Restoration of Age Pension 065-03080030

Check the Pensions Status History (PNSH) screen. This displays a history of the pension status including date of effect and suspension/cancellation reasons. Alternate views are on the Benefit Status (XBS) or the Event Summary (ES) screens. If:

• suspended or cancelled Whereabouts Unknown (WUK), go to Step 2
• suspended due to an extended employment suspension period (ESP or EPP), go to Step 3
• suspended for other reasons including cancelled after 13 weeks’ suspension, go to Step 4
• cancelled for other reasons, go to Step 5

As long as the customer has continued to be qualified and payable during the entire period of suspension/cancellation, their payment may be restored with full arrears.

This can occur when the customer contacts more than 13 weeks after the suspension/ cancellation decision. The customer may not have received advice of the decision to suspend or cancel, if they were not at their known address and/or advice of the decision was returned to Services Australia.

Check contact details are correct before restoring payment. Check postal address, home address, phone numbers, etc. If the contact details before cancellation have been end dated, remove this coding.

Update address and reissue returned correspondence.

If the customer is in an aged care home they may not be able to advise their change of address check the customer's RCA Institution Summary (RIS) screen. This may list the name of the aged care home where the customer lives.

Payments can be restored when the correct address details have been received or confirmed. Go to Table 2.

Discuss the reason that the customer wishes to request restoration of their Age Pension. This should included whether they have a partner who is also in an extended employment suspension period (SUS-ESP or SUS-EPP) who wishes to request restoration.

Does the customer wish to request restoration of their Age Pension?

• Yes, go to Step 1 in Table 3
• No, advise the customer that their payment can remain suspended until the end of the extended employment suspension period and to contact before this date if they wish to request restoration. The customer’s PCC will remain current until the end of the suspension period.

Procedure ends here.

• Determine if restoration can take place at initial contact
• Check the customer's Document List (DL) screen and read the DOC regarding the cancellation/suspension
• Check if the cancellation or suspension code is restorable

Check contact details are correct before restoring payment. Check postal address, home address, phone numbers, etc. If the contact details before suspension/cancellation have been end dated, remove this coding.

As long as the customer has continued to be qualified and was either payable and/or eligible for an employment income nil rate during the entire period of suspension/cancellation, their payment may be restored with full arrears.

Suspension or cancellation for more than 13 weeks since reason or notice was sent generally cannot be restored.

Each customer's circumstances must be looked at individually to determine if they are entitled to receive arrears upon restoration. Service Officers must be satisfied the customer did not receive advice of the decision to suspend or cancel, and they retained qualification and payability during the period.

Are there any reasons why payment cannot be restored at first contact?

Does the customer need to provide information or documents, attend an assessment interview, or meet another requirement?

• Yes, go to Step 6
• No, see Step 2 in Table 2

If payments have been cancelled for the following reasons:

• FRC (Failed to reply to correspondence) – Can be restored if the customer has contacted to query cancellation or supply any documentation (which may be via uploaded documents) within 13 weeks of the notice to cancel
• 12F or 12P (Earnings preclude for 12 consecutive fortnights and Partner Earnings preclude for 12 consecutive fortnights):
• Age Pension can be restored if it is payable due to a change in employment income in the entitlement period immediately following the twelfth fortnight at nil rate, or an error has been corrected
• The customer must contact within 13 weeks of being notified of cancellation 12F or 12P
• If they contact within 13 weeks and cannot supply employment income details for all entitlement periods following the last fortnight at nil rate, go to Step 6
• If they contact within 13 weeks and can supply employment income details for all entitlement periods following the last fortnight at nil rate, go to Step 2 in Table 2
• RTA (Returned to Australia) payment can be restored. See Returning to Australia
• NSR (Not sufficient residence) or NRQ (Not residentially qualified) because residence information was incomplete or incorrect and the error has now been corrected, payment may be restored. See Step 2 in Table 2
• ESP or EPP (Extended Employment Extension Period) payment may only be restored if the customer contacted prior to the payment being cancelled to request a restoration
• EXR (Exceeds income/assets thresholds due to foreign exchange rate processing) payment may be restored within a specially set up Manual Follow Up activity. See Cancellation due to foreign exchange rate processing
• FRT (Fail to return trust and company correspondence) can only be restored by CAO. For referral to CAO see Identifying and making suitable referrals to the Complex Assessment Officer (CAO)
• FRP (Failed to report)
• Payment can be restored if the customer contacts within 13 weeks of being given the cancellation notice, and can supply employment details for all relevant periods. See Step 2 in Table 2
• If they cannot supply employment details for all relevant periods, go to Step 6

For more information about whether Age Pension can be restored, check the Restoration column for the relevant cancellation reason in Cancellation, suspension and rejection codes for Age Pension. If the cancellation reason can be restored and the customer has contacted within 13 weeks of cancellation, see Table 2, Step 1.

If the customer contacts after 13 weeks of being given the cancellation notice, unless a favourable determination has been made to restore payment they will need to reclaim Age Pension.

Note: the system will cancel the pension if the customer’s assets (ASS - Assets over limit) or income (INC - Excess income) are too high to qualify for payment. Review of decision procedures apply if a customer’s Age Pension is cancelled and they believe the decision was incorrect based on their circumstances at the time, and they:

• have not been notified of the decision, or
• were notified of the decision within the last 13 weeks

If a customer’s Age Pension has been correctly cancelled for these reasons and the customer’s circumstances have changed since cancellation, a re-claim is required regardless of the length of time that has passed. See Claiming and re-claiming Age Pension.

Procedure ends here

Action the following:

• advise customer of the information/action required before payment can be restored
• do not restore payment on initial contact
• record details on a DOC with details of advice given to customer
• if customer contacts about suspension for failing to attend a Payment Accuracy Reviews (PAR) interview, refer them to the Payment Accuracy Reviews Officer (PARO)

See Failure to attend a Payment Accuracy Reviews (PAR) interview.

Procedure ends here until the customer takes the required action.

Has the customer supplied required information or taken necessary action?

• Yes, go to Step 2
• No, advise customer that payment cannot be restored until the required action has been taken. Procedure ends here

Determine the customer's continuing eligibility for Age Pension since the date of suspension/ cancellation.

If there have been any changes in the customer's circumstances, these must be recorded before restoring payment to avoid incorrect arrears being generated.

Note: if the customer is under income management (they have INM on the benefit status line) and they have an arrears or lump sum payment entitlement, the Service Officer is not to make any changes to the customer's record to allow this payment to be made. The Service Officer is to contact the Income Management Team to allow income management to be turned on for the arrears payment before it is made.

If the customer was imprisoned (SUS-IMP), payments can be restored from the date of release, providing the customer contacts within 13 weeks of suspension. If not they will be required to reclaim.  Before  restoring:

• Confirm prison admission and release dates
• Check Eligibility for Crisis Payment (CrP) for customers released from prison or psychiatric confinement
• If partnered, update the Marital Status (MS) screen to reflect correct partnered status at date of release
• Check and update accommodation details. See, Completing the Accommodation Details (AC) screen and assessing Rent Assistance (RA)

If cancelled due to whereabouts unknown WUK, as long as the customer continues to be qualified and payable during the period of suspension/cancellation, their payment may be restored with full arrears. This may be the case even when they contact more than 13 weeks after the decision to suspend or cancel.

• Record all employment details via the Earnings and Reporting workflow, or if unavailable manually update all details on the Employment Income Details (EAN) screen and ensure payments are manually stimulated via the Reporting Results (RR) screen. Note: employment income manual coding can be done within restoration activity. For assistance with coding, see Recording and correcting employment income details
• Check if partner's payment (if applicable) is also to be restored
• If the customer's Family Tax Benefit (FTB) cancelled due to Age Pension stopping, restore FTB first if Rent Assistance is paid with the FTB

If the customer is income managed under the Voluntary Income Management measure, and the agreement was in place for more than 13 weeks, the Voluntary Income Management Continuation Assessment page is presented. The purpose of this screen is to record whether the customer wishes to continue or terminate their VIM agreement. See Effect on Income Management when payment is restored or re-granted.

Restore Age Pension on the Benefit Action (BA) screen. If restoring the partner's record, also code details on their record.

• Svc Rsn: AGE
• Action: RES (Restore)
• Effect Date: the date the customer’s Age Pension is to be restored from
  Note: in Customer First, this field will default to the effect date of the suspension/cancellation. If actioning the restoration in Process Direct, locate the effect date from the Benefit Status (XBS) screen
• Source: and DOR: fields before finalising the activity

• Yes, check that arrears are correct
• No, check if customer is entitled to arrears. If system does not pay any arrears due, follow up arrears payment manually. See How to manually calculate arrears

Record details on a DOC.

Record details either in the 'Restore (Payment Type) DOV:' Fast Note or on a DOC. The 'Restore (Payment Type) DOV:' Fast Note template can be found by selecting “Auto Text” and then Category 1: Generic, Category 2: Sus/Can/Res.

Include:

• action taken
• advice given to customer, and
• any changes in circumstances that have been recorded
• if recording a DOC or a Fast Note, manually add the Act Reference, see Recording reasons for decisions

Is the customer (or their partner) expecting to be paid any more employment income? This includes where they have finished work, but have not received their final pay yet.

• Yes, discuss how much they expect to be paid and whether this may preclude them from payment. If the customer and partner (if applicable) still wishes to request a restoration:
• advise them that they will be placed on reporting, and
• when they will need to report. Go to Step 2
• No, go to Step 2

Has the customer’s relationship status changed since their payment became suspended?

• Yes, and the customer is now:
• partnered, see Change in relationship status from single to partnered
• single, see Change in relationship status from partnered to single
• No, go to Step 3

Check if the customer needs to update their:

• Contact information
• Address
• Accommodation details

Make any updates prior to processing the customer’s request for a restoration.

Make any updates to the customer’s income and assets as required. For assistance, refer to Coding income and assets for Centrelink payments and services.

If the Service Officer determines additional information is required before payment can be restored, and it cannot be provided verbally, a request for information letter will need to be sent.

Is additional information required?

• Yes, issue a request for information letter. For assistance, see Requesting information
• Explain to the customer that their payment cannot be restored until the requested information is provided
• Encourage the customer to upload the relevant evidence as soon as they have it, and call back to ensure their restoration request is assessed from the earliest possible date
• Annotate the Request for Information (RFI) DOC advising customer has contacted requesting their payment be restored. Payment cannot be restored until additional evidence is provided to assess if customer is payable
• Once RFI activity falls due, go to Step 6
• No, go to Step 8

Has the customer provided the requested information within the allowable timeframe?

• Yes, update the information as required. The customer’s payment can be restored from the date they first contacted to request the restoration. Go to Step 8
• No, go to Step 7

If the customer does not supply the requested information within the allowable timeframe and the RFI activity falls due, finalise the RFI activity and cancel any started activities associated with the restoration request.

Payment is to remain suspended. DOC the record with the outcome. Procedure ends here.

If the required information has been provided at a later date, the customer’s request for restoration can be assessed from the date they supplied the required information.

Restore Age Pension on the Benefit Action (BA) screen. If also restoring the partner's payment, code details on their record as well.

Note: if the partner’s DSP is suspended or cancelled (deemed suspended) for a RTW reason, DSP cannot be restored using the BA screen. The benefit status line will show DSP/RTW. See Restoration of Disability Support Pension (DSP).

• Svc Rsn: AGE
• Action: RES (Restore)
• Effect Date: The day the customer requested the restoration
• Finalise the activity

The assessment results (AR) screen will display the outcome of the restoration activity.

If the outcome shown on the AR screen is unexpected, consult technical support for assistance.

If the Assessment Results (AR) screen shows:

• Age Pension is cancelled due to income or assets exceeding the threshold (CAN-INC or CAN-ASS), go to Step 10
• Age Pension is cancelled or suspended for any other reason, go to Step 12
• Age Pension is restored correctly, go to Step 11

Check with the customer that the income and assets details on their record are correct. Make any changes as required.

If the outcome on the AR screen is:

• Age Pension is restored correctly, go to Step 11
• Still CAN-INC or CAN-ASS, go to Step 12

Finalise the activity on the AR screen.

If the customer or their partner (if applicable) will continue to receive employment income, place the customer (and partner if applicable) on reporting. This includes where the customer has finished work but has not received their final pay yet. For assistance, see Reporting overview.

Create a DOC on the customer’s record detailing that payment has been restored, including any other updates that have been made to the customer’s record.

Procedure ends here.

If the restoration attempt does not result in the customer being current and payable, they are entitled to remain in the extended employment suspension period until the maximum period of 2 years is reached.

• Return to the BA screen and remove the restoration coding. If restoration details were also coded on the partner’s record, remove these
• Finalise the other updates to the customer’s record
• DOC the request for restoration including the reason why the customer is not eligible at this time
• Advise the customer that if their circumstances change during the remainder of the 2 year suspension period, they can request a restoration