Special Benefit (SpB) reviews 003-08070000

The review process is to:

• assess the customer's ongoing eligibility for SpB
• make sure SpB is still the correct payment for the customer under Social Security Act 1991 - Section 729 Qualification for special benefit

SpB is a discretionary payment and only payable where the customer is unable to:

• get any other social security pension or social security benefit, and
• earn a sufficient livelihood for themselves and their dependants (if any) because of age, disability or domestic circumstances or for any other reason, and
• meet the residence requirement for SpB

The rate of SpB is determined at the discretion of the decision maker, taking account of the degree of support the customer needs. The rate of SpB cannot exceed the rate of JobSeeker Payment (JSP), Youth Allowance (YA) or Austudy the customer would receive if they qualified for one of those payments.

Help the customer apply for the appropriate payment

SpB can only be paid if another social security pension/benefit payment is not payable. When speaking with a customer or if allocated an activity, all staff must:

• Check if the customer has met or is meeting the age and residence requirements for another payment within 13 weeks. Run an Assisted Customer Claim (ACC) including early claim, for the appropriate payment where possible. If unable to run an ACC, advise the customer to apply for the appropriate payment. The payment can be:
  • Age Pension
  • Disability Support Pension
  • Carer Payment
  • Parenting Payment (Single or Partnered)
  • Youth Allowance
  • Austudy
  • JobSeeker Payment
  • ABSTUDY
  • If the customer has turned 16 or is turning 16 years in the next 13 weeks, see Special Benefit customer turns 16.

Customers must notify changes of circumstances within 14 days

• Remind the customer to notify Centrelink of any change in circumstances for them or their partner within 14 days to avoid overpayment. See General notification provisions and exceptions. A customer and partner’s change in circumstances includes, but is not limited to:
  • Name
  • Relationship status
  • Address, including any temporary or postal
  • Contact details, for example phone and email
  • Rent or accommodation arrangement
  • Visa
  • Employment
  • Self-employment
  • Income
  • Foreign pension
  • Child(ren)’s care arrangements
  • Nominee arrangements
  • In-kind or financial support
  • Study
  • Scholarship
• If a dependent child is receiving SpB because their custodial parent/guardian is not residentially qualified for an social security pension or benefit:
  • Check if the custodial parent/guardian has now been granted a permanent visa or a qualifying temporary visa and help them to apply for the appropriate payment
  • If the parent/guardian is still holding a non-eligible visa, remind them to notify Centrelink of any change in circumstances for them, their partner, and their SpB child within 14 days

If the Service Officer cannot answer the customer's query, seek support from the Tier 0 technical support - self-sufficiency.

When processing SpB file reviews, SpB processing staff make discretionary decision to determine the ‘SpB period' appropriate for the individual customer’s circumstances and document the ‘SpB period’ on the customer record.

The ‘SpB period’ is a legal requirement to determine the length of time the customer may be eligible for SpB based on individual customer circumstance. See Section 729(1) in the SS Act 1991.

When determining the SpB period, staff must consider:

• when the customer will become eligible for another payment; and
• when the customer would be able to earn a sufficient livelihood for themselves and their dependants

The ‘SpB period’ may change if the customer’s circumstances have changed. For example, if the customer has travelled overseas, their Newly Arrived Residents Waiting Period (NARWP) or Qualifying Residence Period is extended then the ‘SpB period’ is also extended.

Example: a 70 year old SpB customer will meet the 10 year residence requirement for Age Pension in 6 months. The customer is unable to earn a sufficient livelihood because it is unlikely for the customer to be able to find employment due to their age and the customer has no other means of support. SpB processing staff determined the ‘SpB period’ appropriate for this customer’s circumstances would be 6 months. The SpB processing staff creates the ‘Special Benefit File Review’ Fast Note to document the decision to determine the SpB period of 6 months and include all relevant factors considered. The new review date (Eligibility End Date - EED) is coded for 13 weeks on the customer record.

File reviews are completed every 13 weeks for SpB customers. It is a policy requirement to determine the customer’s ongoing eligibility for SpB. See 6.2.6.10 SpB reviews - quarterly & annual intensive reviews.

When completing the 13 week file review, staff make a fresh determination of the customer’s SpB qualification based on the available information on the record.

The SpB file reviews are triggered through a Manual Follow-up (MFU) activity.

SpB processing staff are allocated the MFU through Workload Manager (WLM) to complete a file review when:

• SpB current customer with a review date (EED) in 21 days
• SpB current customer 1-14 days past the review date (EED) if the 13 week file review was not actioned
• SpB Under 16 Years (USY) current customer turns 16 in 13 weeks
• SpB USY current customer is 16 or older

Only the SpB processing staff can finalise the MFU. See the Resources page for details of the MFUs.

When allocated the MFU, the SpB processing team must:

• assess the customer's ongoing eligibility for SpB against Section 729(2) of the Social Security Act 1991
• identify and help the customer apply for the appropriate payment, including early claims, if they have met or will meet the age and residence requirements within 13 weeks
• make sure SpB is still the correct payment for the customer and they receive the correct rate
• update the review date (EED) on the NMIS screen to trigger a file review every 13 weeks as a policy requirement
• determine how long the customer would be eligible for SpB and document the ‘SpB period’ on customer record as a legal requirement

If the customer has met or is meeting the age and residence requirement for another social security pension or benefit within 13 weeks, the SpB processing staff must contact the customer and run an Assisted Customer Claim (ACC) for the appropriate payment where possible. If unable to run an ACC, staff initially send a SpB Manual Invite letter, then a second letter - SpB Manual S63 Notice requiring the customer contact Centrelink. Non-compliance to the S63 notice may result in payment suspension and cancellation.

When assessing SpB qualification, SpB processing staff consider all relevant factors and make a discretionary decision to determine if the customer is unable to earn a sufficient livelihood for themselves and their dependants (if any) under Section 729(2)(e) of the Social Security Act 1991.

Staff must be aware that:

• The customer can remain on SpB if the new payment is not yet payable as long as the claimant continues to be entitled to receive SpB
• SpB is paid to customers who can be vulnerable and unable to receive any other payment. It is important to take appropriate care and consideration and use discretion
• If the customer is likely to stay entitled to SpB, take reasonable steps to avoid the customer having their payment suspended or cancelled
• Determine eligibility based on available information on the customer record, and process the file review unless it indicates they are no longer entitled. Contact the customer if important eligibility information is needed
• they should only send a Request for Information (RFI) if needed to finalise the SpB activity. This includes if the customer is likely to lose qualification for SpB in the current or next review period

Staff must code $0 in the Available Funds ($) field on the SPL Start Date (NSOD) screen. SpB is only payable where a person is not eligible for another social security pension or benefit or is unable to earn a sufficient livelihood for themselves and their dependents. Services Australia must not automatically cancel or reject SpB customers because the customer has exceeded the available funds test.

If the customer requires SpB for more than 13 weeks in the future, staff must code the ‘Long Term Available Funds (LAF)’ on the NSOD screen. If the customer requires SpB for less than 13 weeks in the future, code ‘Short Term Available Funds (SAF)’ test.

An AIR is a review completed each 12 months after the customer is on payment. It is a manual process, separate from the 13 week file reviews.

The AIR is currently paused.

SpB processing staff must complete the AIR as a file review if they are allocated the AIR through the:

• HNR SPL long term annual intensive review, or
• HMR SPL short term annual intensive review