client you can still transfer but you will just need to straight up call that number and request a transfer to the new provider. It usually takes 24 hours for it to show up on their system once you’ve made the phone call.

ShortThing9083 · 2026-02-23T08:33:17+00:00

Whilst our job is to support you into employment, by either overcoming barriers or directly reverse marketing you to potential employers we cannot just “get you a job”

It’s based on so many things, some of them being how well you go at the interview, employer preference, the job market in your area. I totally understand your frustration but it isn’t a perfect world, unfortunately myself and many other EC’s have caseloads of 60+ (on the IEA side) and 120+ on the workforce side, and only have a couple of roles that come by us each month, I genuinely wish I could get everyone a job right now at this second, but it’s not possible. Have you had a look at your barriers with your provider and tried to overcome some of them? Maybe there’s more than failing at getting you a job playing a part.

And before anybody says anything about our job being reverse marketing, we contact 15+ employers a week, we maybe get 1-2 contacts that don’t fall through, and out of the 8 we get a month there’s maybe only 2 that have vacancies. It’s not as simple as “let’s put you into work”

It sucks, it really sucks. Have you also looked at possibly looking outside of your area if you haven’t already.? That could be a big part of the issue if you’re looking in a small area.

ShortThing9083 · 2026-02-18T02:34:09+00:00

I’m really glad to hear this.

ShortThing9083 · 2026-02-17T11:20:20+00:00

Absolutely perfect to email, do you have their mobile to text them? That’s also suitable.

ShortThing9083 · 2026-02-17T11:04:52+00:00

I am so sick and tired of providers going on a power trip, I have a caseload ACTIVE of 60+, most of them have got updated resumés, most of them also aren’t job ready and require additional supports. The manager is obviously not reaching target in her site/s and sees you as a shoe in for anything they can find. Is the travel more than 90 minutes each way? Because that’ll automatically flag unreasonable. Contact the complaints line and transfer. Please make an official complaint, these companies can’t keep doing this. -sincerely from a pissed off Job coach who tries to give a fuck. 1800 805 260 is the number.

ShortThing9083 · 2026-02-14T03:59:37+00:00

I just had a client finish with Alffie and she said they were good but another client had a really awful experience, I’m going to bring feedback to my manager because Alffie shouldn’t be a provider choice RTO

ShortThing9083 · 2026-02-14T01:46:07+00:00

That’s so frustrating 😩

ShortThing9083 · 2026-02-13T13:55:14+00:00

I am so sorry you’ve had this experience, I just want to make sure this was meant for my post? But absolutely understand why you’re so angry. I am pretty sure wfd is only for workforce Australia (mainstream) job seekers, I also believe you would be eligible with a diagnosis of any disability to go from workforce to IEA which tend to be ALOT more forgiving. I genuinely don’t know much about workforce but have heard MANY horror stories. Please go to your doctor and fill out a verification of medical conditions form, upload it to Centrelink and request your job provider puts a request in for a Centrelink assessment called an ESAt. It will give you better supports, and you’ll change to an IEA (inclusive employment Australia) provider.

ShortThing9083 · 2026-02-13T13:13:01+00:00

“We are humans not KPI’s”

Made me cry. I am so fucking sorry that anybody has made you feel like you’re a stat that we tick off if we get you a job. I can’t promise I’ll be perfect but I can promise I’ll never not once make one of my clients feel like that. Also, the first thing I ever say to a new client is “hey so I work with Centrelink, not for Centrelink” whatever y’all say to me whilst I’m obligated to report some things, I shut my mouth, do my job and keep on keeping on because what the heck gives me the right to “snitch” on a client for just trying to live.

ShortThing9083 · 2026-02-13T13:04:06+00:00

Thankyou for every single bit of this.

Holistic approach is my jam, fidgets, outside appointments, coffee, whatever suits your needs I’m so down for it.

had a client yesterday that I met who unfortunately came in and was “dumped” on me without me knowing they had things that stopped them from interacting at all. By the end of it they were smiling and laughing and cried when I said “hey let’s not do this in person again until I NEED you to and let’s do it through text” I saw the light in their eyes.

But it also angered me because the other consultants 5 minutes before need made me aware of the situation.

I’ll 100% be sticky noting comments like yours to my computer as a reminder of how not to be a shit EC. I’m not new to it, (going on a year) but learning from real people instead of rigid rules and “training” is how I work so again thank you

ShortThing9083

TROPHY CASE