Inclusive Employment Australia will replace Disability Employment Services on 1 November 2025.
The new program will focus on supporting people with disability, injury and/or health conditions to find and maintain meaningful, long-term employment. It will be delivered by high-quality providers, like MatchWorks, who bring a wide range of experience in disability inclusive employment.
Find out more about Inclusive Employment Australia on the Department of Social Services website.
What’s different under Inclusive Employment Australia?
Changes to the program will mean that more people can access support from 1 November 2025, including:
- people with an assessed work capacity of less than 8 hours per week
- voluntary participants not getting a Centrelink income support payment
- there will no longer be a two-year limit on the time people can stay in the program.
Other changes include broader access to services, more tailored support for individuals and specialised assistance to employers and participants.
How MatchWorks can help you
At MatchWorks, we place job seekers and employers at the centre of everything we do. Our services are designed around individual needs, and we’re committed to building strong, supportive relationships that lead to lasting employment outcomes.
MatchWorks is one of the largest Disability Employment providers in the country and is proudly part of genU, a leading community services provider which has been supporting people with disability for over 70 years. This strong connection gives MatchWorks participants access to a broad network of support services and allows them to benefit from the expertise and experience of staff across Australia.
MatchWorks is proud to be delivering Inclusive Employment Australia from 1 November 2025. You can find out more about our service delivery locations under IEA here.
Find out how MatchWorks can support you, fill in our form below and one of our friendly team members will get back to you.
Information for existing participants
The new program recognises that everyone’s journey to finding employment is different. Participants will receive customised and flexible supports depending on where they are in their employment journey.
Participants under the DES program, and their families and carers can be assured there is nothing they need to do ahead of the transition. They will receive individual communications and support about the new program prior to its commencement.
More information for participants can be found on the Department of Social Services website.
Information for employers
The new program assists employers to recruit and support employees with disability.
Support will be available to help employers improve inclusive hiring practices and attract people with disability.
Providers, like MatchWorks, will work with employers to build confidence and capability to create inclusive workplaces.
Under Inclusive Employment Australia, providers will continue to support participants as they start work and help ensure they have what they need to succeed. This may include on-site training, disability awareness, workplace adjustments or wage subsidies.
Employers may also be eligible for the new wage subsidy program. This will provide up to $10,000 per eligible supported job seekers who are supported to achieve sustainable employment.
More information for Employers can be found on the Department of Social Services website.