Investigating the source and cause of the debt 107-02020020

Locate the work item in Workload Management in Customer First.

Go to the Document List (DL) screen. Locate any DOC related to the undetermined debt:

• Find the DOC titled Debt Investigation (if available). The information:
• may help as a starting point
• is an estimate at a point in time
• Consider other factors that may impact the debt outcome, for example:
• the presence of limiting dates
• other waived or determined debts on the Debt List (OPDL) screen where any date overlaps the undetermined debt
• manual and automatic adjustments, etc.
• Follow Business As Usual (BAU) debt investigation and raising processes
• See Using the correct date of effect when raising debts 107-03010010

'V'iew the activity. The Debt Source Activity ID (AMR) will display in the notes field. For example: Debt Source Activity ID (AMR): 4### - see HAL/ES screen for details

Note: in this example, Activity ID 4### was responsible for creating the debt.

Search for the Debt Source Activity ID (AMR):

Process Direct

• Check the Activity ID column on the Activity history list (ES, HAL or HAY) screen to find the corresponding Activity ID number

Customer First

• Check the Acty column (on the ES screen) or the Activity ID column on the Activity history list (HAL) screen to find the corresponding Activity ID number

This search provides:

• The date the activity that created the potential debt was processed
• A brief description of the type of activity completed
• The logon ID of the responsible officer
• The region that created the debt

Note: if the Activity ID (AMR) is not shown on the (ES, HAL or HAY) screen in Process Direct nor the ES or HAL screen in Customer First, the activity may have been archived, see:

• Archiving and Culling Engine (ACE)
• Using the Customer Archive Retrieval (CAR) system and microfiche requests for archived information

When the details are located in ACE or CAR, go to Step 5.

Process Direct

From the (ES, HAL or HAY) screen:

• Select View details beside the Activity to be viewed
• The Historic Activity Details (HAY) screen will display. This shows detailed information about an individual activity

Customer First

• From the ES screen, the following screens will be displayed:
• Assessment Results (AR) screen, and
• Event Circumstance Selection (ECS) screen. Code 'Y' in the View All Screens: field and press [Enter] to show all of the relevant coding which led to the potential debt
• The ES screen will be redisplayed at the end of this screen flow
• From the HAL screen, the Activity History Details (HAY) screen will display details of what created the potential debt. View the notes towards the bottom part of the page. These notes will usually show what may have caused the potential debt
• From the ACE, an online summary of activities and DOCs will show details of why the potential debt was created. Activities can be sent back to the HAL screen in ISIS
• From the CAR system, the information will show details of what created the potential debt. View the notes line, which will usually give an idea of what caused the potential debt

Return to the Activity List (AL) screen and select the debt activity. This will provide further information about the amount and period of the potential debt.

Is corrective action required on the customer’s record before the debt can be determined?

• Yes, see Table 2
• No, the debt can be determined. Go to Step 7

Calculate the debt, see Calculating Centrelink entitlements and gathering information when investigating debts and Decide the method of recovery. Procedure ends here.

When earnings coded are incorrect, corrections must be made before any debt is determined.

Are debt staff able to correct the record?

• Yes:
• Correct any incorrect lines on the Employment Income Summary (EANS) screen, and
• Reassess the record
• See Recording and correcting employment income details and/or Historical recording and correcting employment income details (prior to 07/12/2020)
• No:
• Refer for corrective action. Use Fast Note, select Auto text, use Debts > Updates > Corrective action required. Staff must ensure details of the corrective action required is included in the Fast Note. See Creating reviewing and deleting documents (including Fast Notes and DOA DOCs)
• Procedure ends here until the correction is made

A file assessment of the record may indicate that the FTO notification is incorrect.

Debt staff must attempt to verify the customer’s employment status and income details. When investigating a debt, see Calculating Centrelink entitlements and gathering information when investigating debts.

If the employment status cannot be verified:

• Finalised 'no debt' (FND) the debt shell
• Send a notification to the Workforce Australia Employment Services Provider. See Workforce Australia/Community Development Programme (CDP) registration inactivated and cancellation of income support in error
• The Workforce Australia Employment Services Provider will notify the agency if further action is required

Is the employment status and cancellation correct?

• Yes, raise the debt
• No:
• FND the debt shell
• Refer for corrective action. Staff must ensure details of the corrective action required is included in the Fast Note. That is, restoration if appropriate, correction to income coded up to most recent Entitlement Period End Date (EPED) and correction to the Customer Employment Status (EAES) screen
• Use Fast Note, select Auto text, use Debts > Updates > Corrective action required
• Procedure ends here until the correction is made

A customer's payment will automatically cancel from the Entitlement Period Start Date (EPSD) where no ongoing income has been recorded. See:

• Employment Status (EAES) screen
• Commencing or returning to work for JobSeeker Payment (JSP), Youth Allowance (job seeker), Widow Allowance (WA) and Partner Allowance (PA)

Services Australia (the agency) may not be advised that the customer has full-time employment (FTE) within the notification period. If the agency is unaware of the FTE at the time the customer reports, they may receive payment incorrectly.

If the agency is notified of the customer's FTE outside their notification period, the following must be considered:

Qualification

If the customer’s income remains unknown, reassess any entitlement from the first day of the fortnight (EPSD) the customer loses qualification.

Payability

If the customer provides income in respect of their full-time employment:

• reassess the overpayment from the EPSD of the period in which the date of event occurred
• the customer may retain some entitlement for part of the payment fortnight, up to the date of event where a cancellation would apply

Full-time employed with Working Credit

A full-time employed customer can maintain their qualification if they:

• maintain their reporting requirements with the agency, and
• have not depleted their working credits

When coding on the record is incorrect, corrections must be made before the accuracy of the debt can be determined.

Staff with the necessary skills to action the updates/corrections, should complete the required actions in line with the relevant Operational Blueprint procedure(s).

Where the corrective action is not appropriate for the Debt staff to undertake, refer the activity to the relevant team using Fast Note if updates/corrections must be made to:

• income and assets. Use Fast Note - select Auto text, use Debts > Updates > Update to Income and Assets required
• relationship status. Use Fast Note - select Auto text, use Debts > Updates > Update to Relationship status required
• contact details. Use Fast Note - select Auto text, use Debts > Updates > Update to Contact details required

Staff must ensure details of the corrective action required is included in the Fast Note. See Creating, reviewing and deleting documents (including Fast Notes and DOA DOCs).

Place the debt activity on hold. See Workload Management (WLM) updates for Payment Assurance Operations Division - Compliance and Debt staff.

Procedure ends here until the correction is made.