Do I still need to look for work and attend appts while currently studying full-time and waiting for my Austudy to approve? I might be cut off payments according to my provider for still failing my obligations.
TL;DR: Have started a full-time course. It's Austudy full-time approved in Centrelink's data system. I've applied for Austudy but there is a long wait time for them to process applicants. Job Provider says until it is approved that Centrelink doesn't care that I'm studying and so until I'm on Austudy my obligations are to come to appts and look for work. Even though I'm 9-5 weekdays at my course. Coming in to my Job Provider appointments I have been doing but I miss up to 1 - 2 hours of class those days.
Is this correct?
More details with a bit of a rant if interested:
So I've never had a bad experience with a job provider until just now. They all hate their jobs here immensely. Which I can understand up to a point since some people are just wanting payments and not look for work. But the way they talk about clients after they've walked out of the shitty room their company has rented in the middle of a barely used cricket club they start bad mouthing them openly while later appts are waiting by the door. It's a very miserable place, no one smiles, they show complete disdain for everyone they see, and I suspect it might be a cheap operation. Makes me glad I wont have to stay on payments too long.
The first week I came in to meet them I had already enrolled in my full-time study and had been studying at my course for one week. I gave them all the enrollment and start date info they needed to confirm it and it is also one of the approved courses Centrelink requires for Austudy. Most of my classmates are on Austudy.
However, I missed an appointment the other week at this Job Provider. I explained I was sorry and that I messed up as I have been full on with also just starting my placement, even though it is still quite early stages of the course, and I mixed my days up. They gave me a demerit and a big spiel about it is still my obligation to attend. I didn't really give it much thought as I've never had a demerit when I've had to use Centrelink here and there.
Then yesterday I received a text that I had failed my obligation to look for work. I called up to explain that I had already given all my info for my course and I'm just waiting on Austudy to go through. Which may take some time as when I applied for it online there was a notification saying there are big delays right now with a high number of applicants.
I was given another demerit point and told that my payment is still currently Jobseeker and failure to not look for work and attend appts will result in penalties. I mentioned again that they have everything they need to see that I am studying full-time and that I'm confused as to why I have to do these things.
Speaking with a classmate about it he said he also had a Job Provider and when he enrolled they just took him off his obligations and said that he can just call them if he needs them. They also sent him the text saying he didn't meet his obligation to look for work and fill out the fortnightly list in his Workforce app, but when he called his Job Provider they apologised and said he's still on their system with that stuff while he is waiting for Austudy and cleared it for him.
Anyways. I said to my contact at the job place that I thought that by enrolling and starting my course is just a normal process anyone would go through and that Centrelink should know on their end that I'm just waiting for my Austudy request and I'm not just skiving off.
When I mentioned this she said that I am noncompliant and added that if I want to not do the things that Centrelink requires of me then I'd wanna hope that my Austudy comes through before my demerit points add up and I'm cut off from getting any payment support altogether.
I don't know if she has it in for me for missing that first appointment or that this is technically what I have to do? It's really odd if this is the system. Part of the reason I chose to start doing placement now is so I can also hopefully find a job from it. Even if I don't the company that hosts my course has a service for students who have completed any of the courses where they work with you until you are employed in the field that you've just studied.
It's almost like this provider wants me to not study and just do whatever they find me instead.