New Financial Year Assessments (NFYA) for Family Tax Benefit (FTB) and Child Care Subsidy (CCS) 007-07130000

The NFYA bulk mailout (including Electronic Messages (EM) and letters) for the new financial year occurs in May. Customers may also receive a NFYA letter if they claim FTB/CCS or become partnered after the bulk mailout and before 1 July of the new financial year. Customers may be sent more than one NFYA letter if their circumstances change before 1 July.

Mailout groups for New Financial Year Assessment (NFYA).

Approximately one week before the letter is due to be sent, an EM is sent to eligible customers advising them to update their new financial year family income estimates.

The NFYA letter invites customers to provide a family income estimate for the new financial year and advises the default estimate to be used if they do not provide their own estimate. The letter can be found through Correspondence History in Process Direct, or the Search Outbound Correspondence function in Customer First.

The default estimate is calculated as part of the Automatic Uplift process and is displayed on the FAO Income Uplift Details (FIUD) screen.

Replies to NFYA mailout

Customers can provide their family income estimate using their Centrelink online account, Express Plus Centrelink mobile app, or verbally by phone.

Note: if the customer phones the Centrelink Families line between 1 April and 30 June and has voiceprint authentication, the IVR will ask the customer to confirm both their current financial year family income estimate and their future financial year family income estimate (if there is an estimate on file) while the customer is waiting in the phone queue. The income estimate instructions on Customer Overview, in Customer First will then show the Service Officer if action is required.

Remind the customer that estimates can be updated using self-service options.

Offer registration. See Centrelink self service – access status, locking and unlocking and Accessing and using Centrelink self service.

If the customer is unable to use self-service, Service Officers can complete the estimate update.

If customer is providing an income estimate, ensure estimate is reasonable.

In Process Direct, for FTB and/or CCS customers, update the income estimate and discuss payment options using the FCC Income and choices workflow:

• Select Update income estimate > 'next financial year' from the Task Selector
• Record all income components for the new financial year

In Customer First, for FTB/CCS or FTB only customers, update the income estimate and discuss payment options using the Family Income and Choices workflow:

• Select Update income estimate > ‘next financial year’ option
• Record all income components for the new financial year even if the details are the same as the previous financial year or the amount is $0

For customers who wish to use the default estimate, record this decision in the Family Income and Choices workflow in Customer First. If the workflow is unavailable, record the details on a DOC.

• The default estimate will be used to work out the customers:
  • legislative FTB rate from 1 July, or immediately if it was due to apply after 1 July
  • CCS entitlement from the start of the CCS financial year (if provided on or before that date) or the start of the next CCS fortnight (if provided after the start of the CCS financial year)

Notes:

• If the estimate is provided before the system release with CPI changes for the new CCS year, advise the customer their future entitlement is an estimate only, and may change once CPI increases are applied. Customers should check their online account after the start of the CCS year to confirm their entitlement
• The customer may be subject to the second stage Automatic Uplift if actual income details are received from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) for the previous financial year
• The new financial year estimate will affect FTB payments from 1 July of the new financial year and CCS entitlement from the start of the CCS year (the first Monday in July following the Sunday of the last CCS fortnight)
• If the customer receives CCS, review the customer (and partner) recognised participation details and update if required
• If there is a child from a previous relationship and the customer is receiving more than base rate FTB Part A, check that the customer meets the Maintenance Action Test
• If the customer or partner is in receipt of an income support payment, check if income and earnings details require updating