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Death of a carer (CLK) 009-03080000

This document outlines the process when the death of a carer is reported to Services Australia. This includes making decisions about qualifications for bereavement payment.

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Carer death notification

Carer death notification - in receipt of CP only

Coding the death of a carer in receipt of CP and/or CA

Carer death notification

Table 1

Step	Action
1	Death of carer notified When a person advises the death of a carer, the following action is to be undertaken: If the person providing the information is distressed, offer a private interview before proceeding Offer the services of a social worker The following cultural issues need to be respected and considered by Service Officers when being advised of the death of an Indigenous customer: In some cases, the name of the deceased person cannot be mentioned by immediate family members. This means immediate family members may have to ask other relatives/friends to call on their behalf or attend the interview with the notifier, because they cannot say the name of the deceased In this situation, it may also be offensive to the person for the Service Officer to say the name of the deceased person. Service Officers should sensitively ask the person if it is all right for them to use the deceased customer's name. If the person is not comfortable with this, avoid using the deceased customer's name wherever possible See Cultural Considerations when someone dies. Does the carer's record indicate that they were income managed, as shown by INM on the benefit status line? Yes, follow process to update record for death of an income managed customer, then return to this procedure and go to Step 2 No, go to Step 2
2	Confirmation of death Obtain as much information as possible during the initial contact to reduce the need for future contact with the deceased person's partner or family. The Notification of Death workflow in Process Direct will collect the required information, which includes: Information to confirm the death Information about the person notifying of the death, including the executor if known Can the person who advised of the carer's death provide enough information to confirm the death? Yes, go to Step 4 No, go to Step 3
3	Death cannot be confirmed at initial contact If death cannot be confirmed and the customer's whereabouts cannot be established: Go to Centrelink - Notification, confirming and recording a death Procedure ends here until the death has been confirmed When the death is confirmed, go to Step 4.
4	Check if deceased carer was receiving CA or CP Was the deceased carer receiving CA or CP? Yes: for CA only or CA and CP, go to Step 5 for CP only, go to Table 2 > Step1 No: but claim for CA and/or CP has been lodged and not yet processed, refer to Processing a claim lodged after the death of a customer carer was receiving another payment type (e.g. JobSeeker Payment (JSP)) and had not made a claim for CP and/or CA; see Centrelink - Notification, confirming and recording a death
5	Final payment of Carer Allowance (CA) CA is payable up to the date before the carer's death. Regardless of when notified, any payment of CA made from the date of death is a legally recoverable debt. See Finalised 'no debt' (FND) or 'zeroing' debts that are not legally recoverable. Note: the exception to this is where CA (auto) is paid for a care receiver child. CA is paid until CP ceases as part of the CP bereavement process. Was the deceased also in receipt of CP? Yes, go to Table 2 > Step 1 No, go to Table 3

Carer death notification - in receipt of CP only

Table 2

Step	Action
1	CP recipient Was the deceased person a member of a couple? Yes, go to Step 2 No, CP for the entitlement period in which the carer died is payable and credited to the account of the deceased. Go to Table 3
2	Was the deceased person's partner a pensioner for Lump Sum Bereavement Payment (LBP) purposes or a long-term social security recipient? The surviving member of a couple is entitled to an LBP if, at the time of death, each member of the couple was either a pensioner for LBP purposes or a long-term social security recipient. However, where the surviving partner is not in receipt of a pension or was not a long-term social security recipient, there is no entitlement to an LBP. Yes: Any bereavement payments owing to the partner will be paid depending on what payment they receive. See Death of an income support customer or their partner. Go to Table 3 The partner is in receipt of Parenting Payment see Death of a Parenting Payment customer, their partner or their child. Procedure ends here No, go to Step 3
3	Partner is not a pensioner for LBP or long-term social security recipient CP is payable for the entitlement period in which the carer died and is usually credited to the account of the deceased. The partner may be entitled to receive JobSeeker Payment (JSP) or Youth Allowance (YA) so that they can access Partner Bereavement Payment and other bereavement provisions. Go to Table 3.

Coding the death of a carer in receipt of CP and/or CA

Table 3

Step	Action
1	Outstanding transactions or activities Before processing a death action, all transactions or activities on the customer and/or partner's records must be completed. When using the Notification of death workflow in Process Direct, a message displays prompting there are outstanding transactions or activities on the customer and/or partner's record. To process outstanding activities see Table 3 in Centrelink - Notification, confirming and recording a death Have all started transactions and activities been completed? Yes, go to Step 3 No, go to Step 2
2	Unable to complete a transaction or activity Staff must process/action any outstanding activities they have the skills to complete. Are there is an outstanding transaction or activity that cannot be actioned? Yes, do not suspend or cancel the customer’s payments, to action: debt activities see Table 3 > Step 2 in Centrelink - Notification, confirming and recording a death Residential Care Assessment (RCA) new claims or activities, see Table 3 > Step 7 in Centrelink - Notification, confirming and recording a death outstanding Vacation of Home (VOH) reviews, see Table 3 > Step 8 in Centrelink - Notification, confirming and recording a death Home Equity Access Scheme (HEAS) Manual Follow-up (MFU), see Table 3 > Step 9 in Centrelink - Notification, confirming and recording a death outstanding new claim/non-new claim activities, see Table 3 > Step 13 in Centrelink - Notification, confirming and recording a death once all outstanding transactions/activities are completed, go to Step 3 No, go to Step 3 Note: request for an urgent QMA or QOL if the transaction or activity submits to QMA or QOL, so the death action can be finalised
3	Payments are suspended or cancelled If the customer and/or surviving partner are currently suspended or cancelled do not restore the payments. Is the deceased customer and/or surviving partner's payment suspended or cancelled for any reason? Yes Go to Payments suspended or cancelled before recording a death Procedure ends here No, go to Step 4
4	Recording the death Run the Notification of Death workflow in Process Direct to code the death action. See Centrelink - Notification, confirming and recording a death.