Indigenous Wage Subsidy

Indigenous Wage Subsidy

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Indigenous Wage Subsidy (IWS)

Indigenous Wage Subsidy (IWS) is an incentive paid to employers when they employ eligible Indigenous Australians on an ongoing basis.

IWS offers wage subsidies to employers of up to:

  • $6,600 (including GST) over 26 weeks for ongoing full-time employment (35 hours or more per week, or as defined as full-time in the relevant industrial award or certified workplace agreement)
  • $3,300 (including GST) over 26 weeks for ongoing part-time work of at least 15 hours per week, every week.

From 1 July 2009, the subsidy will comprise two components:

  • A set rate subsidy of $4,400 for full-time positions and a retention bonus of $1,100 after 13 and 26 weeks of employment and
  • A set rate subsidy of $2,200 for part-time positions and a retention bonus of $550 after 13 and 26 weeks of employment.

The Retention Bonus is available for positions with job start dates from 1 July 2009.

Career Development Assistance of up to $550 (including GST) is available to employers with IWS participants (with job start dates from 1 July 2009) who in enrol in an accredited training course, obtain a ticket (such as Stop/Go), or Licence (such as forklift) within their first 26 weeks of employment.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for Indigenous Wage Subsidy (IWS):

The job must be:

  1. Paid under an Award or Certified Agreement
  2. Ongoing (that is, the employer knows of no reason why the position will not continue indefinitely)
  3. A full-time position of 35 hours per week or more, full-time specified in the relevant Award or Agreement OR a part-time position of at least 15 hours per week, every week for the 26 week subsidy period
  4. Not receiving wage subsidy funding from any other government program (see guidelines for exceptions).

The employee must be:

  1. An unemployed Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
  2. If 21 years of age or over, receiving an eligible income support payment, or 
  3. Participating in a CDEP project – and consequently not in receipt of income support (the job must be outside of CDEP grant funding), or
  4. If under 21 years and not in receipt of income support, registered with Centrelink or a Job Services Australia provider as looking for work.

Applying for Indigenous Wage Subsidy (IWS)

To apply for Indigenous Wage Subsidy (IWS) download an Application Form and email it back to waadmin@deewr.gov.au

Or fax your form to 02 6276 9617

Or post your form to

Wage Assistance
Indigenous Employment Program Branch
Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations
GPO Box 9879
Canberra City ACT 2601

Please note, before applying for IWS you will need the following:

  1. Trading name or registered name and address
  2. ABN
  3. Full bank details, including Branch, BSB and account numbers
  4. Details of a contact person for your business, including name, email and phone number
  5. Details of the employee, including their date of birth and Centrelink job seeker ID
  6. The date the employee commenced their employment

An employer must apply within 28 days of the employee starting the job, or in the case of bulk applications, within 28 days of the last IWS participant commencing employment.


Indigenous Wage Subsidy (IWS) Downloads

For Employers

For Employees

  • Fact Sheet: Not currently available

Further Information

For further information regarding the Indigenous Wage Subsidy (IWS):

Call – the Indigenous Employment Line (freecall) 1802 102

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