Immediate payment by payment method Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card 003-10030020

Having funds deposited directly into a nominated account is more secure and safer for customers. It is the expected way to pay customers (rather than EBTs which should only be a one off, not a regular way to receive payment).

NPP enables immediate delivery of payments to customers. Customers will also have the flexibility to access the funds as they need, rather than withdrawing the full amount at an ATM in one transaction.

The Resources page has a list of financial institutions that accept NPP payments.

EBT cards:

• are only to be issued to customers to meet their immediate needs
• are only payable in multiples of $20 or $50. To make sure the customer can withdraw the full amount from an ATM, do not pay amounts such as $10 or $30, and
• allow immediate access to cash via the ATM network. If card is lost, any funds withdrawn by a third party are not recoverable

Most social security pensions and benefits can be paid early when the customer is in severe financial hardship due to exceptional and unforeseen circumstances. An urgent payment can also be made if the customer is in financial hardship due to Centrelink delay or needs help with the expenses related to a funeral.

Family Tax Benefit (FTB) and one-off payments of a significant amount are an example of payments that cannot be paid as an urgent payment. Other payment types may be ineligible for an urgent payment.

To determine if the customer is eligible for an urgent payment, see:

• Urgent payments due to exceptional and unforeseen or extraordinary circumstances
• Urgent payments due to expenses associated with a funeral
• Urgent payments due to Centrelink delay
• Urgent payments due to holiday processing
• Making a decision about a hardship advance or anticipated payment

If the customer has been assessed and is entitled to an immediate payment, the preferred method of payment is by direct credit, NPP or RTGS paid directly into the customer's account. This enables the full entitlement amount to be delivered directly to the customer.

In limited circumstances an EBT card can be issued to give the customer access to cash to meet their immediate needs. For urgent payments due to exceptional, unforeseen or extraordinary circumstances, EBT cards can only have a maximum of $200 loaded onto the card. Amounts over $200 should only be paid for situations such as an urgent payment due to Centrelink delay.

Customers can request an urgent payment using the following channels:

• Smart Centre telephony services
• service centre
• Centrelink online account, or
• the IVR service. The IVR and Centrelink online account can only be used to request payments due to exceptional and unforeseen circumstances

Urgent payments via self service channels are issued by NPP or RTGS or Direct Credit.

When issuing an urgent or immediate payment to a customer, consider the hierarchy of payment methods and the best way to issue the payment to the customer.

Give preference to paying the customer via their bank account by direct credit, the NPP or RTGS.

Only consider an EBT card when the customer's situation is extreme and there is no other payment option.

Urgent payments of Farm Household Allowance (FHA) and Status Resolution Support Services (SRSS) can only be issued via direct credit or RTGS.

See examples below of when to consider an EBT card.

• NPP or RTGS are unavailable and payment by direct credit may make the customer's hardship worse or will be too late to meet their immediate need. Only then should the below payments be considered
• Crisis Payment (CrP) and the anticipated payment/hardship advance to help customers meet their immediate needs if:
• the customer has been a victim of family and domestic violence, or the victim remains in the family home while the family member responsible has left home
• released from prison or psychiatric care
• forced from their home due to extreme circumstances such as a house fire
• AGDRP or NZ DRP if the customer is eligible
• When granting CrP and the anticipated release payment/hardship advance, consider issuing just one payment via EBT and any others via NPP, RTGS or direct credit. The EBT should only be issued to meet the customer’s immediate needs
• The customer is in the process of getting a bank account. See Payment destination for what the customer needs to do. EBT cards must not be used ongoing in place of a bank account
• A fee may be charged to get the RTGS payment. Services Australia no longer has access to this information. The customer may need to confirm this with their financial institution
• The customer's bank account is overdrawn. Note: customers should still be able to access at least 90% of their income support payment when sent to an overdrawn account. See Protection of customer payments for more information
• For payments other than CrP and disaster assistance. If the customer has not had a regular payment into the account, do not use NPP or RTGS. For example, when reissuing a returned payment or if the customer advised new account details. Use NPP and RTGS only when Services Australia has already issued a regular payment to the account

Note: all EBT cards must be issued to a recipient in person and they must complete Proof of Record Ownership (PORO).

Service Officer(s) will:

• assess the customer's eligibility including investigating alternative methods of payment and offering other assistance when appropriate
• verify customer circumstances if urgent payment is due to expenses associated with a funeral, and
• determine the amount and method of payment

If a customer has a Managed Service Plan (MSP) in place, Services Officers must follow the servicing arrangements in the MSP. Any decision to grant an immediate payment must be made in consultation with the customer’s One Main Contact or Personalised Services officer. If the customer is restricted from attending a service centre, staff must consider other payment methods (such as direct credit, NPP, RTGS or payment nominee) for any urgent payment.

When an EBT card is approved by the Smart Centre, the customer will be advised to collect the card by close of business on the same day from their nearest service centre. The customer needs to give the appropriate authentication and verification.

A customer cannot apply for an EBT card when claiming an urgent payment using the IVR service or Centrelink online account. A Service Officer can only approve payment by EBT card.

To reduce customer contacts/visits to offices, staff must consider if the alternative methods of delivery such as direct credit, NPP and RTGS are more appropriate.

An EBT card must not be issued to the customer before the card is activated.

A card is activated once the following details have been recorded in the host payment system:

• issue amount
• payment method
• EBT card number
• EBT issued date

Check the EBT Card Summary (EBSM) and Payment Summary (PS) screens to make sure these details are present before issuing the card to the customer.

The PIN must be issued with the EBT card. PINs for EBT cards are revealed by scratching away the latex covering on the PIN slip. Service Officers must not reveal the PINs (must not scratch away the covering). Before giving the EBT card and PIN to the customer, the Service Officer must make sure the EBT card has been activated and the customer has:

• signed a Record of Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card issue (SS292) to acknowledge receipt of the EBT card and PIN, and
• been issued with a How to use your Electronic Benefits Transfer card (13240) factsheet. The value of the EBT card must be recorded on the factsheet

The Resources page includes links to the SS292 form and factsheet.

When a payment is granted, it will generally be delivered in one or two business days depending on the payment type.

For customers granted an immediate payment, staff can reissue some or all of the payment via the New Payments Platform (NPP) or Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS), depending on the customer’s financial institution’s capabilities, or via an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card.

Both the original and immediate payments will display on the Payment Summary (PS) screen for staff and on the View Payments History for customers via Centrelink Online Accounts. These payments will display by most recent delivery date.

The original payment will show the full Gross amount, with the Net amount reduced by the immediate payment amount delivered via EBT Card.

The immediate payment will display under the original payment and can be identified by ‘EBT Card’ under the ‘Type’ column.

Customers must be advised:

• the EBT card is to meet their immediate needs. Any other funds will be sent to their payment destination
• make one withdrawal immediately for the whole amount on the EBT card
• if an ATM advises a transaction fee will be charged to withdraw money, answer 'Yes'. The fee will not be charged to the customer and the amount available will not reduce
• bend the card in half and place it in the ATM bin after completing the withdrawal
• EBT cards are for one-off use. The customer must get a bank account for any ongoing and future payments

Make sure the customer record is the correct one by asking authentication questions to verify Proof of Record Ownership (PORO) before assessing or issuing, an immediate payment. See Authenticating a Centrelink customer for a detailed process.

If the customer contacts in person, it is preferable the customer also gives identity documents including one photo identity document for a manual-visual comparison. If this is not available and the Service Officer is in doubt they are speaking with the customer, they must ask more authentication questions. Authentication questions must not be limited to details a customer's friends and relatives are aware of such as the customer's date of birth or how many children are in the family. The questions must be searching but must not be so personal as to be intrusive. If appropriate, it is important to explain to the customer why they are being asked these questions.

If the Service Officer is in doubt they are speaking to the customer, information must not be released and the immediate payment application must be verbally denied.