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Death of an adult care receiver and the effect on Carer Allowance (CA) 009-03090060

This document outlines provisions and payments available to carers receiving CA (adult) upon the death of the care receiver. The procedure also explains the action required by Service Officers.

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Adult care receiver death and Carer Allowance (CA)

Establishing shared care and issuing CA Bereavement Payment and Carer Supplement

Adult care receiver death and Carer Allowance (CA)

Table 1

Step	Action
1	Death of an adult care receiver notified When the death of an adult care receiver is notified: if the person providing the information is in a service centre and distressed, offer a private interview before proceeding offer the services of a social worker check if the care receiver had permanently entered an institution and had permanently left the care of their carer before their death
2	Confirmation of death Action must be taken immediately following notification of a 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, Can the informant supply enough information to confirm the death? Yes, go to Step 3 No: go to Centrelink - Notification, confirming and recording a death procedure ends here until death has been confirmed
3	Bereavement payment If the carer notifies of the death of the care receiver, tell them that a bereavement payment may be available for carers in receipt of CA. However, this depends on whether they are receiving an income support payment as well as CA. If someone other than the carer notifies of the death of the care receiver, do not provide specific information about the carer's possible entitlement to bereavement payment. Only provide general information, unless the informant has Permission to enquire for the carer. If the carer is in receipt of: CA only, the carer is not entitled to a Bereavement Payment both CA and CP (for the same or another care receiver), the carer is not entitled to a CA Bereavement Payment, but may be entitled to bereavement payment for CP depending on which care receiver passed away both CA and an income support payment (including Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA)) that qualifies for a bereavement payment, they are not entitled to a CA Bereavement Payment both CA and an income support payment (other than Carer Payment) that does not qualify them for a bereavement payment, they are entitled to CA up to the end of the bereavement rate continuation period and also may be entitled to a CA Bereavement Payment Shared care If the carer is entitled to CA Bereavement Payment and care of the care receiver was shared, each carer will receive a CA Bereavement Payment. This is based on the percentage of care they provided before the care receiver's death. If the care provided for CA was shared but only one carer is receiving CA on the day of the care receiver's death, and the carer receives 100% of the rate of CA payment, that CA carer will be paid the full rate (100%) of the CA Bereavement Payment. If the shared care provisions apply, the CA Bereavement Payment amount for each carer will be based on the CA rate they were receiving on the day before the date of death.
4	Checked for started activities Before processing a death notification, all transactions, or activities on the customer's records must be completed. When using the Notification of Death workflow in Process Direct, a message will display if there is an outstanding transaction or activity on the customer's record. To process outstanding activities, see Table 3 in Centrelink - Notification, confirming and recording a death. Staff must process/action any outstanding activities they have the skills to complete. Are there any outstanding transactions or activities 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 5 No, go to Step 5 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
5	Record the details of the death on the system Staff must make sure they are in the deceased customer's record before coding the death action. To record the death run the Notification of Death workflow in Process Direct go to Centrelink - Notification, confirming and recording a death.
6	Check the carer's record A death action on a care receiver’s record may take overnight to cancel the carer’s CA. To check if CA has cancelled, go to the carer's record in Customer First: select the deceased care receiver from the Care Receiver Summary (CRS) screen check the Care Receiver Assessment Results (CJAR) screen Do not manually cancel the carer’s payments, as this will prevent any bereavement payments from being issued. The following will show in the BEN/STS-RSN field once the ripple from the death action has completed: STS (Status), CAN RSN (Reason), DEA More action to take on carer's record Record details of the bereavement and cancellation on a DOC, including: name of the care receiver who died date of death if any bereavement entitlements or overpayments exist the decision to cancel CA date of effect relevant legislation Make note of the carer's CRN and check carer's record. Make sure the Q079 is actioned the next working day following cancellation Send a Q079 letter to the carer. Be mindful of the 3 options for the CARBRV letter: CA Bereavement Payment CA Bereavement Payment and Carer Supplement No CA Bereavement Payment Complete letter and send to the carer
7	Carer in receipt of CA and another ISP Is the carer in receipt of CA and an income support payment (other than Carer Payment) that does not qualify the carer for a bereavement payment? Yes, go to Step 8 No, go to Step 9
8	The carer is qualified for a CA Bereavement Payment There is no debt if Services Australia is notified of the death within the bereavement period and CA is not paid beyond the end of the bereavement period. If the Agency is notified of the death within the bereavement period and CA is paid beyond the end of the bereavement period, there is a debt for the CA received after the end of the period. If notified of the death of the care receiver: within the entitlement period in which they died; the system will stop payment of CA for that care receiver from the day before their Entitlement Period End Date (EPED) for the fortnight in which the death occurred. The carer will receive a lump sum CA Bereavement Payment equivalent to 7 instalments of their CA from the EPED paid as an immediate payment. Their CA entitlement for the final entitlement period will be paid on their normal payday within the bereavement period (that is, within 14 weeks after the EPED for the fortnight in which the care receiver died), the system will stop payment of CA for that care receiver from the day before their EPED. The carer will receive a lump sum CA Bereavement Payment amounting to the number of EPEDs left in the bereavement period. This is paid as an immediate payment. Their CA entitlement for the final entitlement period will be paid on their normal payday Note: if the carer is qualified for a CA Bereavement Payment but it is not automatically issued by the system, see Table 2 > Step 3. outside the bereavement period (that is, outside the period of 14 weeks that starts on the day the person dies), they will not be entitled to a CA Bereavement Payment and any CA payments made to the carer after the bereavement period will be overpaid Has notification of the care receiver's death occurred outside the bereavement period? Yes, an overpayment has been incurred: carer is not entitled to CA from the end of the bereavement period. See General debt raising information. Procedure ends here No, see Table 2 > Step 1
9	Carer is in receipt of CA only, or CA and CP, or CA and an income support payment that qualifies them for a bereavement payment The carer is not entitled to a CA Bereavement Payment. The system will auto-cease payment of CA for that care receiver. Note: this does not occur immediately. The date of effect of CA cancellation is auto calculated as date of death + 1 unless a respite absence (reason 'RSP') that includes the date of death is coded on the Temporary absence details (ABSN) screen in Process Direct or Temporary Cessation of Care Update (ABSN) screen in Customer First. If the absence reason 'RSP' is coded for a period that includes the date of death then the date of effect should be the date of death. If the carer provides care on the day the care receiver dies, the date of effect should be the day after the care receiver died. If the Agency is notified of the care receiver's death: within 28 days of the date of death and CA cancels within 28 days of the date of death, there is no debt within 28 days of the date of death and CA is paid for more than 28 days after the death of the care receiver, a debt is raised from the 29th day more than 28 days after the date of death, a debt is raised from the day after the date of death. If the TCC provisions applied on the date of death, a debt is raised from the date of death

Establishing shared care and issuing CA Bereavement Payment and Carer Supplement

Table 2

Step	Action
1	Check if care of the adult care receiver was shared Was the care of the adult care receiver shared? Yes, go to Step 2 No, go to Step 3
2	Shared care Each carer will receive a CA Bereavement Payment based on the percentage of care they provided before the care receiver's death. If the care provided for CA was shared but only one carer was receiving CA and the carer received 100% of the rate of CA payment on the day of the care receiver's death, then that CA carer will be paid the full rate (100%) of the CA Bereavement Payment. To determine the percentage of care for shared care cases: check the Care Details (CDCR) screen in the care receiver's record for shared care, and whether the other carer's Customer Reference Number (CRN) exists, and if the other carer is receiving CA If no other carer was receiving CA for the care receiver, the shared care percentage of care/days in care is ignored as per the regular CA payment and the full CA Bereavement Payment is paid. If the other care giver was also receiving CA for the deceased care receiver then a proportion of CA Bereavement Payment will be paid based on the percentage of care.
3	Entitlement to CA Bereavement Payment The death action on the care receiver's record should ripple to the carer's record and cancel CA from the end of the bereavement rate continuation period and calculate the applicable CA Bereavement Payment. The CA Bereavement Payment is calculated by multiplying: the rate at which CA was payable to the carer immediately before the adult care receiver died, by the number of EPEDs in the bereavement lump sum period To make sure the CA Bereavement Payment has been paid correctly, check the Carer One Off Payments Summary (COOPS) screen for a record of the CA Bereavement Payment ('BRV'). Note: the list of payments on the COOPS screen is in alphabetical order, so the BRV entry may appear on the second or subsequent pages. If the carer is also entitled to Carer Supplement for the bereavement period that includes 1 July, check the COOPS screen for a record of the Carer Supplement ('ACS'). Is there a record of the CA Bereavement Payment (and Carer Supplement where applicable) on the COOPS screen and have they been paid correctly? Yes, complete the Q079 letter activity which appears on the Activity List (AL) screen the next working day after cancellation. Go to Step 6 No, determine the amount of CA Bereavement Payment (and Carer Supplement where applicable) the carer is entitled to and manually issue payment. To manually issue: CA Bereavement Payment, go to Step 4 Carer Supplement, go to Step 5
4	Manually issue the CA Bereavement Payment Code the payment on the One Off Payments (OOP) screen: Process Direct: Go to the OOP screen Select Add Select the appropriate Service Reason In Payment type field, select BLS – Bereavement Lump Sum for the CA Bereavement Payment In Date of effect field, key date of care receiver's death, select Save Complete the Receipt Date and Channel fields, select Save Select Assess and address any errors/warnings Select Assess again and proceed to the Entitlements (ELD) screen Go back to the OOP screen Calculate the amount of CA Bereavement Payment, key this amount in the One Time Payment Amount field, select Update Select Finish. Record details of the update on the Finalise screen Select Finalise to complete the transaction Customer First: Date of Effect: field, key date of care receiver's death Payment Type field, code 'BLS' for the CA Bereavement Payment Go to the Assessment Results (AR) screen: key 'O' beside the line labelled 'CDA/BRV/OOP'. The OOP screen will show calculate the amount of CA Bereavement Payment, key this amount in the Amount$ field and press [Enter] Go to Step 6.
5	Manually issue the Carer Supplement Manually issue the Carer Supplement (for CA carers who receive the CA Bereavement Payment and the bereavement period includes the 1st July). Key the Carer Supplement on the One Off Payments (OOP) screen: Process Direct: Go to the OOP screen Select Add Select the appropriate Service Reason In Payment type: field, key ACSP for Carer Supplement (if applicable) In Date of effect: field, key date of care receiver's death Select Save Code Receipt Date: and Channel: fields, and Save Select Assess to go to the Entitlements (ELD) screen Go back to the OOP screen Key the appropriate amount of Carer Supplement (maximum amount is $600) in the One Time Payment Amount field, Update and Finish to finalise the update. Customer First: Date of Effect: field, key date of care receiver's death Payment Type field, key 'ACSP' for Carer Supplement (if applicable) Go to the Assessment Results (AR) screen. Key: 'O' beside the line labelled 'ASCP/OOP'. The OOP screen will show the appropriate amount of Carer Supplement (maximum amount is $600) in the Amount$ field and press [Enter]
6	Manually issue the CA adult bereavement Q079 letter Send a Q079 letter to the carer. In Customer First select the Q079 letter activity which appears on the AL screen and key 'LD' in the NEXT field. Select the service reasons Enter the care receiver's name, and Select the relevant option from the 4 available options for the CARBRV letter: CA Bereavement Payment CA Bereavement Payment and Carer Supplement No CA Bereavement Payment Select 13 weeks for the option to ask for a review Code FIN in the command field once all sections of the Q079 are complete. The letter will then issue Record the details of the bereavement on a DOC in the carer and care receiver's record and include: date of death name and contact details of the informant executor details (if known) if any bereavement entitlements or overpayments exist Note: make note of the carer's CRN and check the carer's record to make sure Q079 is actioned the next working day following cancellation.