Reporting requirements for customers receiving a payment with mutual obligation requirements 001-18120536

To be eligible for variable reporting:

• the customer or their partner must not currently be working or receiving employment income, or
• the customer must not be indebted to the Commonwealth under the Act (except if the debt is a third party debt or incurred through no fault of the customer, or the debt is another government department debt or any Community Development Employment Project (CDEP) debts incurred before 20 September 1996). Check the following:
• General Information (OPGI) screen for each debt
• Participation Compliance Summary (BIIS) for an urgent issue. Make sure there are no outstanding compliance actions pending

Variable reporting is automated in most cases, excluding the 'Temp Incap - Serious Illness' (ISI) and the Special Benefit (SpB) 'Newly Released NVH (First 13wks)' (ASR) exemptions. This means the system will determine if the customer's mutual obligation requirements or other circumstances indicate they are eligible for variable reporting and will apply the change to their record if eligible.

In Process Direct, check the Activity and Exemption Summary (AEX) screen.

A customer will be automatically placed on variable reporting if they have one or more of the following current exemptions or approved activities on their record:

• a 'Claiming DSP' (DSP) exemption
• an activity type of participating in the Adult Migrant Education (AME)
• a 'Refugee in first 13 weeks in Australia' (REF) exemption
• a 'Refugee first 6 months' (R6M) exemption

Note: if a customer has not automatically been placed on variable reporting for one of the above reasons, it is highly likely that they do not meet the qualifications for the variable reporting to be recorded. Customers not meeting the earnings/debt test should not be manually placed on variable reporting unless they are only affected by recent earnings and have confirmed they have ceased work and are not expecting to receive any further own or partner earnings.

A job seeker can be manually placed on variable reporting if they have one or more of the following current exemptions or approved activities on their record:

• a 'Newly Released NVH (First 13wks)' (ASR) exemption (SpB only)
• a 'Temp Incap - Serious Illness' (ISI) exemption

Is there sufficient information on the customer's record to determine their eligibility for a manual variable reporting regime?

• Yes, go to Step 2
• No:
• Explain to the customer why they do not satisfy the variable reporting criteria
• Record the reason on a DOC
• Procedure ends here

To update the reporting frequency, update the Reporting Regime Details (RPRD) screen manually in Customer First:

• select the most recent Start Date hyperlink of the Current/Future Reports table, or from the Reporting Regime Summary (RPRS) screen:
• select the relevant frequency of reporting in the Frequency: field
• select DIS in the Reason for requirement: field
• insert the expiry date of the regime in the Man Rsn Expiry: field
• insert the relevant Source: and Receipt Date: (usually 'T' for today)
• select Ins in the Action: field
• select [Enter]
• the RPRD screen will be updated and redisplay. For more information, see Reporting screens
• record the decision on a DOC

Note: the system will automatically update the date in the Man Rsn Expiry: field if it exceeds the maximum allowable period of the regime or the manual reason is not ending on an Entitlement Period End Day (EPED).

Complete the activity on the Assessment Results (AR) screen. The system will change the frequency of reporting for the customer and issue an advice advising of the new dates.

Note: when applying a variable reporting regime on the customer's reporting day (Entitlement Period End Day EPED), and the customer has not yet reported for that day, the system will automatically stimulate the person's payment as part of completing the activity. This is regarded as their first 'non reporting day' in their variable reporting cycle and they will generally need to report on their next EPED.

Is the customer's benefit status cancelled CAN/DNL or CAN/FRP for not reporting and the customer is requesting restoration of payment?

• Yes, go to Step 2
• No, go to Step 3

Clarify if the customer needs to declare employment income or if there has been any change of circumstances for any other period other than the current period.

To restore payments, see Restoration of payments.

Review the customer's activity type and eligibility for variable reporting.

Note: in most instances, the system will identify the correct reporting frequency for the customer.

Does the reporting frequency need to be changed?

• Yes, go to Step 4
• No, procedure ends here

In most cases, the system will change or maintain the customer's reporting frequency based on their current circumstances. If the system has automatically placed a customer on variable reporting and it needs to be changed, or the variable reporting needs to be coded manually:

• to place customers on variable reporting, see Table 1
• to take customers off variable reporting, see Table 3

The reasons for changing a reporting period must be recorded on a DOC.

For information on automatic variable reporting processing and tables with suggested reporting frequency based on activity type, see the Resources page.

Does the Reporting Regime Summary (RPRS)/Reporting Regime Details (RPRD) screen show a current or future 2 weekly (2WE) reporting profile?

• Yes, this procedure does not apply as the variable reporting has ended or is in the process of ending
• No, and the current variable reporting regime shown on the RPRS/RPRD screen has a reason:
• of SPM, the customer's service profiling will need to be updated to put the customer back onto fortnightly reporting. Go to Step 2
• other than SPM (for example, DIS), the customer's current reporting regime will need to be manually updated on the RPRD screen to put the customer back onto fortnightly reporting. Go to Step 3

Note: when ending variable reporting, suitable time must be allowed for the issue of the reporting notification. The variable reporting cycle will generally be closed off with a final report before the new 2 weekly (2WE) regime is applied. For example, the 2WE 'SPM' profile will commence from the day after the next report.

When the below processes are followed the system correctly accounts for this notification period to set the next due report date. The customer's requirement to report any changes of circumstances on their non reporting Entitlement Period End Day (EPED) remains in force until the 2WE reporting profile commences.

Under no circumstances is the RPRD screen to be used to bring forward 2 weekly reporting when a future 2WE reporting profile is already present on the system.

To update the reporting frequency back to 2 weekly statement reporting:

• go to the Profiling CSA Identified Circumstances (PQCIC) screen in Customer First
• select the Reason field and insert 2WE, select [Enter]. This will generate a profiling predictor 'Customer circs indicate 2WE reporting' with an end date three months in the future
• if the approved activity or exemption is:
• still ongoing but the exemption needs to be ended for a reason such as income or a debt, and
• the approved activity or exemptions is ending before the three month point, and
• it is not expected to be extended, then
• the end date should be set to the end of the activity or exemption
• if the activity or exemption has ended:
• set the end date for six weeks in the future to allow service profiling to take effect and manage the reporting
• complete the activity on the Assessment Results (AR) screen
• make sure that the customer is advised of their next report due date (if present)

Update the Reporting Regime Details (RPRD) screen in Customer First:

• select the most recent Start Date hyperlink of the Current/Future Reports table, or from the Reporting Regime Summary (RPRS) screen:
• select the relevant frequency of reporting in the Frequency: field
• insert the expiry date of the regime in the Man Rsn Expiry: field
• insert the relevant Source: and Receipt Date: (usually 'T' for today)
• select Ins in the Action: field
• complete the activity on the Assessment Results (AR) screen
• the RPRD screen will update and redisplay. For more information, see Reporting screens
• make sure that the job seeker is advised of their next report due date

Note: if compliance action is generated for customer during a period they do not need to lodge due to a variable reporting regime, contact will still be required with the Participation Solutions Team (PST) to release payment. Reporting, however, may only be required from the following fortnight to allow for the correct notification of the requirement.