Reporting overview 110-18120553

Is the customer receiving a payment that has mutual obligation requirements (regardless of any exemptions)? Check the Activity and Exemption Summary (AEX) screen in Process Direct to confirm.

This does not include ABSTUDY, Austudy or Youth Allowance (YA) students. For FHA customers, see FHA Reporting Requirements Assessing income for Farm Household Allowance (FHA).

• Yes, go to Step 2
• No, go to Step 3

Generally, the system will look at the customer's record to determine if they are eligible for variable reporting.

A customer can be put on variable reporting if they meet one or more of the following categories:

• granted with the Disability Support Pension (DSP) exemption
• participating in the Community Development Program Community Participation (RCP) activity
• participating in the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP)
• granted with the 'REF' (Refugee in first 13 weeks in Australia) exemption
• granted with the 'R6M' (Refugee first 6 months) exemption
• granted with the Temp Incap Serious Illness exemption

And:

• the customer is not indebted to the Commonwealth under the Act (except if the debt is a third party debt or the debt incurred through no fault of the job seeker, or the debt is another government department debt or any CDEP debts incurred before 20 September 1996). Check the General Information (OPGI) screen for each debt
• there are no outstanding compliance actions pending (check the Participation Compliance Hub (BIPCW) for an urgent issue)

Does the customer satisfy the variable reporting criteria?

Reporting requirements for customers who have current refugee exemptions (including REF and R6M exemption reasons) or with Absence Overseas (AOA) activity will not change. Job seekers with REF and R6M exemption reasons can still be placed on 12 weekly reporting cycle if the exemption period is 12 weeks or more

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

Does the customer or partner have employment income?

Note: to report employment income before departure or while overseas, see Recording and correcting employment income. To report income earned overseas, see Foreign income and assets.

• Yes, go to Step 4
• No, go to Step 6

The customer must report every two weeks in order to receive payment unless the only income that is paid meets a 1WE/2WE or MTE exception.

The customer can view their future reporting periods in their online account on the Next reporting periods page.

The customer may have to:

• Report using their online account or the Express Plus Centrelink mobile app
• Report using phone self service

If the customer fails to report they will not receive payment.

Genuine attempts must be made to transition customers to report via self service options before assisted reporting is completed, unless an Exception applies.

Exceptions to two weekly reporting

Customers in receipt of Disability Support Pension (Blind) or Age Pension (Blind) will be notification reporters unless they are claiming Rent Assistance. Partners of these customers, who are not exempt from the income and assets test, will be subject to normal reporting conditions and consideration should be given to placing them on two weekly reporting.

Procedure ends here.

Variable or 'Statement' reporters will continue to be paid every fortnight based on circumstances that are known. They must also submit a reporting statement at regularly determined intervals.

The customer must report changes to their:

• income, or
• circumstances

These changes might affect their payment on the EPED for the period that the change occurred.

If the customer fails to report by their due date, payment may be cancelled and/or a debt may be raised.

Procedure ends here.

The customer must report any changes to their income or any other circumstances within 14 days.

The customer will continue to be paid every fortnight based on the circumstances that are known.

If the customer fails to report a change in income within 14 days, they may be overpaid and a debt may be raised.

Customers can advise any changes to their circumstances:

• using self service options
• in person at their local service centre, visiting Service Officer service or community agent
• in writing by letter or fax
• by telephone through Smart Centre, including TTY and multi-lingual services

Notification customers with continuous employment income can advise of changes using self service options. Customers can:

• notify of changes from the start date of their current entitlement period (EPED + 1), or
• for a change which will occur up to 30 days in the future

Service Officers will only need to action these changes where they are unable to auto complete due to:

• DSP customer recording hours in excess of 30 hours per week
• Carer payment customers recording 'hours of care not met exceeds 25 hours per week'
• Care provided varies from week to week

Youth Allowance and Austudy students

If they are currently a notification reporter, they can use self service options to advise of changes, including:

• the date they or their partner began work, and
• their employers details

When a customer fails to report within 14 days from their report due date, their payment will automatically cancel FRP. Where this automatic cancellation fails to occur, a MFU activity will be created and allocated to Service Officers via Workload Manager (WLM) as a ZIAM_REA_FAILCAN work item.

Review the record to determine the most appropriate outcome and complete the MFU:

• Select the earliest started REA activity from the AL screen
• Navigate to the Activity History Details (HAY) screen
• Check for any system errors under Notes (there may be multiple pages)
• If an error is displayed, take corrective action of the error as required
• Go to the Assessment Results (AR) screen, check that the outcome is correct
• Finalise the REA activity
• Cancel any duplicate REA activities on the customer's record with the same keywords
• DOC the record, see Getting it Right (GIR) Minimum Standards