For those working in employment support services or supporting NDIS clients to achieve employment goals, big changes are coming later in 2025.

Following a review of Disability Employment Services (DES) that has taken almost 4 years, the Federal Government is introducing a new specialist disability employment program called Inclusive Employment Australia (IEA). Starting on 1 November 2025, people with disability will be able to access disability employment services via 83 Inclusive Employment Australia providers across Australia, following the conclusion of a recent tender process. The Government has said that the new panel will better reflect the diversity of the community and will be supported by the Disability Employment Centre of Excellence.

Thie review heard feedback from the disability community that there is a need to move towards specialist employment services that cater to people’s individual disability needs. A move to offer tiered levels of support and greater eligibility access and longer access timeframes will hopefully mean people with disability receive more tailored individual support to work towards their employment goals.

What is changing?

IEAs will offer expanded eligibility and service offerings which are designed to better support people with disability to access supports to prepare for employment, find work and maintain a job. They will also work with employers to support them to build their capacity to offer roles and attract and retain staff with disability.

Eligibility criteria

More people will be able to access the new program including:

• people with an assessed work capacity of less than 8 hours per week
• voluntary participants not getting a Centrelink income support payment.

Previously, under the DES program, only people with an assessed work capacity of between 8-30 hours per week were eligible, and they had to be receiving a Centrelink income support payment.

Time frames

There will no longer be a two-year limit on the time people can stay in the program.

This is to enable people to have more time to receive support and build capacity, after feedback during the review of the DES program found that people were being exited from the program before they could develop job readiness skills and successful find work.

Tiered services

There will be two tiers of support intensity, with IEA providers offering generalist or specialised supports, with specialised supports offering more intensive support for people who are preparing to be ready to work. People will also be able to access flexible supports if they don’t require intensive services.

Assessors

Government has also announced the continuation of the National Panel of Assessors program, which deliver Supported Wage System (SWS) Assessments, Ongoing Support Assessments (OSA), and Workplace Modifications Services (WMS) Assessments, via a panel of 25 Assessors who will operate until 2028.

When is it happening?

IEAs start operating on 1 November 2025. DES providers who have not been successful in becoming an IEA provider will need to wind up services by the 16th October 2025 and have 2 weeks to transition clients to an IEA.

Government has said that current DES Participants will receive individual communications and information about the new program before it starts.

Where can I find out more?

Read more about the upcoming changes on the Department of Social Services Website. Click here

The new list of IEA providers can be viewed here.