What is the change being announced?

The Government is keen to ensure quality employment services are available when job seekers need them.  Service fees to Job Network providers will be increased to reflect recent increases in job seeker caseloads.

What is the Quarterly Service Fee (QSF)?

The QSF is an advance lump sum payment, paid four times a year to Job Network providers for services to new job seekers and for scheduled servicing contacts for clients when they are not in Job Search Training or customised assistance (separate service fees are paid for these).  One final QSF payment is due under the current contract, on 1 April 2009.

Why is the change necessary?
Both the Government and Job Network providers are concerned to ensure that quality services are delivered to job seekers.  The QSF supports these Job Network services and it needs to keep pace with increases in the job seeker caseload.

The Department has examined the way the QSF is calculated and has made changes to ensure that the increases in the numbers of unemployed job seekers are fully reflected in the QSF.   An increased QSF payment will be made available to Job Network providers as part of their final QSF payment for 1 April 2009.  

How will this help job seekers?

The adjustment to the QSF will ensure that providers are appropriately resourced to deliver quality services to job seekers who use their services.  Updating the QSF helps ensure that job seekers are able to access quality services and assistance at the time they need it.

How will service fees be paid in the new contract?

QSF is not a feature of the new employment services.  Service fees will be paid at the start of each 13 weeks of job seeker services, using a simpler approach that does not rely on formula estimates as under the QSF.