DES Reforms – Recent reviews and recommendations relating to disability employment

The current Disability Employment Services (DES) program concludes 30 June 2025. The Australian Government has made a commitment that the current program will be replaced by a new disability employment service.

There has been extensive engagement and stakeholder consultation over the past two years on potential DES reforms. However, since the last round of consultations were held, there have been a number of other reviews which made recommendations that relate to disability employment services. This includes recommendations from the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploration; the Independent Review into the National Disability Insurance Scheme; and the House Select Committee on Workforce Australia Employment Services.

The Department of Social Services facilitated two online forums (webinars) on 21 and 22 February 2024. The webinars provide an overview of recent recommendations that relate directly to disability employment services, and some options being considered to address them as part of the DES reform process.

The webinars include a number of questions to guide (but not limit) feedback.

The Department of Social Services is encouraging employment and disability service providers; people with disability, their families and carers; disability advocates; and other interested stakeholders to have their say on specific ideas arising from previous consultation and the recent reviews.

A recording of the webinar has been made available on this site. It includes Auslan and a transcript has also been published.

Feedback was requested by 27 February 2024.

Stakeholders were able to ask questions of the department live on the day. Answers to questions asked during the webinars will be published as FAQs.