Skip to content Skip to main navigation
Return to homepage

Job Capacity Assessment (JCA)

Back to the A-Z of open employment

A Job Capacity Assessment (JCA) is a test Centrelink uses when people apply for the Disability Support Pension (DSP).

The test works out:

  1. If you don’t have any recent medical reports, then the JCA will see if you meet the DSP medical rules. For people with intellectual disability, the JCA is usually an IQ and functional assessment test. It helps them decide if they think that your disability or medical condition stops you being able to work.
  2. What your future work capacity is. Centrelink will decide how many hours a week it thinks you’re able to work without any support. It will decide if you can work either 0–7 or 8–14 hours a week.
  3. If Centrelink thinks employment support will help you.

Disability Support Pension (DSP) medical rules are one set of rules Centrelink uses to assess if you’re eligible for the DSP.
Read more
Intellectual disability describes a range of impairments, experiences and characteristics. It can involve difficulty with communication, memory, understanding, problem solving, fine and gross motor skills, and everyday life skills.
Read more
Work capacity is Centrelink’s assessment of how many hours of work you can do a week without support. Future work capacity is Centrelink’s assessment of how many hours you could work if you got Disability Employment Service (DES) support for up to two years.
Read more
An Australian Disability Enterprises (ADE) is a type of employment support for people with disability who need significant support to work.
Read more
Disability Employment Services (DES) is the Australian Government’s employment service that can help people with disability find work and keep a job in open employment.
Read more

A project by Inclusion Australia

Subscribe to the Inclusion Australia newsletter to stay up to date