The Job Capacity Assessment program provides a comprehensive assessment of an individual’s
capacity for work.
It combines referral to employment and related support services (such as literacy and numeracy training) with assessments of work capacity for income support purposes such as for the Disability Support Pension, and for exemptions from activity-testing due to medical conditions lasting more than 13 weeks.
The assessors have the opportunity to refer clients for short term interventions, which will help them overcome barriers whilst searching for employment, for example, counselling, pain management, cognitive behavioural therapy.
Carol's Story:
Carol had a Job Capacity Assessment as part of her Disability Support Pension review.
Carol came to her assessment believing that she had no capacity for work, and that her destiny was simply to receive a pension. However during this interview, the assessor asked the questions that enabled Carol to expand her vision of what the future could entail. She began to imagine how what she hoped for could become possible. By the conclusion of the interview, Carol began to see that there was an alternative to the pension, and that her dream of commencing her own business as a photographer might still be possible . She was referred to the New Enterprise Incentives Scheme that afternoon and soon secured employment with her local newspaper as a contract photographer.
The Department of Human Services published this story, because the changes in this client’s life were so significant.
