Parenting Payment (PP) automatic letters 007-04040010

The text on the back of automatic letters to these customers includes the following:

When to contact us

You must tell us about events or changes in circumstances affecting your payment within the 14 day period which starts on the day after the day on which they happen or are likely to happen. You can tell us by writing to us, by phoning or you can come in and talk to us at any service centre.

This is an information notice given under the Social Security Law. You must tell us if any of these things happen or are likely to happen:

• you separate from your partner
• you change partners
• your partner or any of your dependent children die
• you or any of your dependent children leave Australia (tell us as soon as you know you or your children are going)
• the Government tells you that you or any of your dependants can no longer stay in Australia
• you start to share the care of any of your children with another person (other than your partner)
• you already share the care of a child with another person (other than your partner) and the time the child lives with you decreases
• you no longer have any children or students who are considered dependent
• you are charged with committing an offence and are confined in a psychiatric institution
• you are imprisoned
• you or your partner make an investment, or withdraw, transfer or sell part, or all, of an investment or your investment matures (investments include insurance bonds, friendly society investments, deferred annuities, approved deposit funds, superannuation funds, public unit trusts, shares, stocks, bonds, debentures and deposits with banks, building societies, credit unions or other financial institutions)
• you or your partner receive payments or allowances from any government department or agency other than Services Australia
• if you are involved in, or receive a benefit from, a private trust or private company
• if the nature of your involvement in, or the benefit you derive, from a private trust or private company changes
• you or your partner start work or recommence work, change jobs, or start any form of business or self-employment
• you or your partner receive, or become entitled to receive, unused leave payments because you have ceased employment
• you or your partner receive income from self-employment or a business
• you or your partner lend money to someone (other than to each other)
• your total personal income goes over ${the applicable income limit} a fortnight
• your partner's total personal income goes over ${the fortnightly partner free area} a fortnight
• your Australian residence status changes
• your or your partner's income from self-employment or a business increases
• your and your partner's combined assets goes over ${applicable limit for homeowner} (if you or your partner is a homeowner) or ${applicable limit for non-homeowners} (if neither you nor your partner is a home owner)
• you or your partner receive a lump sum amount of money or one-off payment from any source

About income

Income includes money you receive or will receive when you (or your partner):

• start work or recommence work, change jobs, or start any form of business or self-employment
• rent out or sell any property
• receive board and lodgings (other than from immediate family members)
• acquire a life interest in an estate
• receive regular payments of superannuation
• receive income from overseas
• receive income from Family Day Care or baby sitting
• receive income from sales work (e.g. party-plan or catalogue sales)
• receive a lump sum of money or one-off payment from any source

Compensation

• You must tell us within seven days if you or your partner become aware that you will receive or have received compensation

Income Maintenance Period

• Unused leave payments, such as annual leave, long service leave or maternity leave, paid out when a person ceases work, are counted as income. The leave payment is spread over the number of days for which it is paid

You should also tell us if:

• you change your address (if your mail is returned to us because you are not at your address, your payments may be stopped or delayed)
• you close the account your payments are sent to
• your or your partner's income goes down (this may mean you will get more Parenting Payment)
• you must tell us if you no longer have a telephone connection in your name (Note: this obligation is only included if the customer is receiving Telephone Allowance)

Dependants

A child under 16 years may be a dependant where she or he is in your care and, if not a full time student, has income (excluding maintenance) of less than or equal to {dependent child income limit} a week.

• A child under 16 is not a dependant where she or he is in receipt of a social security pension or benefit
• If it is necessary in the future for us to review the dependency of any of your children, we will send one form to the person who is getting Parenting Payment and have both parents sign it. This will be more convenient for you and us

The text on the back of automatic letters to these customers is the same as for customers with a partner receiving a pension or no income support except for the following extra text:

When to contact us

If your partner has to give a form to Services Australia on a regular basis, you can tell us about any changes on that form. This means that you and your partner do not have to tell us more than once.

If you are going to use your partner's form, you should make sure that it will be given to us on time - the due date is shown on the form. If you think there is a chance that your partner will not give us the form on its due date (e.g. your partner is away interstate looking for work), you should tell us about the changes yourself. You can tell us by writing to us, by phoning or you can come in and talk to us at any service centre.

The text on the back of automatic letters to these customers is the same as for a Parenting Payment (PP) customer with a partner receiving JobSeeker Payment (JSP) except that they are not obliged to advise their partner's income details and this extra text is included:

You must tell us if any of these things happen or are likely to happen:

• you and your partner marry
• your partner leaves a training course before it ends or is absent for any period
• your partner enrols at a school, college, university or other educational institution

The text on the back of automatic letters to these customers includes the following text:

What you must tell us

You must tell us within 14 days (28 days if residing outside Australia) if any of these things happen, or may happen. If you get a Reporting Statement, report your earnings or changes in circumstances on your reporting day. You can tell us by writing to us, by phoning or you can come in and talk to us at any service centre.

This is an information notice given under the Social Security Law.

You must tell us if any of these things happen or are likely to happen:

• you marry or commence a registered or de facto relationship
• reconcile with a former partner
• start living with someone as their partner
• you or any of your dependent children leave Australia (tell us as soon as you know you or your children are going)
• the Government tells you that you or any of your dependent children can no longer stay in Australia
• any of your dependent children stop living with you, or are no longer in your care, or are no longer dependent on you (you must tell us even if the change is only temporary)
• you start to share the care of any of your dependent children with another person (other than your partner)
• you already share the care of a child with another person (other than your partner) and the time the child lives with you decreases
• you are charged with committing an offence and are confined in a psychiatric institution
• you are imprisoned
• if your Australian residence status changes
• you must tell us within 28 days if any of your dependent children die

Going outside Australia

If you plan to travel outside Australia, you must let us know within 14 days of making the decision to go. Please check with us to make sure of your entitlements during your absence. You may not be entitled to your pension or some of the additional payments for the period you are away. If you do not advise Services Australia of your departure, your payment may be stopped while you are overseas.

Changes to income and assets

• you make an investment, or withdraw, transfer or sell part, or all, of an investment or your investment matures (investments include insurance bonds, friendly society investments, deferred annuities, approved deposit funds, superannuation funds, public unit trusts, shares, stocks, bonds, debentures and deposits with banks, building societies, credit unions or other financial institutions)
• you receive payments or allowances from any government department or agency other than Services Australia
• if you are involved in, or receive a benefit from, a private trust or private company
• if the nature of your involvement in, or the benefit you derive from, a private trust or private company changes
• you start work or recommence work, change jobs, or start any form of business or self-employment
• you receive, or become entitled to receive, unused leave payments because you have ceased employment
• you lend money to someone
• your income, not including financial investments or maintenance, increases
• your financial investments are more than ${amount recorded plus $1,000} (this is $1,000 more than the value of financial investments we have recorded for you)
• If your assets other than financial investments are more than $(amount recorded)
• If your assets change substantially

Income includes money you receive or will receive when you:

• start work or recommence work, change jobs, or start any form of business or self-employment
• receive compensation
• rent out or sell any property
• receive board and lodgings (other than from immediate family members)
• acquire a life interest in an estate
• receive regular payments of superannuation
• receive income from overseas
• receive income from Family Day Care or baby sitting
• receive income from sales work (for example, party-plan or catalogue sales)

Income Maintenance Period

• Unused leave payments, such as annual leave, long service leave or maternity leave, paid out when a person ceases work, are counted as income. The leave payment is spread over the number of days for which it is paid - this is known as the Income Maintenance Period (IMP)

You should also tell us:

• if you change your address (if your mail is returned to us because you are not at your address, your payments may be stopped or delayed)
• if you close the account your payments are sent to
• if your income goes down (this may mean you will get more Parenting Payment)
• if you have a telephone and the telephone connection is no longer in your name

Note: this obligation is only included if the customer is receiving Telephone Allowance.

You must report your employment income, participation details and any change of circumstances as required to make sure you get paid. You can do this by self service (online or phone), in person or in writing.

You must enter into and comply with your Job Plan.

You must tell us if your family circumstances change impacting on your ability to seek paid work.

You must make yourself aware of the child care options available in your area should you be offered a job and require care for your child/ren.

If you do not agree with a decision we have made

• Contact us so we can check the details and explain the decision
• Contact us and ask for a review of the decision. We will change it if it is wrong
• Contact the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) if you do not agree with the review officer's decision
• If you do not agree with a decision of the ART you may be able to appeal further. For more information about the ART, please go to ART.gov.au

All of the above are free of charge.

If you do not agree with a decision we have made, contact us as soon as possible. It is important to ask for a review within 13 weeks of being notified about the decision. If your request for a review is more than 13 weeks after being notified and the decision can be changed, you may only receive your entitlement from the date you requested the review.

There is no time limit for a review of a decision about money you owe us. However you may have to pay back the money while the decision is being reviewed.

Privacy and your personal information

Your personal information is protected by law, including the Privacy Act 1988, and is collected by the Australian Government agency Services Australia for the assessment and administration of payments and services. This information is required to process your application or claim.

Your information may be used by the agency or given to other parties for the purposes of research, investigation or where you have agreed or it is required or authorised by law.

You can get more information about the way in which Services Australia will manage your personal information, including our privacy policy at servicesaustralia.gov.au/privacy or by requesting a copy from the agency.

To make a complaint or give us feedback

We aim to resolve your concerns as quickly as possible. If you want to make a complaint or give us feedback:

• call our feedback and complaints line on 1800 132 468, or
• go to servicesaustralia.gov.au/feedback for other options

If we are not able to resolve your complaint to your satisfaction, you can contact the Commonwealth Ombudsman by going to their website ombudsman.gov.au or calling them on 1300 362 072.