How to process Rent Assistance (RA) in Family Tax Benefit (FTB) lump sum claims 007-07030090

Smart Centre Processing staff, go to Step 6.

For initial processing information, see Receipt of claims, forms and documentation for family assistance.

Is the customer claiming RA within their lump sum claim?

• Yes, go to Step 2
• No, this procedure does not apply. See Processing Family Tax Benefit (FTB) lump sum claims

Is there a DOC on the customer's record advising the lump sum claim has been 'ASS'essed or 'GRA'nted?

• Yes, advise the customer of the outcome of the claim as per the claim DOC
• where the customer is lodging verification of rent for the previous financial year in the required timeframe and rent is verified on the Accommodation (AC) screen, and RA is not paying, check the FTB lump Sum Period (FLSP) screen for the relevant financial year
• Procedure ends here
• No, go to Step 3

To be paid RA, customers claiming FTB for a past period also need to claim ongoing FTB instalments unless they are not eligible for instalment payments at the time of the claim.

If the customer is FTB current (including FTB-CZR), any additional entitlement to RA will be assessed within the lump sum claim and arrears paid. Any RA already paid for the period (via instalments or with the customer's income support payment) will reduce the RA arrears to avoid duplicate payments of RA. See Completing the Accommodation Details (AC) screen and assessing Rent Assistance (RA).

Is the customer currently claiming FTB as an instalment payment?

• Yes, process the lump sum claim. RA will be assessed within the lump sum claim. Procedure ends here
• No, go to Step 4

Where it is clear the customer is not eligible to receive ongoing FTB instalments (based on the customer's advice or available evidence), RA can be paid within the lump sum claim, without the need for an instalment claim.

The Online estimator can be used to check potential instalment entitlement. See Calculating Family Tax Benefit (FTB) Part A (Method 1) and Calculating Family Tax Benefit (FTB) Part A (Method 2).

Customers who indicate they are not currently eligible for FTB (for example, income over limit or no child in care) should not be compelled to claim FTB by instalments.

Is it clear the customer is not eligible to receive FTB as an instalment payment?

• Yes, process the lump sum claim. RA will be assessed within the lump sum claim. Procedure ends here
• No, go to Step 5

It is a legislative requirement to notify the customer in writing that an instalment claim is required to claim RA. See the References page for a link to the Family Assistance Guide.

• Send a Q999 letter to advise the customer to lodge an online claim or complete an FA100 and return within the required timeframes. The Resources page contains standard text to be included in the Q999 free text field. See Creating a Q999 or Q888 letter for further assistance
• An attempt should also be made to contact the customer to advise that RA is unable to be paid via their past period lump sum claim and that an FTB instalment claim must be lodged
• Encourage the customer to complete an online claim for family assistance and Parental Leave Pay (PPL)
• If the customer declines to make an online claim or if it is unreasonable to claim online issue a Claim for Parental Leave Pay and Family Tax Benefit (FA100) using the Mail Forms Macro
• For RA to be paid with the lump sum claim, an instalment claim must be lodged within the required timeframe. If customer intends on lodging an instalment claim, place lump sum claim on hold pending instalment claim lodgement
• Record what action has been taken on a DOC. Procedure ends here

For Families and Child Care Smart Centre and Medicare Processing staff only

If a customer submits an online claim for a child born or adopted in the previous financial year and the customer has not yet claimed Parental Leave Pay (if eligible) for the child, contact must be made with the customer to discuss possible entitlement.

If there is a held 'LSC' activity (awaiting instalment claim) already on the customer record, go to Step 9.

If the customer has submitted:

• An online claim, select the claim activity and select the Process Online Claim option. Go to Step 7
• A paper claim, view the scanned claim. If a claim activity already exists it must be checked and re-indexed if not correctly indexed. Go to Step 7

For Families and Child Care Smart Centre and Medicare Processing staff only

RA is only payable for a past period if the customer:

• is also claiming FTB instalments, or
• is not currently eligible to receive FTB instalments in the current financial year at the time of lodgement of the lump sum claim (for example, the customer is ineligible due to no child in care, income over the limit), or
• is already FTB current and is receiving RA with their income support payment
• if arrears are payable, the amount of RA will be reduced by the amount of RA the customer has already received with their income support payment for that period

If it is clear the customer is not eligible to receive ongoing FTB instalments (based on the customer's advice or available evidence), RA can be paid within the lump sum claim, without the need for an instalment claim.

Is RA payable within the lump sum claim?

• Yes, process the lump sum claim. Procedure ends here
• No, go to Step 8

It is a legislative requirement to notify the customer in writing that an instalment claim is required to claim RA. See the References page for a link to the Family Assistance Guide.

• Send a Q888 letter to advise the customer to lodge an online claim or complete an FA100 and return within the required timeframes. The Resources page contains standard text to be included in the Q888 free text field. See Creating a Q999 or Q888 letter for further assistance
• An attempt should also be made to contact the customer to explain that an FTB instalment claim is required for RA to be paid with the lump sum claim
• Encourage the customer to lodge an online claim. For some customers it may be unreasonable to claim online and an FA100 should be issued. If a FA100 is issued, a Q999 letter will need to be sent in place of a Q888
• Resubmit activity ensuring the customer is given the appropriate number of days to respond after the Q888 letter is issued
• Record details in claim progress DOC

Once the instalment claim has been lodged, process the lump sum claim. (There is no requirement to process the instalment claim first).

Where a customer has been requested to make an FTB instalment claim for RA purposes, a held lump sum claim activity will be on the record.

If there is a held lump sum claim activity and the customer:

• has since completed an effective instalment claim and the claim details are correct, process the lump sum claim, (there is no requirement to process the instalment claim first)
• has not completed an effective instalment claim, assess the lump sum claim without RA. To assess the claim without RA, check the inhibit RA field in the FLSP screen has yes recorded for the relevant lump sum claim period

If the customer lodges an instalment claim within 52 weeks of lodging their lump sum claim and requests a review of the original decision, the lump sum claim can be reassessed to include RA.