Carer Allowance (CA) customer going overseas 009-03100020

Note: If the carer is remaining in Australia this procedure does not apply. See Carer Allowance (CA) and Carer Payment (CP) interaction of portability and temporary cessation of care (respite) rules. Also refer to the procedure for the relevant payment if the care receiver receives a payment.

If the Portability Script - Departures and Returns is available, coding the absence from Australia should be done using the script.

The customer may contact after using the Travelling outside of Australia service within their Centrelink online account. If the online service has already coded the absence, details are recorded in a DOC. The online service may refer the customer to contact to:

• have their absence coded, or
• explore further portability for their situation

In either case the Service Officer is to run the script.

Is the script working?

• Yes, go to Coding departures and returns for customers leaving Australia. Procedure ends here.
• No, and the interview cannot be delayed, go to Step 2
• No, and the interview can be delayed
• Book an appointment to be completed by the customers local service centre
• Ensure customer contact details are correct
• Record details on a DOC
• Procedure ends here

Is the customer leaving Australia to live in another country (permanent absence)?

• Yes, go to Step 3
• No, go to Step 5

• Customer's payment must be cancelled from date of departure
• Explain the decision to the customer and if requested send a Pre Departure Interview - Portability Decision (XOB101) letter
• Record all details of the interview in a DOC including any overseas contact details
• Advise the customer if they ever decide to return to Australia they will need to reclaim payment
• Refer the customer to the international phone numbers for International Services (CIS) on the Services Australia Website if needed
• Determine if the customer has to contact when they have returned to Australia and discuss these prior to the customer's departure to correctly assess the customer's ongoing entitlements

Check if the customer has any further queries and, if not, the interview can be terminated.

• Record the change of address on Address Details (AD) screen if the customer has provided new address details. Note: it is not mandatory for the customer to provide an address outside Australia
• Record the overseas telephone number if available
• Update the Customer Advised Travel Details (RSCD) screen
• Update the Country of Residence (CRES) screen
• Go to the Assessment Results (AR) screen and check that payment will cease from the date of departure
• Finalise the activity. Do not suppress the auto advice. Procedure ends here

Check the Future Activity List (FAL) screen.

Are any reviews due before the expected date of return?

• Yes, the Service Officer should:
• Action and finalise if possible
• Defer until after the customer's return to Australia, or
• Advise customer they will need to reply to any requests for information that Services Australia may send while they are overseas
• Go to Step 6
• No, go to Step 6

Where only the carer is going overseas:

• and the child care receiver is remaining in the care of the carer's current partner, see Step 1 in Table 2
• and the child care receiver is not remaining in the care of the carer's current partner, see Step 2 in Table 2

Where only the care receiver is going overseas, see Carer Allowance (CA) and Carer Payment (CP) interaction of portability and temporary cessation of care (respite) rules. Also refer to the procedure for the relevant payment if the care receiver receives their own payment. Procedure ends here.

Where both the carer and care receiver are going overseas, see Step 3 in Table 2.

• In this situation, the carer will use portability provisions but not temporary cessation of care (respite) provisions and can have the full 6 weeks. The 'absence' does not need to be coded on Absences Details (ABSN) screen unless the carer is also in receipt of Carer Payment (CP). For assistance, see Carer Allowance (CA) and Carer Payment (CP) interaction of portability and temporary cessation of care (respite) rules
• Ensure to record all details on a DOC

Go to Step 4.

Temporary cessation of care (respite) provisions apply in this case. These provisions allow for a care receiver to be absent from care for up to 63 days per calendar year (this can be extended in some circumstances).

However, the customer must still be within the maximum portability period. See Carer Allowance (CA) and Carer Payment (CP) interaction of portability and temporary cessation of care (respite) rules.

The temporary cessation of care (respite) will need to be recorded on the carer's record.

For more information on how to code the temporary cessation of care, see Coding a one-off absence for Carer Allowance (CA)/Carer payment (CP) when the care receiver is absent.

Go to Step 4.

If the carer and the carer receiver (child or adult) are going overseas and remain together:

• the customer's CA payment is portable for a maximum portability period of up to 6 weeks for any reason (for example, a holiday, to visit relatives)
• any subsequent temporary absence is treated as a new event and is portable for a maximum portability period of up to 6 weeks
• if the customer is still overseas at the end of the maximum portability period, their payment will be suspended

However, if during the absence overseas the care receiver requires respite/hospital care the maximum portability period can include respite or hospitalisation provisions. This would need to be coded on the ABSN screen. CA will cease to be payable when the maximum portability period has been reached or their respite and/or hospitalisation days have been used, whichever occurs first. See Carer Allowance (CA) and Carer Payment (CP) interaction of portability and temporary cessation of care (respite) rules.

Note: while a child care receiver can remain in the care of the carer's partner and the absence is not a respite absence for CA, this rule does not apply if the care receiver is an adult. For adult care receivers, the respite absence must be recorded.

• Advise the customer of the portability decision
• Ask the customer for any contact address or phone number whilst overseas
• Ask the customer if they wish to nominate an agent to act on their behalf while they are overseas if so, record the details in a DOC
• Record all details of the decision on a DOC
• Advise the customer about the continuation of payment on their return to Australia
• Refer the customer to the international phone numbers for CIS for contact with Centrelink while overseas
• Check if the customer has any further queries and, if not, the interview can be terminated
• Issue the customer with a Pre Departure Interview - Portability Decision (XOB101) letter if requested
• Determine if the customer has to contact when they have returned to Australia and discuss this prior to the customer's departure

• Record the change of address on Address Details (AD) screen if the customer has provided new address details. Note: it is not mandatory for the customer to provide an address outside Australia
• Record the overseas telephone number if available
• Update any change in rent details or accommodation if recorded

Update the Customer Advised Travel Details (RSCD) screen

Is a child care receiver also going overseas?

• Yes, go to Step 3
• No, go to Step 5

• Go to the Child Selection (CHS) screen and select the child(ren) care receivers who are leaving Australia
• Key an 's' in line for the relevant child and key CHRSCD in Nxt: field. Press [Enter] to bring up the Customer Advised Child Travel (CHRSCD) screen

Does an error message appear 'I083AM - Child is a customer - please enter CRN in header'?

• Yes, go to Step 5
• No, go to Step 4

If the dates for the child are not already recorded, update the CHRSCD screen

If the child is leaving Australia to live in another country, update the Child Country of Residence (CHCRES) screen

Repeat this step for all child care receivers leaving Australia.

This step applies to any care receivers who are travelling outside Australia with the customer when they have their own customer record.

• Key the child's and/or adult care receiver's Customer Reference Number (CRN) in the CRN: field and press [Enter]
• Update the RSCD screen
• If the child and/or adult care receiver is leaving Australia to live in another country, update the Country of Residence (CRES) screen
• Finalise the activity (key 'y' in the Finished: field)
• Return to the customer's record (generally using 'FL' in Nxt: field)
• Repeat steps if required for any other child and/or adult care receivers also travelling outside Australia

Go to the Assessment Results (AR) screen and finalise the activity. Do not inhibit the advice. Note: the reassessment will not occur until the customer actually leaves Australia.