Calculating the additional Double Orphan Pension (DOP) component 007-06010030

The DOP additional component is calculated and assessed by the DOP and Bereavement Smart Centre Processing Team as part of the DOP new claim process.

DOP claimants who have shared care of 35% or more are assessed under the Family Assistance shared care rules:

• Customers who have actual care of a child for less than 35% of the time are not entitled to either the basic rate of DOP or the additional component
• Where the customer has actual care of a child for 14 - 34% of the time, they will be assessed for ancillary benefits as part of their Family Tax Benefit (FTB) claim

Did the child become a DOP child on or after 1 July 1998?

• Yes, go to Step 3
• No, child is not eligible for additional component of DOP. Procedure ends here

Does the current carer receive Family Tax Benefit (FTB) Part A at the maximum rate? Staff may need to check system screens to identify that the customer's FTB Part A rate is not being affected by More Choice for Families (MCFF) and/or continuous adjustment before proceeding to the next step.

• Yes, carer does not currently qualify for the additional component. Procedure ends here
• No, go to Step 4

• Yes, go to Step 5
• No, go to Step 6

If the change results in the FTB Part A rate being less than the FTB rate immediately before the child became a double orphan, the Service Officer should investigate whether a new DOP additional component calculation is required.

Example: The customer may be overseas for longer than 6 weeks resulting in a reduction of the FTB Part A to base rate, or there could be a change to the customer’s income estimate which may result in change to the FTB Part A rate.

• Yes, the DOP rate must be manually assessed. Determine if the customer is now entitled to the additional component of DOP. Go to Step 6
• No, go to Step 6

• Determine the legislative rate of FTB Part A/family assistance that was received immediately before the child became a DOP child
• Determine the legislative rate of FTB Part A to be paid to the current carer

Subtract the current customer's fortnightly legislative rate of FTB Part A from the previous carer's legislative rate of FTB Part A that was paid immediately before the child became a DOP child.

The difference is the amount payable as the additional DOP component.

Go to the Calculating the additional component of DOP table in the Guide to Social Security Law, 5.1.4.50, DOP - Additional Component and follow the steps.

The DOP additional component will need to be recorded as a manual payment.

Record details of the assessment on a DOC.

The Additional Rate worksheet must be scanned to the customer record.

• Scan the Additional Rate worksheet to upload the document
• Use the DOPCAL reclassification page. For reclassification and separator pages, see Scanning Centrelink documents using an MFD