ABSTUDY system coding for manual rate of payment 108-12020030

Where the customer:

• is declaring income and a manual rate of payment has already been recorded, go to Step 2
• has an ABSTUDY manual rate of payment review to be actioned, go to Step 3
• needs a manual rate of payment:
• commenced, go to Step 6
• ceased, go to Step 8

On entry to the Recording and correcting employment income details to update earnings, including as part of a fortnightly report where this is applicable, a warning prompt will display advising the customer is on a manual rate.

Service centres and smart centre call are unable to adjust or add a manual rate. When a prompt advises the Service Officer that the customer is on a manual rate the procedure is:

• process the earnings update in the workflow in Customer First
• finalise the workflow on the Earnings Outcomes screen which will invoke AR processing. Note: the Earnings Outcomes screen will provide advice about the payment outcomes that will not show any change in rate
• on the Assessment Results (AR) screen answer 'No' when asked if want to approve

This will leave an unfinalised earnings activity on the Activity List (AL) screen. Service centres and smart centre call are unable to adjust or add a manual rate. If an activity requires a manual rate assessment, the activity should only be finalised, along with any rate recalculation by ABSTUDY Smart Centre Processing team.

• For ABSTUDY smart centre processing staff, go to Step 4
• For all other staff:
• Send an ABSTUDY High Priority Action request Fast Note to the ABSTUDY Smart Centre Processing team, ensuring all relevant information is included
• Use Fast Note - select Auto Text, use Students, ABSTUDY & Apprentices > Update > ABSTUDY High Priority Action request > select Confirm
• Procedure ends here

In some circumstances, a manual rate coded on the Rate Component Override (EPRC) screen will need to be reviewed.

A manual review activity may:

• present on the activity list (AL) screen
• be allocated for staff action via Workload Manager (WLM)
• be self-identified by a Service Officer

Investigate the record and confirm if a manual rate is still required based on the customer’s circumstances.

Is the manual rate coding on the (EPRC) screen still required?

• Yes, go to Step 4
• No, go to Step 8

Investigate the record and decide if the manual rate amount needs to be updated. Factors to consider include:

• the reasons the customer was initially placed onto a manual rate
• changes in rates and thresholds
• changes in the customer’s circumstances

Does the manual rate coded on EPRC need updating?

• Yes, go to Step 6
• No, and the Future Activity List (FAL) screen shows that a manual review:
• is present, procedure ends here
• is not present, go to Step 5

A new manual review will be needed to adjust rates as required after any reassessments, such as Consumer Price Index (CPI) increases.

• Create a new manual review for further follow up on the Review Registration (RVR) screen in Customer First, and complete the fields as follows:
• Service Reason: ABY
• Review Reason: REV (Manual Review)
• Due Date: for manual rates of Rent Assistance or Living Allowance (22 and over) use the earlier of 20 March or 20 September. For manual rates of all other payment components including Living Allowance (under 22), use 1 January
• Source: INT
• Date of Receipt: today's date
• Notes: 'Review EPRC coded manual rate. Refer to OB 108-12020030 for action.'
• Keywords: ACTABY & URGENT
• Workgroup: leave blank
• Position: leave blank
• Transfer to Region: ABS

Procedure ends here.

The Rate Component Override (EPRC) screen in the ISS system is used to adjust the customer's rate of payment.

Access the EPRC screen, using field help to determine the relevant value to code. In the following fields:

• Start Date, key start date for the override
• End Date, key the end date (if non-standard rate will be for a defined period). Note: for a non-fortnightly payment, e.g. a one-off component such as Incidentals Allowance, the end date must be the same as the start date
• Component, key the override type. Use field help ('?') for the type of payment, if required
• Reason, key the reason
• Amount, key the new rate amount if necessary. Dollar amount is required depending on override type
• if the customer was receiving Adjusted Disability Pension from DVA before 1 January 2022 and the circumstance change is for a date before 1 January 2022:
• to check if the customer is eligible for any Defence Force Income Support Allowance (DFISA), authorised staff in the DVA Clearance Team must code a manual calculation on the DFISA Calculation Summary (DFS) and DFISA Calculation Details (DFD) screens
• the system will transmit this information to the DVA system to pay the DFISA payment
• Source and DOR fields. Press [Enter]
• Finalise activity on the Assessment Results (AR) screen

The ISS system will update the customer's record and pay the new rate of payment:

• Record information on a DOC advising reasons for non-standard rate of payment
• Create/update a Display on Access (DOA) DOC to alert Service Officers that a manual rate applies. See Creating, reviewing and deleting documents (including Fast Notes and DOA DOCs)
• Unless the coding on EPRC includes an end date prior to the next CPI increase date, create a manual review in Customer First on the Review Registration (RVR) screen and complete the fields as follows:
• Service Reason: ABY
• Review Reason: REV (Manual Review)
• Due Date: for manual rates of Rent Assistance or Living Allowance (22 and over) use the earlier of 20 March or 20 September. For manual rates of all other payment components including Living Allowance (under 22), use 1 January
• Source: INT
• Date of Receipt: today's date
• Notes: 'Review EPRC coded manual rate. Refer to OB 108-12020030 for action.'
• Keywords: ACTABY & URGENT
• Workgroup: leave blank
• Position: leave blank
• Transfer to Region: ABS
• The review will mature on the Due Date coded in the RVR activity. Workload Management will allocate the review for manual action
• Create a Q888 to advise the customer of the new rate. See the Resources page for Q888 template

Procedure ends here.

The manual rate will need to be end dated on the Rate Component Override (EPRC) screen.

• On the EPRC screen:
• key 'C' beside the line to be amended
• in the End Date field, enter the date the non-standard rate is to cease
• enter Source and DOR fields. Press [Enter]
• finalise activity on AR screen
• Record details on a DOC advising non-standard rate of payment to cease
• End date the Display on Access (DOA) DOC from the date the manual rate ceases to apply
• Cancel the ABSTUDY manual rate of payment review (if any) on the Future Activity List (FAL) screen

Procedure ends here.