Paid Parental Leave (PPL) approval to claim and share PPL days 007-23020222

Once an Approval Giver has completed the Approval task and provided approval for an Approval Seeker to claim and share PPL days, they can self-manage their PPL via their Centrelink Online Services.

Note: after the Approval task is completed, the Approval Seeker’s PPL claim will need to be processed and granted for the Approval Seeker to be able to manage their PPL via online services.

If an Approval Giver requires assistance with Approvals/TAC, refer to Services Australia website > Giving approval to share Parental Leave Pay.

On this webpage the Approval Giver must select the link for the ‘Parental Leave Pay Verification’ task. The Approval Giver must have a CRN linked to their myGov account before they can complete this task. The customer can access this webpage via the short URL servicesaustralia.gov.au/ApprovalToSharePLP (do not use spaces) or they can enter the Quick Code > QC 65018 into the search field.

From the Centrelink Online services landing page, PPL claimants can launch the Parental Leave Pay Circumstances Dashboard by selecting:

• Menu > My family > Paid Parental Leave > Paid Parental Leave circumstances, or
• Payments and claims tab > manage payments > Paid Parental Leave circumstances

The Approval Giver can update the following online:

• Tax rate
• Parental Leave Pay days
• Manage claimants and days shared - From here Approval Givers can:
• Action approval to claim and share PPL days requests
• Remove previously approved claimants
• Change how many days are shared with each approved claimant
• Allow previously un-approved claimants to claim

The Approval Seeker can update the following online:

• Tax rate
• Parental Leave Pay days

To assist Approval Givers with:

• Tax rate changes, see Customer notifies a change of circumstances for Parental Leave Pay (PPL)
• Parental Leave Pay days
• For children born or adopted on or after 1 July 2023, see Claiming and managing Paid Parental Leave (PPL) days for children born or entering care on or after 1 July 2023
• For children born or adopted before 1 July 2023, see Claiming and managing Flexible Paid Parental Leave (PPL) days for children born or entering care before 1 July 2023
• Completing an Approval task, see Table 2
• Completing the Temporary Access Code (TAC), see Table 3
• Removing Approval Seeker claim approval, see Table 4
• Manage PPL days shared with Approval Seeker, including reducing or increasing shared days, see Table 5

To assist Approval Seekers with:

• Determining requirements for Next Steps within PPL online claims, see Online or Assisted Customer Claim (ACC) for family assistance and Parental Leave Pay (PPL)
• Tax rate changes, see Customer notifies a change of circumstances for Parental Leave Pay (PPL)
• Parental Leave Pay days:
• For children born or adopted on or after 1 July 2023, see Claiming and managing Paid Parental Leave (PPL) days for children born or entering care on or after 1 July 2023
• For children born or adopted before 1 July 2023, see Claiming and managing Flexible Paid Parental Leave (PPL) days for children born or entering care before 1 July 2023

Note: Approval Seekers can only manage PPL days that have been granted to them from the Approval Giver. Approval Seekers can update, edit and remove PPL days from the Paid Parental Leave circumstances dashboard.

When an Approval Seeker lodges a claim for a PPL child, an Approval task will be created on the Approval Giver's online account. This task is created before the Approval Seeker can submit their claim. Once the task has been completed by the Approval Giver, the Approval Seeker is able to submit their claim.

An Approval Task is created on the Approval Giver's record when another person claims for their child and has requested PPL days.

When the Approval task is launched from the Approval Giver's Online Services, the Approval Giver is advised that a PPL claim has been made by someone (Approval Seeker) and that they will be caring for their child.

For pre-birth claims the task will refer to the child as the ‘expected child’. For post-birth claims the task will refer to the child by the child’s name.

The Approval Giver will be required to provide the following information when completing the Approval task:

• Their relationship to the child (e.g. birth mother, adoptive parent)
• Relationship type (displayed only if Relationship to the child is ‘none of the above’)
• Date of birth/Expected date of birth or expected/enter care date or Exceptional care date or Gaining care date of the child
• Provide Approval to claim
• Number of PPL days that they give approval to share
• PPL Work test details if this has not already been provided

Note: for paper claims such as FA100 and FA008/FA008M the approval questions are included, these answers will need to be manually input onto the Approval Giver's record in Process Direct. See Processing standalone and combined claims for family assistance and/or Paid Parental Leave scheme payment.

To give another person approval to claim PPL and share PPL days both the Approval Giver and Seeker must meet the Parental Leave Pay work test.

As part of the Approval task workflow the Approval Giver needs to answer the following questions:

• have they worked at least 8 hours every week in the PPL work test period
• If no, have they worked or will they work at least 330 hours within a 10 month period in the PPL work test period
• If they have worked at least 330 hours but have not worked 8 hours every week, that they have more than a 12-week gap if they haven’t worked 330 hours in the 10 month period in their work test period
• any PPL work test exceptions (if applicable)

See Parental Leave Pay Work Test for more details on PPL claimants meeting the work test.

The Review and Confirm page will display at the end of the Approval task workflow and will provide summary of responses provided for the Approval Giver to review.

If the Approval Giver is required to provide verification of their work test the request will display on the Next Steps page. It will not allow the Approval Giver to complete the task until verification is uploaded.

• Where verification has been requested and the task has been submitted:
• the Approval ZCoC transaction will be allocated to a staff member for action, and
• the documents icon will display the evidence supplied by the customer
• Use the information supplied to update the work test details within the ZCoC to reflect the verification provided by the customer

Where an Approval Seeker is claiming PPL they will be asked in their claim to provide the Approval Giver’s details. The system will use these details to identify the Approval Giver’s online account to create the Approval Task.

Where the system cannot find a unique match for the Approval Giver, the Approval Giver must authenticate themselves by completing the ‘Parental Leave Pay Verification’ task. This will identify their record so the system can create the Approval Task on their online account.

In these cases the Approval Seeker will be provided with information in their claim to give to the Approval Giver. The information includes:

• the Claim Number,
• a Temporary Access Code (TAC)
• instructions on how the Approval Giver can authenticate themselves

This is provided to the Approval Seeker at the Next Steps at the end of the claim.

The information will tell the Approval Giver to go to the ‘Giving approval to share Parental Leave Pay > If we can’t find your Centrelink online account > Pay’ webpage (the Resources page has a link).

On this webpage the Approval Giver must select the link for the ‘Parental Leave Pay Verification’.

Before the Approval Giver can complete the ‘Parental Leave Pay Verification’ task, they must have a CRN linked to their myGov account. The customer can access this webpage via the short URL servicesaustralia.gov.au/ApprovalToSharePLP (do not use spaces) or they can enter the Quick Code QC 65018 into the search field.

After the Approval Giver has selected the ‘Parental Leave Pay Verification’ link they will be taken to the login page.

The Approval Giver will need the Claim Number and TAC to enter the service. Both of these numbers will be generated in the Approval Seeker’s PPL claim.

Once the Claim Number and TAC are entered, the Approval Giver will be asked to provide their CRN (if they have one).

If the Approval Giver does not have a CRN, they will leave the TAC service to create a CRN via myGov. Once they have created or located their CRN, the Approval Giver can continue to use the TAC service. The TAC and Claim Number will remain valid whilst the Approval Seeker's claim is in process. If the Approval Seeker withdraws their claim there will no longer be a requirement to complete the Approval task.

The Approval Giver will need to verify their personal information to ensure that the CRN verification matches.

This is due to the Approval Giver entering the TAC service as an unauthenticated customer.

The Approval Giver will need to provide their:

• Customer Reference Number
• Title
• Given name
• Middle name(s) (optional)
• Family name
• Date of birth
• Contact details/Telephone

The Review and Confirm page will display at the end of the TAC and will provide summary of responses provided for the Approval Giver to review. Once submitted, the Approval task will generate.

If match is successful, the Approval Giver can log in to their myGov account to complete the Approval task which will now display in their Centrelink Online Service. It may take several minutes for the task to appear in their online account.

If the match is unsuccessful, a Failed Online Change in Circumstance activity (ZPPL_ZCOC) will be created in Process Direct. A Service Officer will need to manually action and may need to contact the Approval Giver to verify the information provided in the TAC service

• To assist Approval Giver with the Approval task, see Table 2
• To manually action Failed online Change in circumstances activity, see the Assisted tab

To remove approval the Approval Giver will select ‘remove claimant’ against the name of the Approval Seeker under the list of approved claimants.

If the Approval Giver removes the Approval Seeker, they are advised the following will happen:

• Any unclaimed days will be returned to them or someone else to take
• Any claimed days in the future will be returned to them or someone else to take
• The Approval Seeker will not be able to claim any further days
• Any days already paid to the Approval Seeker will not be returned or raised as an overpayment
• The Approval Seeker will be considered an unapproved claimant

The Approval Giver will be prompted to respond to the following question:

• Do you want to remove (Approval Seeker’s name) as an approved claimant?: YES/NO
• If No, no update will be made

The Review and Confirm page will display at the end of the Remove Claimant and will provide summary of responses provided for the Approval Giver to review.

To update the number of PPL days shared with other claimants the Approval Giver will select Change shared days against the name of the Approval Seeker under the list of approved claimants.

The Approval Giver will be advised:

• they can increase or decrease the amount of PPL days shared with an <Approval Seeker> and
• by changing the amount of PPL days shared this will update the balance of days available to claim for the child
• number of PPL days currently shared with the <Approval Seeker>
• number of PPL days already taken by the <Approval Seeker>. The total number of updated PPL days shared must include the number of PPL days already taken

The Approval Giver enters the updated number of PPL days they want to share with <Approval Seeker>. This will update the balance of days currently shared with the <Approval Seeker>.

Message ‘You only have XX Parental Leave Pay days to share. Number of days shared must be less than or equal to XX’ displays when the Approval Giver is attempting to increase PPL days that will exceed the maximum PPL day’s entitlement.

Example: Approval Giver (who is partnered) has claimed 100 PPL days and has provided approval for their partner (Approval Seeker) to have 10 PPL days. Approval Giver requests to increase the approved PPL days to 20 for the Approval Seeker, above message will display. This is due to Approval Giver not having enough PPL day’s entitlement to share as the maximum 110 days has been claimed. Approval Giver will need to decrease/remove some of their own PPL days in order to be able to increase shared PPL days for the Approval Seeker.

The Review and Confirm page will display at the end of the Change shared days and will provide summary of responses provided for the Approval Giver to review.

Staff action:

• Staff have been allocated a Failed Online Change in Circumstance activity (ZCOC_ZPPL) work item for either:
• Change of Circumstances: PPL Identity and Match Approval Giver
• Change of Circumstances: PPL Update Approval Giver Details and Shared Days
• Go to Step 2

Approval Giver/Approval Seeker contact:

• To assist Approval Giver or Approval Seeker with online services, see the Self service tab
• To assist Approval Giver to manually action:
• Approval Task, see Table 4
• Removal approval to claim, see Table 5
• Update approved shared care days, see Table 5

When allocated the activity, review the information within the failed update by selecting .

This will display the information provided by the customer online. Determine the activity type which is located at the top of the change of circumstances information .

To action:

• Change of Circumstances: PPL Identity and Match Approval Giver, see Table 2
• Change of Circumstances: PPL Update Approval Giver Details and Shared Days, see Table 3

A Failed PPL Identity and Match Approval Giver (TAC) work item will be created where TAC matching fails.

Review the information within the Parental Leave Pay verification activity by selecting . This will display the information provided by the customer online.

To review the reason the match was unsuccessful, go to the Documents List (DL) in Process Direct and locate the document with the Summary heading PPL TAC Unsuccessful Match. Information within the document will indicate which matches were unsuccessful.

Confirm the correct transaction ID number by locating the Transaction ID within the work item information.

After selecting the activity, the SWE screen will display with PPL Identify and Match Approval Giver workflow selected.

Select Next to action the workflow, the PPL Identify and Match Approval Giver screen will present.

Information provided by the customer will populate into relevant fields (including the CRN).

The Service Officer will need to confirm the information provided by the Approval Giver to complete matching.

The existing information from the Approval Giver's record will display under the Approval Giver details. The Service Officer will be presented with the following question:

• Valid Approval Giver found: Yes/No

Note: Service Officers may be required to validate the data information in the following fields:

• First name
• Middle name(s) (optional)
• Family name
• Date of birth
• Address
• Telephone

Has a valid Approval Giver been found?

• Yes, select Next and go to Step 4
• No, go to Step 3

Contact will be required to verify the Approval Giver. See Calling a customer or returning a customer's call.

If:

• contact has been made to confirm information and updates are required to Approval Giver's record e.g. address update,
• these updates need to be finalised before completing the PPL Identity and Match Approval Giver workflow

Service Officer will need to exit the Failed PPL Identity and Match Approval Giver (TAC) work item to complete updates. Once updates completed, navigate back to transaction via the Inbox.

Has a valid Approval Giver now been found?

• Yes, go back to Step 2
• No, go to Step 5

Select Yes to the Valid Approval Giver found question by selecting Next. Note: selecting Next will complete the activity without going to SWE and/or ELD screen. Ensure that updates are correct before selecting Next.

The transaction will complete.

Once the workflow is completed:

• If the Approval Giver is matched, the system will create a Request to share Parental Leave Pay online task for the Approval Giver to complete through their Centrelink online service
• An auto annotation will be made to the COC ID < Transaction ID > note
• Annotate the DOC on DL with the text in the COC ID<Transaction ID> note

Procedure ends here.

Select No, to the Valid Approval Giver found question by selecting Next. Note: selecting Next will complete the activity without going to SWE and/or ELD screen. Ensure that updates are correct before selecting Next.

The transaction will complete. Once the workflow is completed:

• an auto annotation will be made to the COC ID <Transaction ID > note
• annotate the DOC on DL with the text in the COC ID<Transaction ID> note
• the system will update the status of the Approval Seeker’s approval task to ‘completed’ to allow the Approval Seeker to submit their claim

Procedure ends here.

Note: the Approval Seeker’s claim will be made Not Effective (NEF) - Approval Giver not valid (PPL/NEF-ANV when the claim is processed as there is no Approval Giver or Approval ID linked to the claim).

A Failed Approval Giver details and Shared Days work item will generate when an Approval Giver has completed one of the following updates which have failed:

• Approval Task
• Manage claimants, or
• Manage Shared PPL days

To determine which update has failed, go to the change of circumstances information .

Under Review and Submit Details, the failed update can be identified by:

• Parental Leave Pay Claim review – this is a failed Approval Task. Go to Step 2
• Parental Leave Pay Circumstances – this is a failed Manage claimant or Manage Shared PPL days update. Go to Step 3

A Parental Leave Pay Claim review work item is created where an Approval Giver has completed an Approval Task online which has not successfully completed or failed.

Select to review the change of circumstance information provided within the Approval Task, including the date of receipt and transaction ID of the update.

To determine why the Approval Task has failed:

• go to the Document List (DL) in Process Direct
• find the PPL assessment failure DOC with the same date of receipt as the failed update.
  Note: confirmation can also be found by crosschecking the transaction ID in the DOC with the COC ID within the change of circumstance information

If the Approval Task has failed, use the SuperKey to go back to the SWE screen. Go to Step 4.

A Parental Leave Pay circumstances work item is created where a customer facing Manage claimant or Manage Shared PPL days update has not completed or staff facing Manage Shared days update was not finalised.

Review the information within the Parental Leave Pay circumstances by selecting . This will display the information already provided.

To determine why the customer’s online Approval Task has failed:

• go to the Document List (DL) in Process Direct
• find the PPL assessment failure DOC with the same date of receipt as the failed update.
  Note: confirmation can also be found by crosschecking the transaction ID in the DOC with the COC ID within the change of circumstance information

After reviewing the notes, use the SuperKey to go back to the SWE screen, go to Step 4.

The SWE screen will present with the following workflows pre-selected:

• Parental Leave Pay (PPL) Approval Giver Details
• Parental Leave Pay (PPL) Approval Giver Permission Days

Select Next to continue.

The Parental Leave Pay (PPL) Approval Giver Details (P1AGD) screen will display.

Services Officers are to ensure the information provided in the Slider matches the Approval Giver's information displayed on the screen.

Does the Approval Giver information match?

• Yes, select Next. Go to Step 7
• No, go to Step 6

Select Edit and Change Parental Leave Pay (PPL) Approval Giver Details window will display:

• Update any fields to ensure they match the information provided by the Approval Giver in the slider
• Select Save
• Select Next and go to Step 7

The Parental Leave Pay (PPL) Approval Giver Permission summary will display.

Services Officers are to ensure the approval information provided in the Slider match the Approval Giver's approval provided on the screen.

Staff may need to select the twisty to open up the Parental Leave Pay (PPL) Approval Giver Permission details information to view the Approval Seeker’s information.

Note: the declaration does not need to be read to the Approval Giver, as the Approval Giver has already accepted changes within their online services.

The Parental Leave Pay (PPL) Approval Giver Permission details table will include the:

• PPL days requested by Approval Seeker, and
• PPL days shared by the Approval Giver

Select Next and go to Step 9.

Select staff member’s role.

• Process the Approval Seekers additional PPL claim. See Pre-processing checks for standalone and combined claims for family assistance and/or Paid Parental Leave payments
• Approval Seekers PPL claim will have a claim outcome of PPL/NEF – PAC (PPL already claimed by customer outcome
• When claim has been finalised, contact the Approval Seeker to advise the outcome of the claim. See Calling a customer or returning a customer's call
• If call is successful:
• Advise the Approval Seeker that when they have lodged and been granted PPL for the child, sharing of any additional PPL days will be managed by the Approval Giver via their online services
• When the additional PPL days are the approved and shared with the Approval Seeker, they can claim these additional PPL days themselves using the Parental Leave Pay days function in their online services
• See Self Service tab if Approval Seeker requires assistance with how to use the Parental Leave Pay days function in online services.
• Procedure ends here
• If call was unsuccessful:
• Document the Approval Seekers record.
• Include the following information
  As the Approval Seeker has already been granted PPL for the child, sharing of any additional PPL days will be managed by the Approval Giver via their online services. When Approval Giver has approved and shared the additional PPL days with the Approval Seeker, these additional PPL days can be claimed by the Approval Seeker online using the Parental Leave Pay days function in their online services

• Handoff will be required to an FCC processing trained SO to have the additional Approval Seeker claim completed
• On the Approval Seekers record, use Fast Note, Select Auto Text, use Families > Paid Parental Leave > PPL Approval Seeker – PPL CLM - Handoff
• The Fast Note will be automatically allocated to an FCC processing staff member to action
• Procedure ends here

From the SWE screen, address any errors/warnings.

Use Roxy Digital Assistant in Process Direct to address any warnings or errors that present in the Message Log on the SWE screen.

Refer to additional support resources where errors or warnings present including:

• Network News Update (NNU)
• Operational Blueprint
• mySupport
• Process Direct - Current Issues page

If error or warnings cannot be resolved using above resources, raise an incident via Roxy. See Reporting ICT issues in Process Direct.

Do not attempt unapproved manual workarounds.

Select Assess.

The Entitlement (ELD) screen displays the outcome of the activity.

• Check the results on the ELD screen are correct, then select Finish. Note: no data may display as this is an Approval Task
• Record additional details of the update in the finalisation DOC
• Select Finalise

Once the workflow is completed:

The system will update the status of the Approval Seeker’s approval task to ‘completed’ to allow the Approval Seeker to submit their claim.

Procedure ends here.

In the Approval Giver's record in Process Direct: check if:

• the approval task has dropped though via online services for manual action, or
• a new manual Approval Task is required:
• due to the original approval task being cancelled incorrectly preventing the seekers claim from being submitted, or
• as part of SOA claim processing

Note: a new manual approval task cannot be completed for an Approval Seeker once their claim has already been submitted.

Online drop through

• In Process Direct, using the inbox tile on the Process Direct Landing page
• Search for the relevant work item using the customers CRN or the Claim ID
• Select the relevant PPL Change of Circumstance work item
• Use to view the information provided by the customer online in the claim slider

When unable to complete the task due to a started PPL claim on the record:

• Cancel the started PPL claim activity on the Activity List (AL) screen in Customer First. Once cancelled, return to Process Direct
• Finalise the PPL Approval Giver task
• Finalise the Approval Seeker’s claim
• Finalise the Approval Giver’s claim, where applicable

Manual Approval Task creation

• Key START into the Super Key and select the PPL Approval Giver Task workflow from the Task Selector
• The Parental Leave Pay (PPL) Seeker Claim Details task will automatically select
• Select Start

On the Parental Leave Pay (PPL) Seeker Claim Details screen, update:

• Seeker claim number: This will be provided to the Approval Giver from the Approval Seeker:
• The seeker claim number is a mandatory field
• Service Officer will need to select ENTER to automatically fill the remaining fields
• Seeker name: Populates Approval Seeker’s name
• Seeker relationship to child: Populates Approval Seeker’s relationship to child as per Approval seeker's PPL claim information
• Child first name: (will only display in post birth claims). Populates PPL child who Approval Seeker is requesting approval to claim and share days
• Number of days requested by seeker: Displays the number of days requested within the Approval Seeker’s claim. Field can be updated if Approval Seeker’s claim ID is within a SOA PPL claim

Once all updates are completed, select Next.

Go to Step 2.

On the Respond to request to share Parental Leave Pay screen ensure that the ‘Read aloud to customer’ script is read to the Approval Giver. Ask them the following:

• What is your relationship to this child?: Enter Approval Giver’s relationship to child
• When will the child come into your care?: Enter the date PPL child will enter care
• Number of days available to share?: Displays the PPL maximum entitlement of PPL days minus any PPL days that have already been claimed and/or already shared to others. Where the Approval Giver has not claimed, this will display the maximum entitlement for the child regardless of marital status as the system is unable to determine the days available to be claimed or shared
• Do you give approval for <Approval Seeker> to claim Parental Leave Pay for your expected child? YES/NO

Has the Approval Giver provided approval for Approval Seeker?

• Yes:
• Read the script aloud to the Approval Giver and ask the following:
  < Approval Seeker> requested access to <number of days requested>. Do you want to give them this many days to claim? YES/ NO
• Go to Step 3
• No, select Next and go to Step 5

Has the Approval Giver provided approval for the Approval Seeker to claim the requested PPL days and there are enough days available to share?

• Yes:
• Read script aloud to Approval Giver
• Select Next
• Go to Step 4
• No:
• Read script aloud to Approval Giver
• Ask the Approval Giver - How many Parental Leave Pay days do you want give to <Approval Seeker>?: Enter number of PPL days
• Read submission warning aloud to Approval Giver
• Select Next
• Go to Step 5

This page is dynamic and will present questions based on Approval Giver’s responses.

On the PPL Work test details screen read the script aloud to the Approval Giver and ask the following:

• Will you work for at least 8 hours every week between <Work test period start date> and < Work test period end date>?: YES/NO

Has the Approval Giver advised they have worked at least 8 hours every week between <Work test period start date> and < Work test period end date>?

• Yes, select Next and go to Step 8
• No, read the script aloud to the Approval Giver and ask the following:
• Will you work for at least 330 hours within a 10 month period between <Work test period start date> and <Work test period end date>?: YES/NO

Has the Approval Giver advised they will work for at least 330 hours within a 10 month period between <Work test period start date> and <Work test period end date>?

• No, read the script aloud to the Approval Giver and select Next. Go to Step 5
• Yes, read script aloud and ask the Approval Giver the following question:
• Was there a gap of longer than 12 weeks that you did not work in the 10 month period between <Work test period start date> and < Work test period end date>?: YES/NO

Select relevant answer based on Approval Giver's responses and read aloud the script. Select Next.

Has the Approval Giver advised there is a gap of longer than 12 weeks that they did not work in the 10 month period between <Work test period start date> and < Work test period end date>?

• Yes, go to Step 5
• No, select Next. Go to Step 8

Work Test exceptions may apply. Read the script aloud to the Approval Giver and ask the following:

Did any of the following affect your ability to work between <Work test period start date> and <Work test period end date>:

• Pregnancy related illness or complications (applies to birth mothers only)
• Premature birth (Applies to birth mothers, biological fathers and partner of birth mother only)
• Premature delivery (Applies to birth mothers, biological fathers and partner of birth mother only)
• Family and domestic violence
• None of the above
• Severe medical condition affected you or a family member you cared for
• Natural disaster declared by the Commonwealth, a State or Territory

If Approval Giver advises:

• Yes, one of the above applies, go to Step 7
• No :
• If the Approval Giver is the birth mother go to Step 6
• All other approval givers, go to Step 8

Read the script aloud to the Approval Giver and ask the following:

• Did you stop working in a dangerous job that presented a risk to your pregnancy? (This can include any dangerous job you performed during your pregnancy): YES/NO

Has the Approval Giver advised that they have stopped working in a dangerous job that presented a risk to their pregnancy? (This can include any dangerous job performed during their pregnancy)?

• No, select Next and go to Step 8
• Yes, read the script aloud to the Approval Giver and ask the following:
• What date did you last work in a dangerous job?: Enter date
• Will you work for at least 8 hours every week between <Work test period start date> and < Work test period end date>?: YES/NO (work test period may be modified)

Has the Approval Giver advised that they will work for at least 8 hours every week between <Work test period start date> and < Work test period end date>?

• Yes, read script aloud to Approval Giver and select Next. Go to Step 8
• No, ask the Approval Giver the following question:
• Will you work for at least 330 hours within a 10 month period between <Work test period start date> and < Work test period end date>?: YES/NO (work test period may be modified)

Has the Approval Giver advised that they will work for at least 330 hours within a 10 month period between <Work test period start date> and < Work test period end date>?

• No, read script aloud to Approval Giver and select Next. Go to Step 8
• Yes: read script aloud and ask the Approval Giver the following question:
• Was there a gap of longer than 12 weeks that you did not work in the 10 month period between <Work test period start date> and < Work test period end date>?: YES/NO

Select relevant answer based on Approval Giver's responses and read aloud the script.

Select Next.

Has the Approval Giver advised there a gap of longer than 12 weeks that they did not work in the 10 month period between <Work test period start date> and < Work test period end date>?

• Yes, select Next, go to Step 8
• No, go to Step 7

A warning will present advising the Service Officer ‘Work Test Verification is required’ if the customer has been affected by:

• Pregnancy related illness or complications (Birth mother only)
• Premature birth (Birth mother, Partner of Birth mother or biological fathers only)
• Premature delivery (Birth mother, Partner of Birth mother or biological fathers only)
• Family and domestic violence
• Severe medical condition affected you or a family member you cared for
• Natural disaster declared by the Commonwealth, a State or Territory
• Dangerous Job (Birth mother only)

See Paid Parental Leave scheme Work Test for more details about acceptable evidence.

Has the customer provided the required evidence to verify they had a pregnancy related complication/illness?

• Yes, and the Service Officer is satisfied that the customer has met the work test, within the activity, update the Work history test met to Yes, go to Step 8
• No, request evidence from Approval Giver via Request Further Information (RFI) within the workflow. See Information requests for FTB and PPL claims, and Add Newborn and PPL change of circumstances activities.

From the SWE screen, address any errors/warnings.

Use Roxy Digital Assistant in Process Direct to address any warnings or errors that present in the Message Log on the SWE screen.

Refer to additional support resources where errors or warnings present including:

• Network News Update (NNU)
• Operational Blueprint
• mySupport
• Process Direct - Current Issues page

If error or warnings cannot be resolved using above resources, raise an incident via Roxy. See Reporting ICT issues in Process Direct.

Do not attempt unapproved manual workarounds.

Select Assess.

The Entitlement (ELD) screen displays the outcome of the activity.

• Check the results on the ELD screen are correct, then select Finish. Note: no data may display as this is an Approval Task
• Record additional details of the update in the finalisation Note/DOC
• Select Finalise

Once the workflow is completed:

• The system will update the status of the Approval Seeker’s approval task to ‘completed’ to allow the Approval Seeker to submit their claim
• See Processing standalone and combined claims for family assistance and/or Paid Parental Leave scheme payments

Procedure ends here.

In the Approval Giver's record in Process Direct check if the update approval and shared days transaction has:

• dropped though via online services for manual action
• If a new manual Approval Task is required to update incorrect details, or
• the customer requires assistance and is unable to complete the update themselves online

Online drop through

• In Process Direct, using the inbox tile on the Process Direct Landing page
• Search for the relevant work item using the customers CRN or the Claim ID
• Select the relevant PPL Change of Circumstance work item
• Use to view the information provided by the customer online in the claim slider

Manual Approval Task creation

• Key START into the Super Key and select the PPL Update Approval and Shared days workflow from the Task Selector
• The Parental Leave Pay (PPL) Approval Giver Permission task will automatically select
• Select Start

On the Parental Leave Pay (PPL) Approval Giver Permission screen, the PPL approval giver permission days summary will display the following information regarding the Approval Giver:

• Approval ID: This ID is generated within the Approval Seeker's PPL claim. This will automatically populate.
• Work history test met: Yes/No
• Child name: This field will only display a name where post birth claim has been completed
• Expected/Actual date of birth, gaining care date or enter care date:
• For PPL pre claim, expected date of birth or entry into care will display
• For PPL post claim, actual date of birth or entry into care or exceptional care date or gaining care date will display
• Maximum days available to share: Maximum PPL days minus PPL days claimed by me
• Days claimed by me: PPL days claimed by Approval Giver
• Days requested by others: PPL days requested by Approval Seeker/s
• Days shared with others: PPL days approved to be shared with Approval Seeker/s
• Days paid: Total PPL days paid (For all PPL claimants i.e. Approval Giver and Approval Seeker/s)
• Days available including reserved: PPL days available to claim by Approval Giver or to share with Approval Seeker

Select under the Action field to display the Declaration and PPL approval giver permission days details.

The PPL approval giver permission days details table displays the following information:

• Approval Seeker: CRN and full name of Approval Seeker
• Approved: Yes/No
• Days requested: PPL days Approval Seeker has requested
• Days shared: PPL days Approval Giver has shared with Approval Seeker
• Days paid: PPL days that have been paid to the Approval Seeker
• Record status: Provisional/confirmed

To complete:

• Remove approval to claim, go to Step 2
• Remove PPL days shared, go to Step 3
• Update PPL days shared, go to Step 4

Where Approval Giver has requested to remove approval to claim for the Approval Seeker, select Edit in the Action field for the relevant Approval Seeker to commence update. Note: the delete option will be unable to be selected.

The Change PPL approval giver permission days details window will display.

To revoke the Approval Giver's approval for the Approval Seeker to claim:

• Approved: No
• Days shared:
• Enter the number of days the Approval Seeker has already claimed and/or paid for in the past
• Days shared must be equal to number of days claimed in the past when changing approval to No
• Days already paid to the seeker cannot be revoked and will not be raised as an overpayment
• Customer declaration: Yes

Select Save.

Update Receipt Date and Channel fields, select Save.

Go to Step 5.

Where Approval Giver has requested to remove approved PPL days shared with the Approval Seeker, select Edit in the Action field for the relevant Approval Seeker to commence update. Note: the delete option will be unable to be selected.

The Change PPL approval giver permission days details window will display.

To remove the Approval Seeker PPL days shared:

• Days shared:
• Enter the number of days Approval Seeker has already claimed and/or paid for in the past
• Days shared must be equal to number of days claimed in the past when changing approval to No
• Days already paid to the seeker cannot be revoked and will not be raised as an overpayment
• Customer declaration: Yes

Select Save.

Update Receipt Date and Channel fields, select Save.

Go to Step 5.

Where Approval Giver has requested to reduce or increase the PPL days shared with the Approval Seeker, select Edit in the Action field for the relevant Approval Seeker to commence update. Note: the delete option will be unable to be selected.

The Change PPL approval giver permission days details window will display.

To update the number of PPL days Approval Giver has shared with Approval Seeker:

• Days shared:
• Enter the number of days Approval Seeker has already claimed and/or paid for in the past Days shared must be equal to number of days claimed in the past when changing approval to No
• Days already paid to the seeker cannot be revoked and will not be raised as an overpayment
• Customer declaration: Yes

Select Save.

Update Receipt Date and Channel fields, select Save.

Go to Step 5.

Complete PPL declaration question within the relevant workflow.

The PPL declaration must be read each time the Approval Giver makes changes to the shared days or approval to claim.

Does the Approval Giver agree to the PPL declaration?

• Yes, no changes to the update are required as YES was selected within the workflow:
• Select Next
• Go to Step 7
• No, go to Step 6

• Select Cancel.
• The Cancel transaction window will display:
• The action will cancel the transaction and all provisional updates. Do you want to proceed?
• Select Yes
• Success window will display advising that the transaction has been cancelled. Select OK
• Update will now be cancelled
• Discussion with the Approval Giver should be documented on the record
• Procedure ends here

The PPL approval giver permission days summary will re-display. This table will display the changes recorded before finalising the update.

Review updates and select Next.

Address any errors/warnings on the Errors (SWE) screen.

Use Roxy Digital Assistant in Process Direct to address any warnings or errors that present in the Message Log on the SWE screen.

Refer to additional support resources where errors or warnings present including:

• Network News Update (NNU)
• Operational Blueprint
• mySupport
• Process Direct - Current Issues page

If error or warnings cannot be resolved using above resources, raise an incident via Roxy. See Reporting ICT issues in Process Direct.

Note: do not attempt unapproved manual workarounds.

After fixing any errors, select Assess again to go the Entitlements (ELD) screen.

The ELD screen displays any consequential actions from the update (if applicable). Note: the Approval Seeker consequences will not display.

• Check the update has not triggered any consequences for the Approval Giver, then select Finish
• Record additional details of the update in the finalisation Note/DOC
• Select Finalise

Work test information provided by the Approval Giver in their approval task is captured on the Parental Leave Pay (PPL) Approval Giver Details (P1AGD) screen in Process Direct.

Service Officer must use the PPL Update Approval Giver Details workflow to manually update work test information in Process Direct. This screen can be updated when the Service Officer determines:

• the work test verification is insufficient
• the work test verification has been supplied and is sufficient
• the work test verification was requested and not provided, or
• the work history test met needs to be changed from ‘Yes’ to ‘No’ (only when it has been determined that the work test was incorrect in the approval task)

Is an update in one of above scenarios required?

• Yes, go to Step 2
• No, procedure ends here

The PPL Update Approval Giver Details workflow can only be updated when in the Approval Givers record. It is a view only screen when in the Approval Seeker record.

Where work test information is not accurate the Approval Seeker claim may reject incorrectly.

If verification is required to support that the Approval Giver meets the work test it needs to be recorded, even where the verification is not sufficient.

Navigate to the Approval Giver’s record:

• Key START into the Super Key and select PPL Update Approval Giver Details workflow from the Task Selector
• Select START
• Select Edit in the Action field
• Work test start date - update (if required)
• Work test end date - update (if required)
• Work test verification - update (if required)
  Evidence provided and not sufficient
  Evidence provided and sufficient
  Evidence not provided
  Evidence not required
• Work history test met - update from Yes to No (if required)
• Work Test exemption
  Natural disaster
  Extended Work test
  Severe Medical Condition
  Dangerous Job
  Premature Delivery
  Family and Domestic Violence
  Pregnancy Related Complications
  Premature Birth
• Select Save
• Select Assess on the Errors (SWE) screen to go to the Entitlement (ELD) screen
• Select Finalise

Once the update has been completed, it will ripple across to the Approval Seeker’s claim and if required, will reassess their entitlement to PPL. Where the work test has been updated to ‘No’ the Approval Seeker may not be eligible for payment. See Paid Parental Leave scheme Work Test. If processing an Approval Seeker’s claim, return to their claim and continue processing.

Clearly document the Approval Giver record with why the work test has been changed and what information has been provided to support this decision.

All PPL claimants will be associated with an Approval ID. There should only be one Approval ID per birth event, unless a customer has claimed under exceptional circumstances.

Approval ID information is recorded on the Parental Leave Pay (PPL) Approval Giver Details (P1AGD) screen in Process Direct.

Customers who have duplicate Approval IDs or have a change in circumstances may require updates to ensure the correct Approval ID status is recorded. Before Approval IDs are updated and the status is changed, Service Officers must establish the reason to ensure the correct assessment is applied to the relevant Approval Giver and Approval Seeker claims.

Reasons that require a change in Approval ID status:

• Duplicate:
• Incorrect relationship status on P1AGD
• Records identified in remediation of multiple or intertwined Centrelink CRNs
• Differing/incorrect child birth dates based on expected or actual DOB
• Approval ID incorrectly created within an Approval Seeker claim where exceptional circumstances do not exist
• Multiple:
• Exceptional circumstances exist

If the reason for the change in Approval ID status is:

• duplicate active Approval IDs exist, go to Step 2
• multiple active Approval IDs exist, go to Step 8
• to make an existing active Approval ID inactive (for staff with restricted access), go to Step 10
• to make an existing active Approval ID invalid (for staff with restricted access), go to Step 11

Before making an Approval ID inactive or invalid, it is essential that the incorrect Approval ID is identified. This will be the Approval ID that:

• is not attached to the Approval Giver’s assessed claim
• contains the incorrect relationship status
• multiple CRN details, or
• incorrect date of birth/expected date of birth details

This is the Approval ID to update.

Go to Step 3.

The PPL Update Approval Giver Details workflow:

• enables Service Officers to update/edit information in Process Direct when an additional Approval ID is created by the Approval Giver selecting an incorrect relationship to child
• allows staff with restricted access the ability to change the status of a duplicate approval ID when it is negatively impacting claim assessment

Additional approval IDs could be identified by either the Service Officer or the customer.

If an update required due to:

• an incorrect relationship type, go to Step 4
• duplicate approval ID, go to Step 9
• multiple CRN, go to Step 10
• none of the above, procedure ends here

Is there evidence on the Approval Giver’s record to confirm their correct relationship to the child?

Note: evidence could include information taken from the Approval Giver’s claim or the child’s birth certificate.

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

Go to Step 9 if:

• a duplicate Approval ID was created with an incorrect relationship to child, and
• subsequent Approval IDs have been created with the correct relationship to child, and
• the Approval Seeker claim is unable to be processed

Go to the Approval Giver’s record, if:

• a duplicate Approval ID was created with incorrect relationship to child, and
• the Approval Seeker’s claim has an outcome of Not Effective (NEF) for reason Approval Giver not valid (ANV) or
• the approval seekers claim has not been processed as yet
• ensure the Approval ID status is active for the Approval ID that requires updating. one of the following has occurred:

Key START into the Super Key and select PPL Update Approval Giver Details workflow from the Task Selector:

• Select START
• Select Edit in the Action field
• Update the Relationship to child field, to correct selection, i.e Birth Mother
• Select Save
• Select Assess on the Errors (SWE) screen to go to the Entitlement (ELD) screen
• Select Finalise
• Document the record with:
• the reason the relationship to child was changed, and
• the information used to support this decision

Once the update has been completed, it will ripple across to the Approval Seeker’s record. If the seekers claim is yet to be processed, continue processing.

If the Approval Seekers claim has already been completed with a NEF status, a SOA claim will be required for the seekers claim to be reassessed.

Procedure ends here.

Has the Approval Seekers claim been completed with a result of NEF?

• Yes, the NEF is the correct result. Procedure ends here
• No, go to Step 7

If there are duplicate Approval ID’s and there is no evidence to support a change in relationship type for the Approval Giver:

• Assess the claim which will provide a correct outcome of NEF ANV as the Approval giver is not valid
• Make a genuine attempt to contact the customer by phone to advise of the unfavourable decision. Use Desktop Electronic Messaging Capability (DEMC) to inform the customer they will be receiving a phone call
• Tell the customer if they want to claim PPL they need to:
• lodge a new claim for PPL
• remind the Approval Giver to select the correct relationship
• Record all details in the NEF claim finalisation Note, including:
• contact attempts made
• if contact is successful, details of the conversation and information provided
• if contact is unsuccessful, instructions regarding action required should the customer contact

Go to Step 9.

Some customers may have more than one valid approval ID due to having more than one effective PPL claim for a child.

For example, a PPL claimant in normal circumstances claiming as an Approval Seeker subsequently lodged a PPL claim in exceptional circumstances as an Approval Giver where the birth mother is now incapable of caring for the child for at least 26 weeks

This customer will have 2 Approval IDs. In this situation the Approval ID linked to the PPL claim in normal circumstances will need to be made inactive.

Does the customer have more than one valid PPL claim for the child (i.e. exceptional circumstances have occurred)?

• Yes, go to Step 9
• No, and:
• the duplicate Approval ID needs to made invalid, go to Step 9
• there is no duplicate/multiple Approval ID, procedure ends here

Escalations to specialist staff for updating an Approval ID status to inactive/invalid can be made via a webform. To access the webform:

• go to the Business Process and Design Branch Intranet page
• select the link to the National ICT Referral Process in the Featured content section
• select the webform PPL DIS override/Reopen claim/Multiple Approval IDs Request

Ensure all the required information has been supplied as per the webform request, or the reassessment may not be able to be undertaken.

Once the specialist officer has completed the update, they will respond with the outcome.

Note: where the Approval Giver provided the approval to claim and share days for an Approval Seeker on a duplicate Approval ID (this can be checked by navigating to the Parental Leave Pay (PPL) Approval Giver Permission (P1APD) screen), the approval will need to be transferred over the correct Approval ID once the duplicate Approval ID has been made invalid by running the PPL Approval Giver Task workflow on the Approval Giver’s record. This can only be completed if an Approval Seekers claim has not yet been submitted. Where an Approval Seekers claim has already been submitted (for example, is not a SOA shell):

• Regenerate the Approval Seeker’s claim and update the status to Not Required
• Create a PPL SOA shell. Enter the details from the claim that was marked as not required (including using the same date of receipt) as per Processing standalone and combined claims for family assistance and/or Paid Parental Leave scheme payments
• Once the SOA is ready to be finalised:
• Go to the Approval Giver’s record outside of the SOA and run the PPL Approval Giver Task workflow as per Table 4
• Finalise the PPL Approval Giver Task in Approval Givers record
• Return to the SOA in Approval Seeker’s record and finalise the claim

Individuals are limited to the maximum entitlement of PPL days. For children born:

• between 1 July 2023 - 30 June 2024, this is 100 days
• on or after 1 July 2024, this is 110 days

See Eligibility for Paid Parental Leave (PPL) for children born or entering care on or after 1 July 2023.

For example, a customer needs to have an Approval ID changed from Active to Inactive due to initially being a PPL claimant in normal circumstances and has now claimed as a PPL claimant in exceptional circumstances for the same child.

To ensure customers are not paid more than the maximum entitlement of PPL days, any active Approval ID connected to a previously open PPL claim must be changed to inactive.

To update the status of the Approval ID of inactive in Process Direct, go to the Approval Giver’s record:

• Key Start into the Super Key and select PPL Update Approval Giver Details workflow from the Task Selector
• Select Start
• Select Edit in the Action field
• Approval ID status, select Inactive
• Select Save
• Select Assess on the Errors (SWE) screen to go to the Entitlement (ELD) screen
• Select Finalise

Where a duplicate Approval ID needs to be made invalid due to:

• incorrect relationship to the child and a subsequent Approval ID has been created with the correct relationship to the child
• the customer/child/partner having a multiple CRN
• differing Approval IDs based on expected or actual DOB
• an Approval ID has been incorrectly created within an Approval Seeker claim where exceptional circumstances do not exist

To update the status of the Approval ID to Invalid in Process Direct, go to the Approval Giver’s record:

• Key Start into the Super Key and select PPL Update Approval Giver Details workflow from the Task Selector
• Select Start
• Select Edit in the Action field
• Approval ID status, select Invalid
• Approval ID status reason, select Duplicate Approval IDs
• Select Save
• Select Assess on the Errors (SWE) screen to go to the Entitlement (ELD) screen
• Select Finalise