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If you’ve recently been made redundant, you will have access to Job Services Australia. Job Services Australia has programs and services available to quickly reconnect you with employment opportunities.
This means that your local Job Services Australia provider will have trained professional staff and programs specifically to cater for your individual needs. Most importantly it means you will be looked after.
Support is available if you have been made redundant
If you have been made redundant, you could be eligible to receive employment services through Job Services Australia.
Your Job Services Australia provider will assess your skills and reconnect you with employment opportunities as quickly as possible.
Depending on your situation, immediate help may include:
- job search training and assistance, such as résumé preparation and advice on the best ways to look for work
- access to telephones, computers, stationery and employment vacancy listings to help you look for work
- access to an interpreter if required.
The New Enterprise Incentive Scheme (NEIS) forms part of Job Services Australia and can support you to set up your own small business.
How to register for assistance
Contact your local Centrelink office. Centrelink will assess your eligibility for these specialised services and make an appointment for you with your local Job Services Australia provider.
Find your local Job Services Australia provider.
Structural Adjustment Programs
Structural Adjustment Programs are available for workers who have been made redundant from eligible companies in the automotive manufacturing or the textile, clothing and footwear industries.
If you have been made redundant from an eligible company you may be able to access further intensive employment services through these programs.
If you have been made redundant from the automotive manufacturing industry, you may be eligible for assistance under the Automotive Industry Structural Adjustment Program. For more information download one of the factsheets available on the Resources page.
If you have been made redundant from the textile, clothing and footwear industry, you may be eligible for assistance under the Textile, Clothing and Footwear Structural Adjustment Program. For more information download one of the factsheets available on the Resources page.
Help to manage your finances
Centrelink offers free, unbiased financial information about your redundancy package and Government assistance. Please note eligibility for income support will depend on your personal circumstances, including your income and assets. If you are eligible for income support, it may not be available for a period of time, depending on leave or redundancy payments made to you.
For more information on Centrelink’s Financial Information Service contact Centrelink on 13 23 00.
Special Child Care Benefit
If, as a result of your losing your job you are having difficulty meeting child care payments, you may be eligible for Special Child Care Benefit. For information contact the Family Assistance Office
on 13 61 50.
General Employee Entitlements and Redundancy Scheme
If you’ve lost your job because your employer entered into bankruptcy or liquidation, you are owed certain employee entitlements and there are insufficient funds to pay your outstanding entitlements, you may be eligible to receive assistance under the General Employee Entitlements and Redundancy Scheme (GEERS).
Under GEERS, eligible employees may be able to access:
- assistance for unpaid wages in the 3 month period prior to the appointment of an insolvency practitioner
- unpaid annual leave
- unpaid long service leave
- unpaid pay in lieu of notice of up to a maximum of 5 weeks
- unpaid redundancy entitlements of up to a maximum of 4 weeks for each completed year of service you have with your employer.
GEERS only covers the entitlements you are legally entitled to receive. Your assistance under GEERS will be calculated in accordance with your entitlements under legislation, an award, a statutory agreement or written contact of employment or otherwise confirmed in writing at the time of the appointment of the insolvency practitioner.
For example, you will not necessarily receive redundancy pay of 4 weeks per year of service—the assistance you receive will be based on the redundancy entitlement provided in your legal instrument.
For more information visit GEERS or call the GEERS hotline on 1300 135 040.
Redundancy entitlements
If you have recently lost your job and believe you have not received the entitlements you are owed, contact Fair Work Australia. Fair Work Australia will help you recover your outstanding entitlements. You can call the Fair Work Australia Infoline 13 13 94.