Return to Australia procedures for service centre and Smart Centre staff for non-pension payments and cards 061-03050000

For pension customers (includes Age Pension, Disability Support Pension, Carer Payment and Parenting Payment Single), see Return to Australia procedures for service centre and Smart Centre staff for pension payments.

In most cases, customers do not need to advise Services Australia that they have returned from a temporary absence, but there are particular circumstances when customers should advise they have returned to Australia.

Is the customer advising the return to Australia of their dependent child/ren only? (the customer has not recently been outside Australia)

• Yes, see Return to Australia coding for dependent children. Procedure ends here
• No, run the Portability Script - Departures and Returns. If the customer did not initially advise of the departure, run the Portability Script for the departure and include the return details. If the script is:
• working, go to Step 2
• not working, record the return to Australia manually on the Customer Advised Travel Details (RSCD) screen, if not already coded. Note: this will not return the customer to Australia (unless the datalink is in contingency mode). That will only occur once the movement information has been confirmed by the Immigration Datalink. If the customer did not initially advise of the departure, also code the departure details. Go to Step 2

Has the customer already returned to Australia?

• Yes, go to Step 3
• No, if the script is:
• working, finalise the script. Procedure ends here.
• not working, record details of the future return to Australia in a DOC. Procedure ends here

Has the return been automatically recorded on the Immigration Advised Movements (RSIM) screen?

• Yes:
• If the customer was receiving Farm Household Assistance (FHA) immediately before departure, see Table 3 > Step 1
• For all other cases, go to Step 6
• No, go to Step 4

Request the Immigration Datalink on the RSIMME screen. This should provide the customer’s movement information.

• Ensure that the date in the Immigration Limiting Date (ILD) field is the date of departure (if available) or earlier. Consider if the ILD needs to be moved - once it is moved back, it cannot be moved forward to a more recent date
• To manually move the ILD:
• Go to the Immigration Enquiry (RSIM, or CHRSIM for a child) screen
• Code ‘Y’ in the Would you like to use all DIAC (Y/N)? field if all the immigration data needs to be used, or
• Code a new date in the ILD field to use immigration data from that particular date

Has the return date been recorded on the RSIM screen?

• Yes:
• If the customer was receiving Farm Household Allowance (FHA) immediately before departure, see Table 3 > Step 1
• For all other cases, go to Step 6
• No, go to Step 5

Refer the case to Centrelink International Services (CIS). See Referring inconsistencies in overseas departure and arrival information to Centrelink International Services (CIS).

If the customer left Australia (and/or returned) on a cruise, collect and include the following information in the referral to CIS:

• departure and return dates
• destination and itinerary

When CIS completes the request (either by phone or through actioning the referral), go to Step 6.

Go to the Address History (ADH) screen.

• check if there is a TEM address recorded for the overseas absence. Select the line and record the day before the date of return in the Address End date field on the Address Details (AD) screen
• if the customer has the overseas address recorded as a 'HOM' address and wants to change their address for example, to an Australian address a new address will need to be recorded
• key the Source and record the correct date in the DOR field

For FHA customers, see Table 3 > Step 1.

For all other customers, see Table 2 > Step 1.

Check the Country of Residence (CRES) screen. If the top entry is a country other than Australia, the customer is recorded as being a resident overseas.

Is the customer returning to live in Australia after residing overseas?

• Yes, update the CRES screen then go to Step 2
• No, go to Step 2

Non-automatic concession cards include Commonwealth Seniors Concession Card (CSHC), Low Income Health Care Card (LIC), Ex Carer Allowance Health Care Card (EHC) and Foster Child Health Care Card (FST).

A new concession card will need to be reclaimed if the customer has lost entitlement because they:

• left Australia to reside overseas, or
• have been absent for longer than their maximum portability period.

Does the customer want to reclaim a non-automatic concession card?

• Yes, advise the customer or their options for reclaiming the concession card. For help, see relevant procedure:
• Ex-Carer Allowance (child) Health Care Card (EHC)
• Foster Child Health Care Card (FST)
• Low Income Health Care Card (LIC)
• Verbal re-claim of a non-income tested Commonwealth Seniors Health Card (CSHC-NOI)
• Re-claim for a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card (CSHC)
• Go to Step 3
• No, go to Step 3

Check these customer details and update, if needed:

• bank account information
• phone details
• Accommodation (AC) screen to see if the customer is or was a homeowner before their departure. If they intended to go overseas for about 12 months or more, the AC screen would have had a VHP review coded. Once the customer has returned permanently to their home:
• update the AC screen to remove the OVE indicator from the Reason Home Vacated field
• delete any review to follow up homeownership on the FAL screen caused by coding OVE indicator if the customer has returned to Australia before that review coming due
• if the customer was receiving rental income from their home property, the income should be removed. Note: any income should have been recorded on the Real Estate Detail (RE) screen
• if the home was recorded as an asset because they had been absent for more than 12 months, the asset value should be removed from the RE screen
• Accommodation (AC) screen and check if the customer is paying rent, board or lodgings
• Office Code (OC) screen
• any other change in income or assets

If the customer usually works, check if they are resuming their work after return to Australia:

• Check the Reporting Regime Details (RPRD) screen for any previous ongoing reporting requirements
• Advise the customer of their reporting requirements

Note: the customer's first payment after returning to Australia will be issued automatically. If the customer has earnings within that period, they need to report the amount paid to avoid being overpaid

Does the customer have dependent children also recorded as being overseas?

• Yes, see Return to Australia coding for dependent children. Go to Step 4
• No, and the customer’s payment is:
• suspended or cancelled, go to Step 4
• current, go to Step 10

Check to see if the customer's payment can have continuation of payment on their return to Australia.

If the customer has remained outside Australia after their payment has stopped for exceeding their maximum portability period, their payment can generally be restored from the date of return to Australia if they have returned to Australia within 13 weeks of their payment suspending.

Special Benefit (SpB) customers should contact Services Australia on their return to Australia if their payment stopped while they were overseas and has not been automatically restored.

Pensioner Education Supplement (PES) cannot be restored once there is a gap in entitlement (even if the primary payment for example, JobSeeker Payment can be restored). If PES suspends (EFP/SUS) the customer will need to reclaim PES when they return to Australia, even if the suspension is less than 13 weeks. PES must be cancelled to allow the primary payment to be restored (if applicable).

See Cancellation of Pensioner Education Supplement (PES) and ABSTUDY PES.

Family Tax Benefit (FTB) and Double Orphan Pension (DOP) will generally be automatically restored on a customer's/child's return to Australia when that return is within 13 weeks of payment being cancelled for a portability reason. If the customer/child returns to Australia more than 13 weeks after their payments cancelled due to portability, then payment will need to be re-claimed. Note: if FTB cancels because of income support payments stopping and is eligible to be restored. FTB should be restored first.

For more information on restoration of these payments, see:

• Restoration of Family Tax Benefit (FTB), and
• Restoration of Double Orphan Pension (DOP)

Child Care Subsidy (CCS) will reassess on a customer's return to Australia. A child's absence from Australia does not affect CCS. However, if a child has 14 continuous weeks of non-attendance at child care, their enrolment automatically ceases and payment may be recovered from the customer. If a child has no entitlement for 52 consecutive weeks, CCS would cancel N52. The customer would need to lodge a new claim for any child where this occurs.

For information on eligibility, claiming and enrolments for CCS, see:

• Eligibility for Child Care Subsidy (CCS)
• Claiming Child Care Subsidy (CCS) and Additional Child Care Subsidy (ACCS)
• Enrolment requirements for Child Care Subsidy (CCS)

Check whether payment should:

• be restored and paid from date last paid
• be restored and paid from date the customer returned to Australia with a break in entitlement
• remain cancelled, or
• remain cancelled and a new claim requested

Some reasons for restoring payment without a claim include:

• payment was suspended or cancelled incorrectly for example: the customer was already back in Australia
• payment was suspended or cancelled waiting on more information, but on receipt of that information the customer was entitled to payment while outside Australia
• the customer was eligible for a discretionary extension for example, they were hospitalised for the period between cancellation and return to Australia. Note: this decision must be made by CIS
• the customer has regained qualification and/or payability within 13 weeks of the suspension. Note: generally, arrears may only be paid from the date of the customer's return to Australia
• payment will only continue from the date of entitlement which is usually the date of return to Australia

For more information, including links to restoration of different payments, see Restoration of payments (CLK).

A new claim will generally be needed if the customer returns to Australia:

• and their income support payment is cancelled
• and payment is FTB or DOP and the return to Australia is more than 13 weeks after the portability cancellation
• and payment is CCS and the return to Australia is more than 52 consecutive weeks since a child has had any entitlement to CCS
• after exceeding their portability period and their ongoing qualification is in doubt
• after loss of qualification or payability for payment for reasons other than exceeding their maximum portability period, for example:
• JobSeeker Payment (JSP) customer leaves Australia to live overseas then changes their mind and returns to Australia
• Carer Allowance (CA) customer leaves Australia under the respite provisions (without their care receiver) and CA is cancelled before the maximum portability period is reached because the allowable 63 days respite have been exceeded

An abridged claim may be used depending on the rules applicable to the relevant payment type.

Does the customer need to lodge a new claim for payment?

• Yes:
• encourage the customer to apply online:
• if payment cannot be claimed online, run First Contact Service Offer (FCSO). The customer will need to prove they are an Australian resident and that they intend to remain in Australia, especially if payment previously cancelled because they were not residing in Australia
• different processes apply for customers experiencing vulnerability. See Intent to claim and vulnerable customers. Procedure ends here
• No:
• if payment is suspended for a portability reason, go to Step 5
• if FTB or DOP payment is cancelled for a portability reason, go to Step 6
• if payment (excluding FTB or DOP) is cancelled for a portability reason and meets a reason for restoration without a new claim, go to Step 7

To restore Carer Payment and/or Carer Allowance, see Carer Restoration workflow for Carer Payment (CP) and/or Carer Allowance (CA). Procedure ends here.

For all other payments, on the Benefit Action (BA) screen:

• record the customer's payment type in the Service Reason field and 'RES' in the Action field
• if the customer has:
• a break in entitlement and payment is being restored from the date of return to Australia, record this date in the Effect Date field
• no break in entitlement, leave the Effect Date field blank and the date paid to plus one will default
• record the correct date in the DOR field

For more information, including links to restoration of different payments, see Restoration of payments (CLK).

Is the customer's payment restoring from the correct date?

• Yes:
• finalise the activity
• make sure arrears being issued are correct
• tell the customer when they can expect their first payment (likely to be different for CIS customers previously paid on Environment I) and check if a different payday is preferred. If so, see Changing Entitlement Period End Dates (EPED)
• record the restoration details in a Fast Note - select Auto text, use Generic > SUS/CAN/RES > Restore (Payment type) DOV
• go to Step 9
• No, go to Step 8

If the customer or child returned to Australia:

• within 13 weeks of cancellation, FTB and DOP payments should be automatically restored from date of return
• more than 13 weeks after cancellation, they will need to re-claim FTB and DOP. For family assistance payments, encourage the customer to complete an online claim

If the automatic restoration is unsuccessful, an activity with the following keywords will be left as started on the Activity List (AL) screen:

• for FTB, FTB6WK and FTBRES
• for DOP, DOP6WK and DOPRES

For FTB:

• select the same activity, restore FTB via the BA screen by coding the following fields:
• Service Reason ‘FTB’
• Action ‘RES’
• ensure the date of restoration is the date of return to Australia
• record the correct date in the DOR field
• take the activity to the Assessment Results (AR) screen, ensure the result is correct, including any arrears
• record details in a Fast Note - select Auto Text, use Families > SUS/CAN/RES > FTB Restore. Include:
• action taken
• advice given to the customer
• any changes in circumstances that have been recorded
• procedure ends here

If the date of cancellation is in a previous financial year, or for more information see Restoration of Family Tax Benefit (FTB).

For DOP:

DOP cannot be restored via the BA screen, so a new claim activity must be actioned as a manual workaround.

For restorations of DOP, see Restoration of Double Orphan Pension (DOP).

Payment may generally be restored from the date the customer returned to Australia if:

• the customer’s payment has cancelled for a portability related reason, and
• the customer has regained qualification/payability within 13 weeks of their payment ceasing

If Family Tax Benefit (FTB) cancels because of income support payments stopping, restore FTB first. This is essential where the customer is eligible for Rent Assistance.

To restore Carer Payment and/or Carer Allowance, see Carer Restoration workflow for Carer Payment (CP) and/or Carer Allowance (CA). Procedure ends here.

To restore all other payments, on the Benefit Action (BA) screen:

• select payment type in the Service Reason field and 'RES' in the Action field
• if the customer has:
• no break in entitlement, leave the Effect Date field blank and the date paid to paid plus one (DPT+ 1) will default
• a break in entitlement and payment is being restored from the date of return to Australia, record this date in the Effect Date field if possible. Some activities will automatically default to date paid to plus one (DPT+1) and unable to be changed.
• key the Source and record the correct date in the DOR field
• press Submit Change
• go to the Assessment Results (AR) screen and check results.

For more information, including links to restoration of different payments, see Restoration of payments (CLK).

Is the customer's payment restoring from the correct date?

• Yes:
• Finalise the activity
• Make sure arrears being issued are correct
• Tell the customer when they can expect their first payment (likely to be different for CIS customers previously paid on Environment I)
• Record the restoration details in a Fast Note - select Auto text, use Generic > SUS/CAN/RES > Restore (payment type) DOV
• Go to Step 9
• No, go to Step 8

If there appears to be no reason for the payment to remain suspended/cancelled seek technical assistance from:

• Local Peer Support (LPS)
• Technical Support Line

They may recommend that a support request be raised in mySupport, so that the relevant Service Desk can analyse the record to determine if the system is acting correctly.

If the customer has lost qualification:

• Run the FCSO or issue appropriate claim forms
• Different processes apply for customers experiencing vulnerability. See Intent to claim and vulnerable customers

Once payment is restored, check if the customer has a concession card.

Does the customer have a concession card?

• Yes, go to Step 9
• No, go to Step 10

A concession card will generally remain current for up to 6 weeks if a customer temporarily leaves Australia. If the concession card is attached to a payment and has not expired, a new card will not be automatically reissued.

If the customer has lost entitlement to their payment or card because they have been absent for more than their maximum portability period, but payment is re-granted when they return to Australia, any concession card associated with the payment will be automatically reinstated. A new HCC will not be issued unless it expired while the customer was overseas (if they need one before the replacement arrives, they should contact their nearest service centre for an interim voucher).

If the customer holds a non-income tested PCC, the card will automatically reissue if the customer returns to Australia within 13 weeks of cancellation. If the return is outside the 13 weeks of cancellation the card has to be reissued manually.

For help, see Non-income tested (NOI) concession cards.

The system issues concession cards automatically based on details recorded on the following:

• CRES screen
• Legal Residence Information (RSLEG) screen, and
• RSIM and RSCD screens (departure and country of location)

If the system is not issuing or reactivating the customer's card, check the:

• RSLEG screen is recorded with the customer's country of citizenship and visa details, and
• the CRES screen has the customer correctly recorded as residing in Australia

See Concession Entitlement Summary (MCCS) screen. If not coded correctly, obtain information directly via the Immigration Datalink. See Activating the Immigration Datalink.

Record all information regarding the return to Australia in a DOC.

Check the customer's circumstances. An appointment should occur if the customer:

• is due to have a review, or
• has been outside Australia for a reasonable amount of time

An appointment would not normally be needed before payment is restored if their circumstances have not significantly changed and:

• the overseas absence was short
• no review is due, and
• their Employment Pathway Plan (where applicable) is still in place

For help, see General reviews and Service Updates for job seekers, students, trainees or Australian Apprentices.

Is the customer subject to a Job Plan and needs to have it reviewed?

• Yes, an appointment is needed:
• book appointment for customer. Record details provided by the customer on a DOC. Procedure ends here
• check continuing qualification for primary payment, and reset mutual obligation requirements, reviews etc. as necessary. Note: if the customer has a partner who has also returned to Australia, this procedure will need to be done again to record the partner's return. Procedure ends here
• No, an appointment is not needed. Note: if the customer has a partner who has also returned to Australia, this procedure will need to be done again to record the partner's return. Procedure ends here

Where the customer’s return to Australia has been confirmed, this will trigger a reassessment of the customer’s rate of payment.

Does the customer have a payment determined Social Service Plan (SSP) on the record?

• Yes, go to Step 4
• No, go to Step 2

Is the customer’s payment showing as suspended or cancelled with reason code OVS - customer overseas?

• Yes, and:
• payment is suspended or cancelled for less than 13 weeks, see Suspending, cancelling and restoring Farm Household Allowance (FHA) to restore payment
• payment is cancelled for more than 13 weeks, customer must lodge a new claim
• No, go to Step 3

Where the customer’s return to Australia has not triggered an automatic reassessment, this will need to be completed manually.

See Change of circumstance for Farm Household Allowance (FHA) to action the reassessment SSP.

The SSP should show a zero rate period for the time the customer was outside Australia. The correct rate should apply from date of return to Australia.

Record the details on a DOC.

Procedure ends here.

The SSP should show a zero rate period for the time the customer was outside Australia. The correct rate will be applied from date of return to Australia.

If the SSP is not reflecting the correct outcome, select:

• Undo Decision Assessment
• Calculate Result

If the SSP is now showing the correct result, select Approve and then Save.

If the SSP is still showing the incorrect result, refer to Local Peer Support (LPS).

Record the details in a DOC on the record.