Identifying customer vulnerability and risk issues 003-06010000

Scenario

Possible indicators of vulnerability

Possible impacts on the customer’s interaction with the agency

A customer is in receipt of Centrelink and Child Support payments. The customer advises that recently the Child Support payments have been erratic, as the paying parent has recently become unemployed. The customer is worried to ask the paying parent about the payments. The customer’s child has a medical condition, and they need to pay for the specialist appointments, and as such, money is becoming very tight.

• financial hardship
• possible family and domestic violence
• caring responsibilities
• serious health issues for the child
• mental health and wellbeing of the customer and/or paying parent

• May be worried about the privacy of information, particularly if there is family and domestic violence present
• Stress and distress related to financial hardship and caring responsibilities may impact on decision making
• May be reluctant to discuss or respond to some questions with children present
• May be worried to disclose certain vulnerable circumstances such as risk of homelessness due to fear of child protection authority involvement

A customer contacts the agency requesting their own Medicare card as their parent will not let them use theirs anymore. Their parent told them they had to get out of the house last week and will not let them return to get any of their belongings. They are staying with a friend for short-term accommodation and need to open up a bank account to apply for a payment. They need a Medicare card as a form of identification.

• young person at risk
• homelessness
• financial hardship
• possible family and domestic violence

• It may be difficult to organise the documents required for a claim for payment
• Customer may be at risk of financial exploitation
• Unstable accommodation may make it difficult to meet education or employment requirements
• Stress related to financial hardship may impact on communication

A customer has contacted as they have received notification that they had been overpaid and now have a debt of $3000. The customer is stressed and explains she feels unable to pay it back when she has four children to feed and struggling to focus on anything with her father passing away a few weeks ago. She also explains she has been unable to afford appointments with her psychologist recently.

• financial hardship due to the debt and cost of living
• mental health as the customer is seeing a psychologist
• bereavement, which may make other vulnerable circumstances worse

• Stress related to debt and financial hardship, impacting on decision making and communication
• Distress because of grief and a sense of helplessness and embarrassment about not being able to support the children
• Fear of legal action
• Possible frustration if the customer believes they have fulfilled their reporting requirements and confusion about the cause of the debt

Child Support

Customer is a receiving parent from a Culturally and Linguistically diverse background. They do not understand why a higher income has been applied to their child support assessment, resulting in reduced entitlement.

• difficulty understanding correspondence or assessment decisions
• language, literacy or communication barriers
• financial hardship or risk of hardship

• May have difficulty understanding decisions, obligations or review options
• May require interpreter services or additional support
• May be unable to effectively communicate relevant information.
• Financial stress may affect decision-making and engagement

Receiving parent has a private collect arrangement and advises child support payments are not being received. They are concerned about the paying parent’s reaction if they seek Child Support collection assistance.

• financial hardship or risk of hardship
• fear of conflict, retaliation or negative consequences
• possible family and domestic violence
• wellbeing concerns

• May be reluctant to disclose circumstances or seek assistance
• May have difficulty making decisions due to stress, anxiety or safety concerns
• May require privacy protections or safe communication arrangements
• Financial and caring responsibilities may affect engagement with the agency

Medicare

A parent requests to transfer their 2 young children to a new Medicare card as they are separating from the other parent following a family breakdown.

• family breakdown or separation
• possible family and domestic violence (FDV)
• concerns about privacy and safety
• emotional distress

• May be concerned about the safety and privacy of the information they provide
• May be reluctant to disclose their circumstances
• May require separating safely procedure
• Stress may affect decision-making and engagement

A customer requests to change the name on their Medicare record.

• possible family and domestic violence (FDV)
• recent separation or relationship breakdown
• change in personal circumstances
• concerns about safety and privacy

• May be concerned about the safety and privacy of personal information
• May require sensitive handling of personal details
• May need more support to understand processes and requirements
• Stress or safety concerns may affect communication and engagement