Participants employed in an Australian Disability Enterprise (ADE)

This information is for participants supported by Australian Disability Enterprise (ADE) providers.

Information for ADE providers is also available.

Information in Easy Read:

Easy Read - Coronavirus (COVID-19) information for people who work in ADEs (PDF 4.8MB)
Easy Read (text only) - Coronavirus (COVID-19) information for people who work in ADEs (DOCX 36KB)

Your Finding and Keeping a Job budget can be used flexibly so that you can keep focussing on work.

Talk to your employer about the types of supports they can offer to keep you connected to your work and keep building your skills.

These kind of supports might include:

in home education
online training or developing skills that you can use in your current job or as part of your career development
employment assistance that maintains your connection with work and colleagues and helps you learn new skills like video conferencing.

You need to agree to any changes to your supports, and the NDIA encourages you and your employer to come up with creative ways to work together during this time.

If your employer isn’t offering alternative supports while you’re at home, you are able to use your NDIS plan to discuss options with other service providers who provide supports to keep focussing on work and developing your skills.

You should discuss this with your employer, including any social distancing measures and safety concerns you might have. You should consider the advice of the Government and health authorities where you live.

It is your employers’ responsibility to make sure they are providing a safe workplace and minimising the chance of spreading coronavirus (COVID-19) among their employees.

If you are unwell, have any coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms, or are diagnosed with coronavirus (COVID-19), you should tell your employer immediately.

You should talk to your employer about who you have been in contact with there, and how they can support you during self-isolation.

Just because you need to go into quarantine, this may not mean that the support you are getting from your employer needs to stop.

Think about ways that you can keep working towards your employment goals, and discuss ways that you can work together from home.

Remember if your employer isn’t able to offer services while you are at home, there may be other vocational services other providers might be able to offer.

Your NDIS budget can’t be used to pay your wage.

You should talk to your employer about what supports they can deliver online or in your home and how you can continue to work together.

If your employer can’t provide supports for a short time, you can talk to your Local Area Coordinator or Support Coordinator about what other supports you could use now or for help to find other service providers.

The Fair Work Commission has recently made changes to some awards, including the Supported Employment Services Award 2010, which provide unpaid pandemic leave and greater flexibility for annual leave for employees.

You can also speak to your provider about the JobKeeper scheme and check eligibility requirements online .

The new supported employment pricing is currently planned for 1 July 2020.

It includes a transition period of 18 months so you can discuss the changes and how you would like to receive supports with your employers and service providers.

We will release more information on the pricing in May including information about the Annual Price Review.

The NDIA will support participants and providers to understand and prepare for the pricing change.

Information about what financial assistance is available on the Services Australia website.

The Department of Social Services (DSS) recently provided ADEs with information for Disability Support Pension and Carer Payment recipients in response to coronavirus (COVID-19).

This includes information about JobKeeper payment and other initiatives during coronavirus (COVID-19).

The JobKeeper payment is open to eligible employers, sole traders and other entities to enable them to pay their eligible employee’s salary or wages.

If you are eligible, your employer can apply for the JobKeeper payment on your behalf.

For information on the JobKeeper payment including eligibility, visit the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) website .