Hospitalisation provisions for Carer Payment (CP) and Carer Allowance (CA) 009-06010020

• Yes, and the rehabilitation facility:
• is a hospital, go to Step 2
• is not a hospital, see Temporary Cessation of Care (respite) provisions for Carer Payment (CP) and Carer Allowance (CA)
• No, go to Step 2

• Yes, go to Step 3
• No, go to Step 1 in Table 2

Is the child care receiver expected to be either returning to care at the appropriate residence on discharge or in hospital due to a terminal illness?

• Yes, go to Step 4
• No, this will be a permanent cessation of care. For a new claim, the claim is to be rejected. For current carers see:
• Care receiver permanently enters or temporarily/permanently leaves an institution and/or
• Cancellation and suspension of Carer Payment (CP) and/or Carer Allowance (CA)

Procedure ends here.

• Yes, go to Step 5
• No, this period would be counted as respite care under the respite care provisions for CP and CA

Procedure ends here.

There is no limit on hospitalisation absences for CP (child) and CA (child). Note: carers of hospitalised children will be reviewed every 84 days (12 weeks) of continuous hospitalisation. The carer must be advised to notify Centrelink within 14 days of the care receiver returning home or leaving hospital.

Has the carer’s CP and/or CA been cancelled due to respite absences and they are reclaiming for the same care receiver within the same calendar year?

• Yes, see Step 8 in Table 2
• No, go to Step 6

All absences are to be coded using the Temporary Cessation of Care workflow.

If the workflow is not available, manually code the Absences Details (ABSN) screen:

Code either a:

• one-off absence, or
• regular absence

Record details on a DOC in the carer's record.

Procedure ends here.

• Yes, and the rehabilitation facility:
• is a hospital, go to Step 2
• is not a hospital, see Temporary Cessation of Care (respite) provisions for Carer Payment (CP) and Carer Allowance (CA)
• No, go to Step 2

If the care receiver has a permanent condition and there is no discharge date, investigate if the care receiver is likely to return home. For example:

• the care receiver has a psychiatric condition
• they are in a psychiatric ward of a hospital
• this has been determined to be their principle home, and
• there is no discharge date

Then hospitalisation provisions do not apply. Note: for payments under section 954A, the Service Officer must be satisfied the carer will be providing at least 20 hours of personal care per week once the care receiver leaves hospital.

Is the care receiver expected to be either returning to care at the appropriate residence on discharge, or in hospital due to a terminal illness?

• Yes, go to Step 3
• No, this will be a permanent cessation of care
• if this is a new claim, the claim will be rejected
• for current carer’s, see Care receiver permanently enters or temporarily/permanently leaves an institution - and/or cancel CA as there are no institution rules for CA

Procedure ends here.

• Yes, go to Step 4
• No, this period would be counted as respite care under the respite care provisions for CP and CA.

Procedure ends here.

Has the carer’s CP and/or CA been cancelled due to respite absences and they are reclaiming for the same care receiver within the same calendar year?

• Yes, go to Step 8
• No, go to Step 5

Check the Absences Enquiry (ABCE) screen to see if the care receiver has utilised the hospitalisation provision for any period in the current calendar year.

Are the total periods of hospitalisation with carer participation less than 63 days in the current calendar year?

The system will automatically calculate the number of absences already taken. When calculating the absences only count whole days, that is, periods of 24 hours or more from 12am to 12am (midnight to midnight).

• Yes, go to Step 6
• No, go to Step 7

Periods of hospitalisation are less than 63 days in the current calendar year.

Tell the carer they must notify Centrelink within 14 days of the care receiver returning home or leaving hospital.

Code all absences using the Temporary Cessation of Care workflow.

If the workflow is not available, manually code the Absences Details (ABSN) screen.

Code either a:

• one-off absence, or
• regular absence

Record details on a DOC in the carer's record.

If the carer and care receiver are partnered and the length of hospitalisation is indefinite or unknown, they may qualify for the separated due to ill-health rate.

Procedure ends here.

The 63 hospitalisation days limit has been reached for an adult care receiver.

The carer may be able to access unused respite care days for the current calendar year.

Code all absences using the Temporary Cessation of Care workflow.

If the workflow is not available, manually code the Absences Details (ABSN) screen.

Code either a:

• one-off absence or
• regular absence

Record details on a DOC in the carer's record.

When 'HSP' is coded in the Reason field, the system will apply the correct rules to take care of the transition from Hospitalisation to Respite care at the expiry of 63 days when necessary. Note: hospitalisation absences are not to be coded as 'Respite'.

The system will automatically calculate number of absences already taken. CP and/or CA will auto cancel once the allowed hospitalisation or respite days have been reached.

Consider if the hospitalisation constitutes a special reason to extend the respite period. Temporary cessation of care (respite) for more than 63 days contains more information.

If the carer and care receiver are partnered and the length of hospitalisation is indefinite or unknown, they may qualify for the separated due to ill-health rate.

The following is an interim process that is subject to change.

Coding a hospital absence in the same calendar year following cancellation after respite balance was exceeded.

Unused hospitalisation absences can still be accessed. A total of 63 days hospitalisation per calendar year is able to be accessed without cancelling payment.

A system limitation will not allow any hospitalisation absences to be coded without cancelling payment. The following interim process must be followed:

• record any hospitalisation periods as a discretionary extension respite
• this process is contained in Temporary cessation of care (respite) for more than 63 days
• the interim process is to be documented with reference to this procedure