Australian pensions paid outside Australia, the proportional rate 061-02010020

Has the customer lodged a new claim under an international agreement from outside Australia?

Note: this does not include customers who are leaving Australia and who have or will exceed their portability period and are transferring to an agreement payment.

• Yes, customer's payment will be proportional from the date of grant. There are no savings provisions from a proportional rate. See Step 4 in Table 2
• No, go to Step 2

If the customer is receiving:

• Age Pension, go to Step 3
• Disability Support Pension (DSP), go to Step 5
• Carer Payment (CP), go to Step 6

Is the customer saved under the pre 20 September 2000 savings provisions?

• Yes, rate will not be proportional. See Step 4 in Table 2
• No, go to Step 4

Is the Age Pension customer a former resident who is travelling to an agreement country?

• Yes, Age Pension may be paid using the agreement immediately on departure. If so, rate will be proportional immediately on transfer. There are no savings provisions. See Step 2 in Table 2
• No, Age Pension will be proportional after the customer has been absent from Australia for more than 26 weeks. See Step 2 in Table 2

DSP will be paid indefinitely under autonomous rules if the customer:

• satisfies the terminally ill provisions
• satisfies the 'no future work capacity' portability provisions, or
• is saved under the pre 1 July 2004 portability rules

Is the customer autonomously payable for more than 26 weeks?

The portability script or prior procedure should have advised whether the customer has indefinite portability.

• Yes, customer's payment may be proportional after 26 weeks. See Step 1 in Table 2
• No, DSP will be payable at a proportional rate immediately on transfer to the agreement. See Step 2 in Table 2

CP is only payable outside Australia for more than 6 weeks if the customer is eligible to transfer to an agreement or payable under approved overseas study provisions.

If the customer is transferring to an agreement, CP will be proportional from the date of transfer.

If the customer is payable under approved overseas study provisions, CP will not be proportional.

Generally, there are no savings provisions from being paid a proportional rate for CP customers.

See Step 2 in Table 2.

The following autonomous customers leaving Australia will be saved from proportionalisation if their Continuing Inability To Work (CITW) or permanent blindness occurred while they were a resident of Australia, unless they are travelling long term to New Zealand:

• terminally ill
• satisfies the 'no future work capacity' portability provisions, or
• is saved under pre 1 July 2004 portability rule

The DSP qualifying event for a terminally ill customer is when the customer qualified for DSP, not when they became terminally ill.

If the DSP qualifying event occurred while customer was temporarily outside Australia, for example on holiday, the qualifying event occurred while the customer was an Australian resident.

Did the DSP qualifying event occur while they were a resident of Australia?

Note: this question may be difficult to answer. If it is not clear from the information available where the DSP qualifying event occurred, the case should be referred to a Disability Officer in International Services (CIS).

• If customer's DSP qualifying event occurred while residing in Australia:
• customer's rate will only be proportional if travel is long term to New Zealand
• ensure 'AUS' is recorded in the CITW/Blind Residence field on the Pension Disability Information (PDI) screen
• finalise the activity on the Assessment Results (AR) screen
• go to Step 4
• If customer's DSP qualifying event did not occur while residing in Australia:
• customer's rate will be proportional after 26 weeks absence from Australia
• ensure the customer is notified that the rate of payment could reduce after 26 weeks absence from Australia
• ensure 'OVE' is recorded in the CITW/Blind Residence field on the PDI screen
• go to Step 2
• If unknown whether customer's DSP qualifying event occurred while residing in Australia:
• advise customer payment may be proportional pending the decision
• run the Portability Script - Departures and Returns with a provisional decision
• ensure the customer is notified that the rate of payment could reduce after 26 weeks absence from Australia
• go to Step 2

On the system, check country of birth on the Immigration Enquiry (RSIMME) screen.

First arrival and travel outside Australia information can often be located on the Immigration Advised Movements (RSIM) screen.

Also, check the customer's residence information available on the Legal Residence Details (RSLEG) and Country of Residence (CRES) screens.

If the residence information is not available on the system, it must be obtained from the customer by phone, from documents already provided such as a claim form, or by issuing a Module O - Life residence in Australia and other countries form. For assistance, see:

Coding the CRES, ARD and RSS screens, or

Completing, assessing and coding the Residence in Australia and other countries Mod O

The following customer information must be verified:

• first arrival in Australia as an Australian resident
• any past periods living in another country
• any past periods living in Australia

If there are any long and/or frequent absences, the customer should be contacted to discuss whether the absence/s were to live in another country on a permanent or temporary basis.

Do not rely solely on the information held on the CRES screen, particularly if other information available contradicts this information, for example travel on RSIM screen.

Can the proportional rate be calculated?

• Yes:
• record and/or correct the details of where customer has lived on the CRES screen. Do not include holidays. See Coding the CRES, ARD and RSS screens for assistance
• ensure the customer's legal residence status has been correctly recorded on the RSLEG screen. See Recording legal residence status
• for customers affected by working life residence (WLR), go to the Australian Working Life Residence (AWLR) screen and the system will calculate the customer's WLR
• for customers affected by working age residence (WAR), go to the New Zealand Information (NZI) screen. The customer's WAR will be automatically calculated by the system
• generally the system will show the WLR on the Additional Residence Details (ARD) screen. If not, or where the customer can use their partner or late partner's WLR, this amount should be overwritten with the correct information. For more information on how the proportional rate is calculated, see Working Life Residence (WLR) or Working Age Residence (WAR)
• record the decision and reasons for the decision on a DOC
• No:
• advise customer that the correct rate cannot be calculated until verification has been provided
• advise customer a provisional decision will be based on the existing information. Note: if some WLR or WAR can be verified, use this lower amount pending further proof being provided

Is the Service Officer doing a new claim for the customer?

• Yes, continue with the new claim activity. Procedure ends here
• No:
• ensure customer has been advised if their rate may reduce and from when it will reduce. Note: if the customer has a low WLR or WAR which will affect their rate, ensure the customer is fully aware of the impact on their rate
• refer the customer to the international phone numbers for CIS on the Services Australia website to enable them to contact Services Australia from outside Australia
• continue running the Portability Script - Departures and Returns

Note: if the script is not working, return to the manual procedure.

• Age Pension customer going overseas
• Disability Support Pension (DSP) customer going overseas
• Carer Payment (CP) customer going overseas