Almost half of people using employment providers threatened with payment suspensions, new data shows

The suspensions have taken place under Centrelink’s mutual obligations regime, which is meant to ensure recipients are actively looking and preparing for work. Photograph: Jessica Hromas/The Guardian

Almost half of all people using employment services received threats to suspend their payments in the last quarter, new data has revealed.

The data from the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR) showed a 23% increase in the number of payment suspension notices issued by Workforce Australia, with 618,000 issued from 1 July to 30 September 2025, up from from 504,000 in the previous quarter.