Disability Employment Services Designed To Fit Your Needs | Sarina Russo

You don’t need to have a permanent physical or intellectual disability to qualify for disability employment support. A “disability” can include an injury, illness, or any other physical or mental health condition that affects your ability to work.

Your eligibility for Disability Employment Services (DES) is generally determined by Services Australia (Centrelink). You’ll need to complete an Employment Services Assessment (ESAt) through Services Australia to assess your situation and if you meet the conditions for support.

To be eligible for Disability Employment Services you must: 

• Have a medically diagnosed disability, injury, or health condition
• Receive an income support payment or disability support pension from Services Australia (Centrelink)
• Be  at least 14 years and not yet at Age Pension qualifying age
• Be an Australian citizen or permanent resident
• Not be a full-time student (unless you are an eligible school leaver)
• Be assessed as having capacity to work at least 8 hours per week, but less than 30 hours per week
• Not currently be working at or above your assessed employment capacity 

Once Centrelink have confirmed you are eligible, you will be referred to the Disability Employment Services provider of your choice, or be automatically referred to a provider close to your home.

If you’re not sure if you qualify and would like some help to confirm your eligibility, contact our team and we’ll be happy to help you out!

It’s easy to access Disability Employment Services though Sarina Russo Job Access.

Confirm you are eligible (generally, this means you are receiving an approved income support payment and have mutual obligations – check the Services Australia website) 

Use our office locator to find your closest Sarina Russo Job Access office  

Request a referral by Services Australia or transfer to your preferred Sarina Russo Job Access office

• Most of the time, you will need a referral from Services Australia (Centrelink) to access our Disability Employment Services. Simply request that Sarina Russo Job Access be allocated as your preferred Disability Employment Services provider when Services Australia is processing your application. OR
• Or, if you’re already with a different provider, you can ask to be transferred to Sarina Russo Job Access by contacting the National Customer Service line (NCSL) on 1800 805 260.

For more help or information about using Sarina Russo Job Access as your preferred Disability Employment Services (DES) provider, or any other support, contact our team.

Living with a disability, illness or health condition can create unique obstacles to finding fulfilling work. Our job is to help you navigate around those obstacles and help you reach your employment goals.

From your very first appointment with your Sarina Russo employment consultant, the focus will be on understanding your individual situation and creating a personalised plan for employment success. This might include opportunities to improve your work readiness (such as training or upskilling), as well as activities to address any health conditions so we can build your capacity to become job-ready.

Your consultant will speak with you at least every fortnight to make sure your job plan is meeting your needs. You’ll receive help to build your resume, develop your interview skills and cover work-related costs such as licenses, clothing and transport.  

All this will prepare you for referral to our employers to ensure you have the best chance of getting that job!