Application for compensation for incorrect payment cancellations

Decisions covered by this form

• section 42AG ‘work refusal failure’ cancellations made from 8 April 2022 to 31 December 2025, for people who refused or failed to accept an offer of suitable employment
• section 42AH(1) ‘unemployment failure’ cancellations made from 8 April 2022 to 31 December 2025 for people who voluntarily left suitable employment or were dismissed due to misconduct
• section 42AM ‘4-week reconnection requirement’ cancellations made from 7 December 2020 to 31 December 2025 for people who were suspended for a mutual obligation failure and did not meet their reconnection requirement.

Information required 

To be eligible for compensation, you may need to tell us:

• why you disagree with our decision to cancel your payment
• about your situation at the time and why you think we should have taken this into account before cancelling your payment 
• how you were impacted by the cancellation and how it led to a direct financial or non-financial loss.

Where possible, you should provide evidence to support your application.

While providing this information is voluntary, the department may not be able to pay you compensation if you are not able to show how you have been disadvantaged. 

Direct financial loss and non-financial loss

Direct financial loss is money you lost or had to spend because of how the cancellation impacted you. For example:

• loss of your income support payments
• late fees on bills
• extra interest on loans
• you lost accommodation because you could not pay rent on time and you did not get your bond back
• the cancellation caused a new or existing medical condition to worsen, and you had to pay for additional medical treatment as a result.

Non-financial loss means personal injury or damage to reputation caused by the cancellation of your payment. 
Personal injury means a physical or psychiatric injury or illness, for example, a heart attack, stroke or depression. 
Compensation under the Scheme for Compensation for Detriment caused by Defective Administration (CDDA Scheme) is not payable solely for grief or anxiety, hurt, humiliation, embarrassment, disappointment, stress or frustration that is unrelated to a personal injury which is being compensated under the CDDA Scheme.

Submit your form

Once complete, email the completed form and supporting evidence to 
TCF-Review@dewr.gov.au. In the subject line of your email put ‘TCF compensation application’.

If you do not have access to email, you can mail your application to: 
Department of Employment and Workplace Relations 
Attention: TCF Remediation Team 
GPO Box 9828 
CANBERRA ACT 2601

Please follow the instructions on how to return this form carefully. Incorrect lodgement may result in a delay to your application. 

If you are submitting your application via mail, please do not post any original documents to the department, only copies.

Your privacy

Your privacy is important to us. Any information you choose to provide will be handled in line with our privacy policy, which you can find at dewr.gov.au/privacy.