New Zealand Agreement debt recovery - action for International Services (CIS) 107-05080080

For details about:

• new requests for recovery action, go to Step 2
• actioning reviews of previous requests, go to Step 4
• actioning responses from New Zealand, go to Step 5
• customer contacts, go to Step 9

See the Resources page for an attachment with Resources for NZ debt recovery.

A work item is sent to CIS with the appropriate WLM skill tag. For information on WLM see Workload Management in Customer First. Select each record to check the referral.

To be able to be recovered, the customer must have been paid into a New Zealand's Special Banking Option (SBO) account for the entire period of the debt.

Was the debt paid into SBO for the entire period?

• Yes:
• use Fast Note - select Auto text, use Centrelink International Services > Debt > SBO REC
• complete all details requested
• No, investigate the undetermined debt. See Actioning an undetermined debt on the Debt Management and Information System (DMIS). Procedure ends here

If the debt is not put on hold, recovery may automatically commence. This is inappropriate for a customer who is paid into SBO and so the debt must be put ‘on hold’ until NZ have the opportunity to review the recovery request and respond:

• go to the Overpayments List (OPDL) screen
• 'S'elect the relevant debt and press [Enter]
• navigate to the Debt Amount (OPWOA) screen
• in the following fields:
• Reason, key ‘ORA’
• End Date, key today’s date + 12 months
• Comments, key ‘Temp write-off to enable recovery via SBO’
• press [Enter]
• on the Assessment Finalisation (OPAF) screen:
• Finished?, key ‘Y’
• press [Enter]

The Resources page contains additional information that will assist in this step.

Recovery is triggered by a liaison being sent to New Zealand:

• access the NZ electronic liaison system
• create and complete a 'Generic Liaison' form indicating:
• Request for refund from SBO
• Australian Benefit Type
• Debt ID number
• Debt Amount Period of Debt, and
• Reason for Debt
• send to the relevant New Zealand router
• document the liaison request, see Agreement liaisons, NZ CICs and exchange of information

Procedure ends here

New Zealand will confirm if recovery action is possible:

• access the electronic liaison system
• check for responses to previous request for recovery

Has a response from New Zealand been received?

• Yes, go to Step 6
• No, contact New Zealand to resolve:
• if a response is received, go to Step 6
• if a further period is required, finalise the previous liaison and record a new liaison. Procedure ends here

See the Resources page for an attachment with Resources for NZ debt recovery.

Check the liaison response from New Zealand.

Has New Zealand confirmed that they will commence recovery of the Australian debt?

• Yes, go to Step 7
• No, create an open work item. Use Fast Note - select Auto text, use Centrelink International Services > Debt > Intl – External Debt Referral:
• include an indication of when recovery may be possible in the future as well as completing all information the Fast Note template requires. Do not complete the Fast Note
• finalise the previous liaison, see Agreement liaisons, NZ CICs and exchange of information. Procedure ends here

See the Resources page for an attachment with Resources for NZ debt recovery.

Annotate the original request DOC to indicate NZ will be refunding the requested monies

Finalise the previous liaison, see Agreement liaisons, NZ CICs and exchange of information. Procedure ends here.

SBO debts are recovered by a lump amount sent from the New Zealand authorities (MSD). MSD then recover that money from the customer using their domestic process. While the cause of the original debt to the Commonwealth is known, Services Australia has no control over how New Zealand recoup their money from the customer.

If a customer contacts in about:

• why the recovery is occurring, explain to the customer that recovery is authorised under the Agreement with New Zealand
• why the Australian debt exists, refer the customer to the office that originally referred the debt
• request for reduced withholdings for their NZ payment, refer the customer to the New Zealand authorities, see New Zealand Agreement and foreign pension information
• repaying the debt by cash payment, refer the customer to the New Zealand authorities, see New Zealand Agreement and foreign pension information

For details about:

• new requests for recovery action, go to Step 2
• customer contacts, go to Step 6

See the Resources page for an attachment with Resources for NZ debt recovery.

See Resources for the supporting information that will be required throughout this procedure.

Requests for recovery of a debt from New Zealand are sent to CIS via secure electronic liaison:

• access the NZ electronic liaison system
• ppen the 'NZ Debt Certificate' liaison

To be able to be recovered, the debt must be:

• for a New Zealand social security payment, and
• more than AUD$400, and
• first found to be owing within the last 5 years

Does the debt meet the agreed terms and conditions for recovery?

• Yes, go to Step 3
• No, reply to the liaison indicating that the debt does not meet the terms and conditions for recovery. Record and finalise the liaison. Procedure ends here

Use the details provided in the liaison to search for a record, see Searching for a customer on the system.

Is a customer record found?

• Yes, go to Step 4
• No, reply to the liaison indicating that no customer record was found. Record and finalise the liaison. Procedure ends here

To be recoverable, the customer must be currently in receipt of an income support payment from Australia (not family assistance) with no Australian debt or advance payment being recovered. Go to the following screens:

• OPDL and check the outstanding CRN balance. If there is an outstanding balance, debt recovery for New Zealand cannot proceed
• AVCS (Customer Record) or run the Manage Advances process in Process Direct. If the customer has an advance that has not been fully recovered, debt recovery for New Zealand cannot proceed

Is the New Zealand debt recoverable?

• Yes, go to Step 5
• No, reply to the liaison indicating that debt recovery is not possible. Include last known contact details, including address, telephone and email. Record and finalise the liaison. Procedure ends here

A new debt must be added to the customer record.

See Step 3 in the Manually creating a new debt record on the DMIS table of Create a new debt record manually on the Debt Management and Information System (DMIS). In the following fields:

• Benefit Type, key as advised in the liaison form, e.g. ‘UBZ’. Use field help if unsure
• Reason, key 'NZL'
• Date of Event, key the DOR of the liaison
• Start Date, key the debt start date according to the liaison
• End Date, key the debt end date according to the liaison
• Calculated amount $, key the amount according to the liaison
• Addtnl Reference No, key the customer’s SWN
• NZ Office, key as advised in the liaison form

Reply to the liaison indicating that debt recovery will commence. Include updated contact details, including address, telephone and email.

Procedure ends here.

If a customer contacts in relation to:

• why the recovery is occurring, explain to the customer that recovery is authorised under the Agreement with New Zealand
• why the New Zealand debt exists, refer the customer to the New Zealand authorities, see New Zealand Agreement information
• a request for reduced withholdings, ask the customer how much they wish to repay each fortnight. A minimum of AUD$20 per fortnight may be accepted without need for further investigation or evidence. Apply the non-standard withholding, see Step 1 in the Negotiation, coding and recording table of Procedures for arranging withholdings to recover debts
• repaying the debt by cash payment, see Arranging cash repayments to recover debts