Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 section 195A

Refusal or failure to attend activation meetings relating to supplementary welfare allowance

Section 195A sets out the requirements and consequences for supplementary welfare allowance recipients who fail to engage with employment or training-related meetings and assessments.

• The Minister may require recipients to attend information meetings about employment and training opportunities, or to undergo an assessment of their education and development needs.
• Failure to comply without good cause results in a reduced payment rate; continued non-compliance after 21 days at the reduced rate can lead to disqualification for up to 9 weeks.
• Any increases for a qualified adult or qualified child are protected and continue to be paid even during a period of disqualification.
• The compliance process can be restarted after a disqualification period ends if the recipient continues to refuse to engage.