We’re sure by now you’ve heard a lot about the JobMaker Hiring Credits put in place by the Australian government.

 

In short, it’s a scheme that gives employers an incentive to take on additional young job seekers starting employment between 7 October 2020 and 6 October 2021

 

It is a payment made to eligible employers: 

■ for each eligible additional employee hired 

■ to help subsidise the cost of employing eligible additional employees for up to 12 months. 

 

What employees need to do 

 

If your employer participates in the scheme, they will ask you to complete an employee notice. 

 

This declares that you meet the employee eligibility requirements. 

 

That’s all you need to do. 

 

You will not receive the JobMaker Hiring Credit payment in your own salary, wages or other payment. 

 

Your employer pays you like they usually would. 

 

Employee eligibility notice 

 

The JobMaker employee notice declares that you: 

 

■ were between 16 and 29 or 30 and 35 years old when you started employment with the employer 

■ received one of the three types of eligible income support – the JobSeeker Payment, Youth Allowance (other than on the basis that the individual was undertaking full-time study or was a new apprentice) or Parenting Payment – for at least 28 consecutive days (or two fortnights) within the 84 days (or six fortnights) before commencing employment. 

■ have not completed a JobMaker employee notice for another employer you are still working for. 

 

Reported income support payment information may be checked with Services Australia. 

 

Meeting the income support criteria 

 

To calculate the number of days you received one of the three types of eligible income support, you can include days that were not payable. For example, you can count the days that were not payable because you: 

■ received income support during a month but had days your employment earnings were above the income cut-off 

■ were on a waiting period. 

 

More than one employer 

 

Only one employer can claim the JobMaker Hiring Credit for hiring you at a time (even if you work for two employers at once). 

 

Changing jobs 

 

If you change jobs (and still meet the employee eligibility criteria), your previous employer can no longer claim the JobMaker Hiring Credit for you. 

 

In this case, you can give a notice to another employer if all the following apply: 

■ you stopped working for the employer you previously gave a notice to 

■ you were hired as an employee by a new employer 

■ you started employment between 7 October 2020 and 6 October 2021 

■ you were between 16 to 35 years old (inclusive) at the time you started employment with your new employer 

■ you received income support payments (such as the JobSeeker Payment) for at least 28 consecutive days (or two fortnights) within the 84 days (or six fortnights) before being hired. 

 

Returning to an employer 

 

If you give a JobMaker employee notice to your employer, the notice ends when you stop working for them. 

 

If you later return to the same employer, you need to give them a new notice. Other income support 

 

You may be eligible for income support even if you receive a wage from your employer. 

 

For information visit servicesaustralia.gov.au