Raising Assurance of Support (AoS) debts 005-03060000

When an assurer cannot provide adequate support, the assuree may be eligible to receive a payment.

Before receiving payments, the assurer is contacted to confirm and complete the Assurance of Support Check List (AOCL) screen. For more information on investigating AOS debts, see Assessing and coding the Assurance of Support (AoS) Mod AR.

Service Officers may need to request the following resource in the ICT Security Portal (ISP):

• ACEUSER (ISP Category: ACF (SAMS) - PROD - ARCHIVE CULLING ENGINE)

See Using the Archive and Culling Engine (ACE) to access archived Assurance of Support (AoS) data.

Assurance of Support period

There are some instances where the start and end date are blank on the AoS Bond Details (AOBD) screen, for example:

• the Assuree Arrival Details (AOAE) screen on the assuree's record has not been updated, or
• there may be a possible multiple record

See Assurance of Support (AoS) reviews.

• Complete the AoS Debt Proforma on the Resources page as part of an Expiry or Yearly Review
• Use the Payment Summary Tool to calculate the debt. See Payment Details Download Sheet (PS Tool).
  Note:
• Use Microsoft Edge to launch the PS Tool. If the Payment Tool does not work, re-run/run the 365 Apps Fix for Appeals and Compliance Macro Tools - Run (available from the Software Centre)
• Only have Customer Record open. Close any Process Direct and Customer First windows
• Assurer AoS debts are reduced by the equivalent amount of any assuree determined debts for the relevant AoS period

When a notification is provided that an assuree or assurer has died, Services Officers must:

• complete the death action
• confirm the death before any debt action is taken

See Death of income support customer or their partner.

Do not contact the executor or third party (verbal or written) until 4 weeks have passed since the customer's death. Exercise sensitivity always when discussing a debt with an executor or third party.

See Recovering debts from a deceased customer's estate.

For help assessing a customer’s individual circumstances, refer to Local Peer Support (LPS). See Tier 1 technical support - Local Peer Support (LPS).

Has the Service Officer identified that an assuree or assurer has died in the past 4 weeks?

• Yes, if a debt needs to be raised on deceased party record:
• See Requesting refunds and raising debts for deceased customer
• Place the activity on hold with due date at the end of the 4 week bereavement period
• This includes a bond release request SU631 form, yearly and expiry reviews
• Note: an exception would be if the executor has made contact during this period and confirms that the debt can be processed
• Record details on a DOC, include relevant information
• When the activity comes off hold, it will allocate to a suitably skilled Service Officer to action
• No, go to Step 4

Before raising an AoS debt, check if letters to the assurer are inhibited due to family and domestic violence:

• Within the review, check Review Details for the 'Inhibit Letter Status'
• Outside of the review or Manual Debt, open Process Direct and select Customer Summary
• Search for assuree's record
• Go to Inhibiting AoS letters (AOIL) screen

Conduct a file review if DOM - Domestic Violence is coded on the AOIL screen. Check if further contact has been made from the assuree for family and domestic violence since the initial social worker contact.

Has further contact been made by the assuree?

• Yes:
• Contact the social worker line for a case consult to discuss if there is any risk if contacting the assurer
• If there is no risk of contacting the assurer, update the AOIL screen to NOT - No Longer Inhibited
• Record details on a DOC, include relevant information
• No:
• Update the AOIL screen to NOT - NO LONGER INHIBITED
• Record details on a DOC, include relevant information

Go to Step 5.

Where the assuree (the recipient of the payment) is incorrectly paid, such as due to administrative error or misrepresentation, a debt may be raised against the assuree. This is:

• known as a 'qualification' debt
• not an AoS debt against the assuree
• an AoS debt only an assurer can owe, this debt owed by the assuree, is raised under Section 1223(1) of the Social Security Act

For more information, see the Resources page > Distinction between an AoS debt and a debt arising from a contravention of the Act.

If the assuree has a liable debt that is within the AoS period, this debt would not be included in any debts that the assurer would be liable for:

• Check the Debt Summary (DEBTDTL) screen in Process Direct to view debts
• Match the debt period by viewing details on each debt

Does the assuree have any debts that fall within their AoS period?

• Yes, if the debt/s are:
• undetermined on the assuree's record, use Fast Note - select Auto Text, use Debts > DMB Raising > Debt Raising Action DOC Request.
  Place the activity on hold for 14 days or until the debt has been determined
• determined in the AoS period, make sure this has been or is to be deducted from the assurer's debt calculations. Refer to Table 2 Manual AoS debts
• No, go to Step 6

Check if there are any existing or potential multiple or intertwined records (this applies to both the assurer and assuree). See Centrelink Multiple Match List (MML) screen.

Does the assuree have a multiple or intertwined record?

• Yes, go to Step 7
• No, continue to assess debt. For:
• Manual debt, see Table 2
• Yearly review, see Table 4
• Expiry review, see Table 5

Check if Data Quality Unit (DQU) has assessed the multiple/intertwined record. Check the Document List (DL) screen for a Display on Access (DOA) DOC by NA8 (DQU region code).

Has the multiple/intertwined record been determined by DQU?

• Yes, go to Step 8
• No, refer to DQU:
• For multiple records, see Centrelink customer has multiple Customer Reference Numbers (CRN)
• For intertwined records, see Intertwined Centrelink records
• Create hold to user for the activity for 5 days. Once DQU have made a determination, debt raising can continue

Has there been any recoverable social security payments granted on either the primary or multiple record?

Yes. Check which CRN has the AoS case coded and check the following:

• AoS case:
• Status of the case in Process Direct. It should display as ACC, CUR, EXP or On Hold
• Names of assurers and assurees
• CRN of assurees
• AoS period:
• Start and end date of the AoS period
• If a recoverable payment has been paid to the assuree during the AoS period
• Any AoS debt that have already been raised against the assurer's record
• Raise a manual debt on the primary record of the Assurer
• See Table 2

No. Continue to assess debt. For:

• Manual debt, see Table 2
• Yearly review, see Table 4
• Expiry review, see Table 5

Manual AoS debts are raised in the following circumstances:

• An assuree is granted an AoS recoverable payment on a multiple record, go to Step 2
• An Expiry or Yearly Review:
• where No data is showing, and a debt has been identified, go to Step 3
• work item has an incorrect start and/or end date, go to Step 3
• When instructed to do so by an ARO decision, as instructed by ICT or an AoS Helpdesk, go to Step 4
• To adjust or correct an already existing manual AoS debt, go to Step 10
• For any other reason, please first confirm with Policy enquires, Level 2 Helpdesk

Note: for help assessing a customer's individual circumstances, refer to Local Peer Support (LPS). See Tier 1 technical support - Local Peer Support (LPS). LPS will determine if contact with the Data Quality Unit (DQU) is needed. See Resources for DQU contact information.

When an assuree is granted an AoS recoverable payment on a multiple record, the standard auto review or debt processes are not generated.

The reviews only generate when the recoverable payment is on the AoS record, with a Benefit Status of AOE/CUR or AOE/ACC.

Give feedback to the Service Officer who incorrectly granted payment on the multiple record if it is clear the error might have been avoided. Use the Staff Feedback Tool.

It will be clear in some cases that the Service Officer could not locate the multiple record either due to the:

• lack of options available at the time of record creation for detecting or preventing the multiple record, or
• nature of the details on the multiple record were so incorrect, that the standard searches would not have located the record

The Service Officer should contact the assuree and their assurer/s to:

• tell the assurer of the AoS debt, and
• establish the assurer/s support for ongoing eligibility under the same principles as an assuree first claiming a recoverable payment. See Assuree makes a claim for an AoS recoverable payment

An AoS Service Officer needs to manually raise a determined debt on the assurer's AoS record for all the recoverable payment/s made on the assurer's multiple record.

Go to Step 4.

For an Expiry or Yearly Review:

• Where No data is showing, and a debt has been identified. In Process Direct:
• an incorrect review start and/or end date, is not updatable
• override the review by zeroing out all debt amounts, so that no auto debt is raised
• Raise a manual 'Determined' debt in Customer First or Customer Record on the appropriate record

There are some instances where the start and end date are blank on the AoS Bond Details (AOBD) screen, for example:

• the Assuree Arrival Details (AOAE) screen on the assuree's record has not been updated, or
• there may be a possible multiple record

For a commencement review, see Assurance of Support (AoS) reviews.

If the Process Direct review has a gap in a payment period:

• action the Process Direct review for the relevant period, and
• raise a manual 'Determined' debt for the gap in the review

Note: for help assessing a customer's individual circumstances, refer to Local Peer Support (LPS). See Tier 1 technical support - Local Peer Support (LPS).

Go to Step 4.

Manual debts are raised on the assurer record in Customer First or Customer Record via the Add Debt (OPAD) screen.

In joint AoS cases, raise a multiple liability debt with the same debt ID by coding the Multiple Liability (OPML) screen. Do not raise separate debts on each assurer's record.

If the assurer was not contacted when the assuree claimed the recoverable payment. AoS Service Officer must make 2 genuine attempts to contact the assurer/s to advise of the debt raised.

On the primary assurer record in Customer First or Customer Record, go to the Add Debt (OPAD) screen, code the fields:

• Benefit Type: the recoverable payment type the assuree received
• Reason: ASO - Assurance of Support recovery (old)
• Section of Act: 1227 - Assurance of Support
• Date of Event: the date of event that caused the debt. This can be the same as the start date
• Start Date: start date of AoS debt commencement date the recoverable payment was made
• End Date: end date of AoS debt
• Calculated Amount: total AoS debt amount
• Addtnl Reference No.: assuree payment record CRN (primary record)

Note: if a customer has a debt that covers multiple social security payments:

• only one debt can be raised for the total value of all recoverable payments, and
• the Benefit type will be the largest value social security payment the assure received

Press [Enter] to go to the Component Amount (OPCA) screen.

Code the fields:

• Component Type: Basic Payment or the recoverable supplementary payment type
• Ben: the code for the recoverable payment type the assuree received
• Start Date and End Date: as relevant to the AoS debt
• Calc Amt $: total calculation of the Basic Payment or recoverable supplementary type

If an error 'E171DB - Component period cannot span two financial years' presents, change the dates to match the Entitlement Period End (EPED) dates.

Note: some components of payments received may be on the second page of the Component Amount (OPCA) screen.

Press [Enter] to go to the Assessment Finalisation screen. Enter Y in the Finished? field.

Add any notes in Activity Comments field.

Is this a multiple liability debt?

• Yes, go to Step 8
• No, go to Step 10

Do not raise separate debts for each assurer.

If there are joint assurers, raise a multiple liability debt with the same debt ID:

• Go to the Multiple Liability (OPML) screen
• Select the debt of the primary assurers record from the OPDL screen
• Code OPML in the next screen
• For each joint assurer, complete the:
• Co-Debtor CRN field with the CRN of the secondary assurer
• Enter the full debt amount in Liability field
• Press [Enter] to go to the Assessment Finalisation (OPAF) screen
• Enter Y in the Finished? field
• Add any notes in Activity Comments field

Go to Step 10.

To adjust a manually raised AoS debt as the 'Determined' debt calculation is incorrect, or needs to be adjusted to comply with a review of a decision, or ARO determination:

• Select the relevant manual AoS debt from the Debt List (OPDL) screen
• Go to the Debt Amount (OPDA) screen:
• Select the correct Debt ID
• Select the relevant option from the Reason Changed field
• Correct the Calculated Amount $ field to adjusted amount or to zero, as applicable

See Changing account details on debts raised in the Debt Management and Information System (DMIS).

Create manual letters using:

• Q084 AoS-to-AOR - Final Statement of Account, and
• Q271 to CBA in Customer First

Staff must:

• not send a Q386 letter for a full or partial bond recovery
• email Business Process Migrants to request for a full or partial bond recovery letter to be created

Note: if the debt is a multiple liability debt, send a Q084 to each assurer.

Where a manual letter is required, staff must not finalise the letter until a suitably skilled officer has checked it.

The AoS - Yearly and AoS - Expiry Reviews will automatically create the appropriate debt letter.

See Creating an Online Advice (OLA), including within an existing activity. Letter to assurer/s:

• Key LD in Next
• Letter Code: Q084
• Service Reason: AoS
• Enter all the required fields:
• In the Amount field, do not code $
• Option 1 - unable to support
• Option 2 - unreasonable to support and is for family and domestic violence only
• Command: FIN

Letter to CBA:

• Key LD in Next
• Letter Code: Q271
• Service Reason: AoS
• In <BGRCVY: Bank Guarantee recovery - full=1 partial=2, None=3 field, key:
• 1 if the full bond is to be returned to Centrelink, or
• 2 if partial bond to be returned to Centrelink
• Command: FIN

In Process Direct update the bond balance for the AoS case via the AoS Bond Details (AOBD) screen, for future debt recovery or release.

AoS period has not expired

• Select Add
• Enter start date (date the debt was raised)
• Select appropriate Bond Action Reason
• Bond Manually Recovered to Centrelink
• Partial Bond Manually Recovered to Centrelink
• Update Bond Account Balance field (Note: due to system limitation, $0 cannot be coded, instead code $0.01)
• Update Debt ID. Add the Debt ID for the debt raised

AoS period expired

• Select Add
• Enter start date
• Select appropriate Bond Action Reason
• Bond Manually Recovered to Centrelink
• Partial Bond Manually Recovered to Centrelink
• Bond Manually Recovered to assurer
• Update Bond Account Balance field
• Update Debt ID. Add the Debt ID for the debt raised

Create a manual Bond Review to follow up return of bond to Services Australia

In Customer First, create a manual review on the Review Registration (RVR) screen and complete the fields as follows:

• Service Reason: AOS
• Review Reason: FSB (Failed to Supply Proof of Bond Lodgement)
• Due Date: 42 days from date debt raised
• Source: INT
• Date of Receipt: today's date
• Notes: 'Manual letter issued <insert date issued> to CBA requesting return of bond amount <insert bond amount> to recover AoS debt ID <insert debt ID number located on the Debt List (OPDL) screen>.'
• Keywords: MANREV
• Workgroup: leave blank
• Position: leave blank
• Transfer to Region: leave blank

The review will mature on the Due Date coded in the RVR activity. Workload Management will allocate the review for manual action.

Open the AoS Debt Proforma on the Resources page.

Complete the Fast Note section of the pro forma.

Use Fast Note - select Auto Text > Assurance of Support > AoS Debt > AoS Debt Action.

Paste the completed proforma section into the Fast Note text.

If there are multiple assurers, document each assurer record for cross referencing.

Upload the completed AoS Debt Proforma to all relevant records using Form Type as DBTCAL. See Attaching electronic documents to a Centrelink customer's record using Document Tools in Customer First.

Is the customer asking for an:

• explanation or review of an AoS debt decision, go to Step 2
• AoS debt to be written off, go to Step 3
• AoS debt to be waived, go to Step 4

If the customer disagrees with the debt decision, see Request for an explanation or application for a formal review.

Procedure ends here.

For the Assurance of Support (AoS) Processing team and Debt Recovery team only.

Standard write off considerations apply for AoS debts, see Writing off Centrelink debts.

Procedure ends here.

For the Assurance of Support (AoS) Processing team and Debt Recovery team only.

AoS debts cannot be waived.

See Waiving Centrelink debts for details on the process of waiving a debt, but continue below for more process and policy information for waiving an AoS debt.

An AoS debt cannot be waived due to administrative error as s1237A of the Social Security Act 1991 only applies where the payment is received by the debtor (assurer). An assurer does not receive the payment so s1237A does not apply. For instance, where an assuree had received an incorrect rate of recoverable payment, due to an administrative error. Although the error was administrative, the payment was made to the assuree rather than the debtor. As such, the debt cannot be waived due to administrative error as the assuree is not the debtor in the AoS case.

See the Resources page, Reasons an AoS debt cannot be waived.

Note: currently, AoS debts for joint assurance cases must be raised manually

The Yearly Review work item will open on the assuree's record, with the:

• heading Online Intervention for [assuree's name]
• Customer and interaction details, and
• Assessment dates

Select > AoS Review.

The Process icon is not used for Yearly Reviews.

Open the AoS Debt Proforma on the Resources page.

Complete the AoS Debt Proforma as the review is undertaken.

On the Yearly Review screen, is the indicator No data in the Recoverable Payments field?

• Yes, if there is no recoverable amounts, complete the Yearly Review, no user interaction is needed:
• Select Finalise
• Key No AoS Recoverable Payment paid in period [DD/MM/YYYY to DD/MM/YYYY]. Use the 'Review Period Start' and 'Review Period End' date on the Yearly Review screen
• Select Finalise. This displays a Success. Review Finalised Successfully message
• Select Close. The Customer and interaction details screen opens. The Status field, above the Description: AoS Yearly Review field, displays Complete

After completing the Yearly Review with No data, investigate if any recoverable income support payments were paid and have not been raised during the AoS period.

To investigate if a recoverable income support payment is paid, check:

• for any multiple or intertwined CRNs, then
• the AoS period for each assuree
• any recoverable income support payments paid to the assuree/s during the AoS period, and
• if the recoverable income support payment paid is considered an assuree's or assurer's debt

Raise the manual debt as needed. See Table 2.

• No:
• Check debt amount displaying is correct, use the Payment Summary Tool
• Select each listed Payment Type in the Recoverable Payments field
• View and update Payment Components if needed
• View and Save the Payment Components for each payment line, even if the component amount is not changed
• Select Finalise
• Key Recoverable Payment paid in period [DD/MM/YYYY to DD/MM/YYYY]. Use the 'Review Period Start' and 'Review Period End' date on the Expiry Yearly Review screen
• Select Finalise. This displays a Success Review Finalised Successfully message
• Select Close. The Customer and interaction details screen opens. The Status field, above the Description: AoS Yearly Review field, displays Complete

Note: if the Yearly Review is finalised without saving each Payment Component, an AoS debt will not raise in Debt Management Information System (DMIS). A manual debt will need to be raised. See Table 2.

After finalising the Yearly review in Process Direct.

Check the:

• Debt Summary (DEBTDTL) screen to ensure AoS debt has been raised
• AOS Case (AOBD) bond screen to ensure bond has been adjusted for AoS debt amount

DOC each assurer's record, use Fast Note - select Auto Text > Assurance of Support > AoS Debt > AoS Debt Action.

Upload the completed AoS Debt Proforma to all relevant records using Form Type as DBTCAL. See Attaching electronic documents to a Centrelink customer's record using Document Tools in Customer First.

Procedure ends here.

The Expiry Review work item will open on the assurer's record, with the:

• heading Online Intervention for [assurer's name]
• Customer and interaction details, and
• Assessment dates

Select > AoS Review.

Note: the Process icon is not used for Expiry Reviews.

Open the AoS Debt Proforma on the Resources page:

• Complete the AoS Debt Proforma as the review is undertaken
• Use the Payment Summary Tool to calculate the debt. See Payment Details Download Sheet (PS Tool)

On the Expiry Review screen, is the indicator No data in the Recoverable Payments field?

• Yes, go to Step 3
• No, go to Step 4

If there are no recoverable amounts, complete the Expiry Review, no user interaction is needed:

• Select Finalise
• Key No AoS Recoverable Payment paid in period [DD/MM/YYYY to DD/MM/YYYY]. Use the 'Review Period Start' and 'Review Period End' date on the Expiry Review screen
• Select Finalise. This displays a Success. Review Finalised Successfully message
• Select Close. The Customer and interaction details screen opens. The Status field, above the Description: AoS Yearly Review field, displays Complete

After completing the Expiry Review with no data, investigate for any recoverable social security payments paid but not been raised while under the AoS period. Raise the manual debt as needed.

To investigate if a recoverable social security payment is paid, check:

• for any multiple or intertwined records, then
• the AoS period for each assuree. Check the AOAE screen
• any recoverable social security payments paid to the assuree/s during the AoS period, via the Benefit Status (XDS) screen. If this displays a large amount of data, narrow the search by inputting the following types into System/benefit type code field:
• NSS
• PGA
• PEN

If debt has been identified, see Table 2.

Check:

• review period start and end dates are correct
• case status is On Hold
• recoverable payments match the calculation for the period raise
• for non AoS recoverable payments, these must be deducted from the overall overpayment
• the calculated debt are correct, check against the Payment Summary Tool on the Resources page

Select each listed Payment Type in the Recoverable Payments field if there are multiple benefit types paid the assuree/s:

• Update Payment Components if needed
• Service Officers must view and Save the Payment Components for each payment, even if the component amount is not changed.
  Note: if the Expiry Review is finalised without saving each Payment Component, an AoS debt will not raise in Debt Management Information System (DMIS). A manual debt will need to be raised. See Table 2
• Debt List (OPDL) screen on the assurer's record for any AoS debts already raised on any of the assurees
• Review period start and end dates of the expiry review activity do not overlap with the previously raised AoS debt
• If the review period start and end dates are incorrect, zero out the debts. Raise a manual debt with the correct review period start date, end date and debt amount on the assurer's record
• Select Finalise
• Key Recoverable Payment paid in period [DD/MM/YYYY to DD/MM/YYYY]. Use the 'Review Period Start' and 'Review Period End' date on the Expiry Review screen
• Select Finalise. This displays a Success Review Finalised Successfully message
• Select Close

• Check the:
• Debt list (OPDL) screen to ensure AoS debt has been raised
• AOS Case (AOBD) bond screen in Process Direct to ensure bond has been adjusted for AoS debt amount
• The system generates the following correspondence. Check all 3 letters have issued and the content is correct:
• Statement of Account letter, addressed to an assurer
• Full or partial bond release letter with a bond amount to the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA), if applicable
• Expiry letter to the assurer/s
• The system creates a Bond Return review where a bond is still held. Check the Bond Return review is created, if applicable

DOC each assurer's record, use Fast Note - select Auto Text > Assurance of Support > AoS Debt > AoS Debt Action.

Upload the completed AoS Debt Proforma and calculations to all relevant records using Form Type as DBTCAL. See Attaching electronic documents to a Centrelink customer's record using Document Tools in Customer First.

Where a system issue is encountered, staff must escalate the issue to ICT via Roxy or mySupport.

For system issues in:

Process Direct, see Using Digital Assistant Roxy in Process Direct

Customer First or Customer Record, staff must lodge a mySupport, see Resources for a link

Staff must record details on a DOC and await ICT response with instructions.

Where the system has incorrectly issued a Bank Guarantee Release letter to the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) before the expiry review has been finalised, with Local Peer Support. See Tier 1 technical support - Local Peer Support (LPS).

LPS will escalate to a Service Support Officer (SSO) to seek confirmation from CBA on the bond release status by emailing Business Process Migrants.

Staff must not finalise the activity until confirmation has been received.

Staff are to:

• place activity on hold for 14 days
• create a hold to user for 14 days
• record details on a DOC

Yearly and Expiry Reviews have no Quality Management Application (QMA) in Process Direct.

Staff not proficient in AoS debts must:

• have their activity manually checked by a suitably skilled officer
• upload the completed debt proforma, PS tool and checklist onto the customer's record
• finalise the Yearly and or Expiry Review in Process Direct once checked

Manual debts raised in Customer First or Customer Record will be automatically selected for Quality On Line (QOL) checking based on proficiency levels of staff.

Staff may receive feedback via the Staff Feedback Tool:

• when their Yearly and Expiry Reviews are quality checked, and
• where the QOL tool does not capture the relevant errors for manual reviews

The AoS Yearly and Expiry Reviews will automatically create the appropriate debt letter. Where a manual letter is required, staff must not finalise the letter until a suitably skilled officer has checked it. For example, by a:

• Local Peer Support (LPS)
• Service Support Officer (SSO)
• Team Leader

See Quality On Line (QOL) and Creating an Online Advice (OLA), including within an existing activity.

When investigating potential AoS debts, QOL checkers may need to request the following resource in the ICT Security Portal (ISP):

• PROCESS DIRECT CSP AOS PROCESSING STAFF