Inclusive Employment Australia is the New Program Replacing (Disability Employment Services) in Australia
What Is Inclusive Employment Australia (IIE)?
Inclusive Employment Australia (IEA) is the Australian Government’s new specialist disability employment program. It replaced DES on 1 November 2025 and is designed to help people with disability, injury or a health condition to:
- Prepare for work
- Find a job that suits their needs and goals
- Keep their job and grow their career over time
The key difference from DES is that IEA puts you at the centre. Support is personalised around your individual goals, disability, and circumstances – not a one-size-fits-all approach.
What’s New and Better About IEA?
Inclusive Employment Australia comes with significant improvements over the old DES program:
- No more time limits – stay with your provider as long as you need
- Open to people who can only work 0-7 hours per week
- No Centrelink payments required to be eligible
- Choose your provider – and switch at any time
- More specialist providers including those with lived experience
- Stronger employer support to create inclusive workplaces
What Support Activities Does IEA Include?
Your IEA provider will tailor support to where you’re at right now. Activities can include:
- Writing your resume and preparing for job interviews
- Searching for jobs that match your skills, interests and capacity
- Building a personalised career plan
- On-the-job support once you start working
- Help with workplace adjustments or modifications
- Training to build skills for the workplace
- Ongoing check-ins to help you stay employed long term
If you’re already working, IEA can still support you to maintain and progress in your current role.
Who Is Eligible for Inclusive Employment Australia?
You may be eligible for IEA if you meet all of the following:
- You live with a disability, injury or health condition (including mental health conditions) that affects your ability to work
- You are aged 14 years or older and have not yet reached Age Pension age
- You are an Australian citizen or permanent resident, or hold a Temporary Protection Visa or Safe Haven Enterprise Visa
- You are not studying full-time (unless you are an eligible school leaver)
- You are at or above the minimum working age in your state or territory
Good to know: You do not need to be receiving Centrelink payments to be eligible. People with an assessed work capacity of just 0-7 hours per week can now also access IEA – this was not possible under the old DES program.
To confirm your eligibility, you may need an Employment Services Assessment (ESAt) through Services Australia. Your IEA provider or Centrelink can help you arrange this.
What If You Were Already in DES?
If you were receiving support through DES, you have automatically transitioned to Inclusive Employment Australia. You should have received a letter in October 2025 explaining:
- Whether you are staying with your current provider or moving to a new one
- What your next steps are
You don’t need to do anything – your IEA provider will have reached out to welcome you into the new program. If you haven’t heard anything, contact your provider directly or call the Transition Line on 1800 227 337.
If you receive Mobility Allowance, ask your IEA provider to update your Job Plan to ensure payments continue.
How to Find an Inclusive Employment Australia Provider
- Visit JobAccess and search for a Registered IEA Provider to find providers near you.
- Contact a few providers – Reach out to two or three to see who feels like the right fit for your needs and goals.
- Confirm your eligibility – Your IEA Provider or Centrelink can arrange an Employment Services Assessment if needed.
- Important: Visit their premises and look at their program BEFORE you engage them.
- Build your plan – Once successfully engaged, you and your provider will create a personalised employment plan together
Tip: You have the right to choose – and to switch providers at any time if it’s not the right fit. Look for a provider with experience in your specific disability or background.
IEA and the NDIS: How Do They Work Together?
If you are an NDIS participant, you can also access Inclusive Employment Australia. The two programs are separate but complementary – your NDIS plan funds supports related to your disability and daily life, while IEA specifically funds employment support to help you find and keep a job.
This means IEA can work alongside your NDIS plan, not instead of it. Your IEA provider can also work withyou or your NDIS Support Coordinator (if you have one)to make sure your employment goals are reflected across both plans.
IEA is particularly valuable for NDIS participants because:
- Employment support is not always adequately funded through NDIS alone
- IEA has no time limits – important for participants who need longer to build confidence and work-readiness
- NDIS participants wanting to move into open employment are a recognised pathway into IEA
- People with reduced or no NDIS funding can still access employment support through IEA
Good to know: Referrals into IEA can come from NDIS providers, support coordinators, allied health professionals and families – not just Services Australia/Centrelink. If employment is one of your NDIS goals, ask your Support Coordinator about connecting you with an IEA provider.
Useful Contacts
- IEA / DES Transition Line: 1800 227 337
- National Customer Service Line: 1800 805 260
- TIS National (interpreter service): 13 14 50
- Find an IEA Provider (JobAccess)
- Services Australia
