Qualification Interventions 110-13050000

Qualification Interventions are triggered by a number of sources, including:

• internal data matching and profiling of data held by Centrelink
• external data matching with third parties such as the Department of Social Services (DSS), state and territory Registrar-General's Offices (RGO), state and territory Departments of Corrective Services and the Department of Home Affairs (DoHA)
• information received from the public via the Centrelink reporting fraud online form or the Australian Government Services Fraud Tip-off line

The main objectives of the interventions are to:

• Create early, effective and high quality engagement with customers
• Identify customers who may be receiving or may have received incorrect payments
• Verify the accuracy of details declared to Centrelink
• Educate customers receiving Centrelink payments about their Centrelink reporting obligations to stop and/or minimise customers incurring debts
• Improve the integrity of Centrelink records

This will be done by:

• giving an education message to customers about their reporting obligations and notification requirements
• seeking information to update customer records
• assessing customer's entitlement
• explaining outcomes to customer's regarding their entitlements which may also include any overpayment (debt) that may have been incurred

Where an incorrect payment is identified, action may be taken to cancel, suspend or vary a customer's payment and recover any overpayment, the outcome may result in the following:

• stop payments or concession cards to people who are no longer qualified
• reduce or increase payments to the correct rate
• raise a debt for any past payments that were received when not entitled
• provide assistance to people who may be entitled to another type of allowance/pension/payment

Carer Consolidated interventions are triggered by information from internal risk profiling, data matching and public denunciations.

The aim of these interventions is to:

• create early, effective and high quality engagement with customers
• educate customers receiving Carer Payment (CP)/Carer Allowance (CA) about their:
• eligibility requirements to receive these payments
• entitlements to respite days during a calendar year
• Centrelink reporting obligations to stop and/or minimise incurring debts
• raise and recovery any overpayments which may have been received that the customer was not entitled to if necessary

PRC interventions are triggered by information received daily from the Department of Social Services (DSS).

The aim of these interventions is to:

• create early, effective and high quality engagement with customers
• educate customers receiving Carer Payment (CP) and/or Carer Allowance (CA) about their:
• entitlement to these payments when either themselves or the person they are caring for enters a Commonwealth accredited residential care facility on a permanent basis
• entitlements to respite days during a calendar year
• their Centrelink reporting and notification obligations to stop and/or minimise incurring debts
• raise and recovery any overpayments which may have been received that the customer was not entitled to if necessary

RGO interventions are triggered by information received from State and Territory Births, Deaths and Marriages registries.

The aim of these interventions is to stop payment(s) and if necessary, raise and recover any overpayments which may have been received after death as soon as practicable after reporting of the death from the relevant State or Territory RGO.

COR interventions are triggered by information received from state and territory Departments of Corrective Services.

The aim of these interventions is to:

• ensure that customers are not incorrectly paid income support while incarcerated
• advise customers about their Centrelink reporting and notification obligations to stop and/or minimise incurring debts
• raise and recovery any overpayments which may have been received that the customer was not entitled to if necessary

Department of Home Affairs interventions are triggered by information received from the Department of Home Affairs.

The aim of these interventions is to:

• create early, effective and high quality engagement with customers in receipt of Carer Payment (CP) and/or Carer Allowance (CA)
• educate customers about their:
• eligibility to CP and/or CA when the carer or care receiver travels overseas without their qualifying carer or care receiver
• Entitlements to respite days during a calendar year
• Centrelink reporting and notification obligations to stop and/or minimise incurring debts
• raise and recovery any overpayments which may have been received that the customer was not entitled to if necessary

CSHC interventions are triggered using information received from the Australian Taxation Office.

The aim of these interventions is to:

• create early, effective and high quality engagement with CSHC customers
• educate CSHC customers about:
• the eligibility criteria in regards to their income and the effect this has on their entitlements to a CSHC
• their Centrelink reporting and notification obligations to stop and/or minimise incurring debts
• raise and recovery any overpayments which may have been received that the customer was not entitled to if necessary

POL interventions identifies customers living overseas based on the length of time since they have contacted or made updates to their details.

The aim of the intervention is to:

• create early, effective and high quality engagement with Centrelink customers, 80 years and above, who maybe receiving incorrect payments because changes in their circumstances have not been advised whilst they are residing permanently overseas and to raise overpayments if necessary
• educate customers about their Centrelink reporting and notification obligations to stop and/or minimise incurring debts
• raise and recovery any overpayments which may have been received that the customer was not entitled to if necessary

All Payment Assurance Operations Division data matching is conducted in accordance with the Guidelines on Data Matching in Australian Government Administration issued by the Office of Australian Information Commissioner. See the References page for the relevant links.