Inclusive Employment Australia replaced Disability Employment Services (DES) on 1 November 2025. It works alongside the NDIS the same way DES did: the employment program handles the job, and the NDIS funds the person. What changed is that you can now switch providers whenever you want, there are no time limits, and you no longer need to be on a government payment or able to work eight hours a week to take part.

First things first: DES no longer exists

If you have been told to “sign up for DES”, that advice is out of date.

Inclusive Employment Australia is a new specialist disability employment program that assists people with disability, injury or a health condition to prepare for, find and maintain work and grow their career. It replaced the Disability Employment Services (DES) program on 1 November 2025. The Department of Social Services now refers to “former DES participants”, and enquiries about the old program go to the same National Customer Service Line on 1800 805 260.

Source: Inclusive Employment Australia, Department of Social Services.

If you were a DES participant, you did not need to do anything. Your work and your payments stayed the same, and a provider contacted you after 1 November 2025.

What changed, in plain terms

Under DES (to 31 Oct 2025)Under Inclusive Employment Australia (from 1 Nov 2025)
Switching providers was restrictedYou can choose or change provider at any time
Time limits applied to your supportNo time limits, stay as long as you need
You generally had to be on a social security paymentNo government payment required
You needed a future work capacity of 8+ hours a weekPeople assessed at zero to 7 hours are eligible

The eight-hour change is the one most people miss. From 16 October 2025, anyone reassessed with a future work capacity of zero to 7 hours a week became eligible to join on 1 November 2025. Around 15,000 more people are expected to access services as a result.

Employers also gained access to a wage subsidy of up to $10,000 for eligible supported job seekers who reach sustainable employment.

How Inclusive Employment Australia and the NDIS split the work

The two systems are funded and run separately. Inclusive Employment Australia sits with the Department of Social Services. The NDIS sits with the NDIA. Neither will pay for something the other is supposed to cover, which is why knowing the split saves you months.

What the employment program does

  • Job matching: finding vacancies that fit your skills and goals.
  • Employer engagement: approaching businesses and negotiating workplace adjustments.
  • On-the-job support: help settling into a role and keeping it.
  • Wage subsidies: payments to employers who take you on.

What the NDIS does

  • Skill building: communication, teamwork, workplace confidence, through “Finding and Keeping a Job” supports.
  • Personal care: help with dressing, meals or using the bathroom during the working day.
  • Travel training: learning to use public transport independently.
  • Assistive technology: tools that follow you across your whole life, not just one workplace.

For personal care during the working day, the NDIS is the right door. 19,385 providers in the Carevo network offer personal care (56.0% of the network), with 6,233 in NSW and 5,932 in Victoria.

By the numbers: the provider network

These figures come from Carevo’s own directory and refresh on every build, so they are current as at 2026-08-26.

Provider categoryNumber of providersShare of network
Providers listed34,600100%
NDIS-registered30,93689.4%
Accept NDIS funding28,42682.2%
Offer personal care19,38556.0%
Offer domestic assistance19,32055.8%
Offer therapy and allied health11,84734.2%

Source: Carevo directory data, 2026-08-26, covering 8,722 suburbs. Counts are of listed providers and are not an endorsement of any individual business.

18,376 listings (53.1%) have been claimed by the business itself. Claiming means the business has taken control of its own listing and keeps it current. It is self-attested, not a Carevo audit of quality or compliance, so treat it as a sign the business is active rather than a guarantee.

Getting started

Step 1: Check whether you are already in the program. If you had a DES provider before November 2025, you were moved across. Call 1800 805 260 if you are not sure who your provider is now.

Step 2: Choose your provider deliberately. This is the biggest practical gain from the reform. You are no longer stuck. There is a greater focus on providers whose staff and leadership reflect their community, and on specialists experienced with particular disabilities. Use the provider finder on the DSS website to compare.

Step 3: Check your NDIS plan for employment funding. Look under “Capacity Building” for “Finding and Keeping a Job”. This is separate money from anything your employment provider does.

Step 4: Make the two talk to each other. Tell your employment provider what your NDIS goals are. Ask your NDIS provider to write down what workplace support you need. The government will not pay two providers to do the same task, so the split has to be clear.

Step 5: Ask about equipment early. Workplace modifications generally go through the Employment Assistance Fund via JobAccess. Personal technology you use across your whole life is more likely to be an NDIS support.

Where the funding gaps happen, and how to close them

The most common stalemate is equipment. Your employment provider says a device is a personal support; the NDIS says it is work-related. Both decline.

The way through is evidence about your whole life rather than your job description. A Functional Capacity Assessment from an occupational therapist can show that a piece of technology supports your independence generally, which is the test the NDIS applies. 11,847 providers in the Carevo network offer therapy and allied health (34.2% of the network), and many write these reports.

Other frequent problems and what actually resolves them:

  • Feeling “parked” with a provider who is not finding you work. Change provider. Under the new program you can do this at any time, no permission needed.
  • Getting to work is the barrier. Ask your NDIS planner about transport funding or travel training.
  • Exhausted by the time you get home. Domestic assistance is offered by 19,320 providers in the network, and it is often the difference between keeping a job and losing it.
  • Your provider is not listening. Use NDIS support coordination funding to have someone advocate for you, or call the National Customer Service Line.

What to ask a provider before you commit

  • How many people with my type of disability have you supported into work in the last year?
  • What happens if I do not like the roles you put forward?
  • Do you talk directly to NDIS providers, or do I have to relay everything?
  • Can you help me apply to the Employment Assistance Fund for workplace equipment?
  • What is your approach to customised employment, rather than placing me in the first available vacancy?

Providers under the new program are required to take on your feedback and show you how they are responding to it. If that is not happening, that is a reason to move.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does DES still exist?

No. Inclusive Employment Australia replaced the Disability Employment Services (DES) program on 1 November 2025. The Department of Social Services now refers to “former DES participants”. If you were with a DES provider, your provider became an Inclusive Employment Australia provider or you were transferred to one. Your work and your payments did not change.

What actually changed when DES became Inclusive Employment Australia?

Four things matter most. You can change provider at any time rather than being locked in. There are no time limits, so you can stay with a provider as long as you need. You no longer need to be receiving a government payment to take part. And the old rule that you had to be able to work 8 hours or more per week is gone, so people assessed at zero to 7 hours can now join.

Can I use Inclusive Employment Australia and the NDIS at the same time?

Yes, and it is the intended design. Inclusive Employment Australia works on the job itself, finding vacancies, approaching employers and negotiating adjustments. The NDIS funds the person, including skill building, travel training and personal care. Neither program pays for what the other is meant to cover.

Can I use NDIS funding for personal care while I am at work?

Yes. This is one of the clearest splits between the two systems. Your employment provider helps you do the job; the NDIS funds the personal care you need to get through the day, such as help with meals or using the bathroom. In the Carevo network, 19,385 providers offer personal care.

My provider keeps pushing me into roles I do not want. What can I do?

Under Inclusive Employment Australia you can move to a new provider at any time, which was much harder under DES. You can also use NDIS “Finding and Keeping a Job” funding for a mentor or career coach who works for you rather than the program. Call the National Customer Service Line on 1800 805 260 if you want to talk through your options first.

Does the NDIS cover equipment my employment provider will not fund?

Often, yes. Workplace modifications and work-specific equipment usually go through the Employment Assistance Fund via JobAccess. The NDIS is more likely to fund something that follows you across your whole life, not just one job, such as communication technology you also use at home and in the community.

Sources