Add or remove characteristics for Centrelink Confirmation eServices (CCeS) businesses 101-09010050

The characteristic profile recorded for a CCeS business determines what information is to be supplied to the business through the CCeS service. This information is generally pre-defined based on the business category (also referred to as market sector) recorded for the business, however limited changes can be made if required.

Only the minimum amount of customer information required by the business to confirm a customer’s eligibility for a concession, rebate or service, is provided to a business.

When adding or removing characteristics on a business record, characteristics will need to be updated on both the CCeS agreement and the appropriate work unit.

Service Officers should proactively check the characteristic profile for each business it has contact with and ask if it still requires all the customer information it receives through CCeS. If a business no longer requires certain information to assess concessional eligibility it remove it from their characteristic profile.

See the Resources page for a list and descriptions of the CCeS characteristics.

Characteristic sets are usually standard sets of customer information that a business typically needs to confirm a customer’s eligibility for a concession, rebate or service.

Businesses can access a list of the standard characteristic sets and what customer information it will provide to them in the CCeS procedural guide for businesses, available on the Services Australia website. See Resources for a link to the website page.

A business may be allocated a non-standard characteristic set if the standard profile does not include all the customer information it requires to confirm a customer’s eligibility for a concession, rebate or service.

A business can make a request to update (add or remove) its characteristics depending on the information it requires to confirm a customer’s entitlement to a concession, rebate or service. The request must be submitted in writing to the Third Party Programs team, advising what customer information is needed and the reasons why.

The Third Party Programs team will assess the request to establish if there is a legitimate need for the additional customer information. If there is any doubt about the request, the business must be asked to provide evidence about why it needs additional characteristics and customer information. Only the minimum amount of customer information required for confirmation of eligibility for a concession, rebate or service, is to be provided to a business.

Characteristic updates can be made in Customer Record or Customer First. It is important to note that whilst the process is the same in both, there are some slight differences in the selections that need to be made and at times, there may be some varying and inconsistent navigation.

Refer to the Process page for information on how to update CCeS characteristics on a business record.

If a business requests additional customer information that is not currently available through CCeS, it can lodge a request to the agency for a new CCeS characteristic to be built in to the service. The business would need to undertake an external costing process with the agency and it will be responsible for paying a fee to cover the agency’s costs in making that information available through CCeS.

The agency’s ability and timeframe to deliver any requested changes in CCeS, will depend on other legislative and ICT priorities, and may be subject to change at any time.

Requests for new characteristics should be referred to the CCeS team.

See the Resources page for a list and descriptions of the CCeS characteristics.

Staff updating CCeS characteristics must have the security resource in the ICT Security Portal of:

Customer Confirmation

• CCSUPD-Customer Confirmation Update (ISP Category: Mainframe Applications - INCOME SECURITY)

Income Confirmation

• ICSUPD-Update Access to OCID screen (ISP Category: Mainframe Applications - INCOME SECURITY)
• ICPUPD – Access to RDF to update organisations profiles (ISP Category: Mainframe Applications - INCOME SECURITY
• PYIUPD – Update Centrepay Organisations (ISP Category: Mainframe Applications - INCOME SECURITY)