Updating gender details on customer records 102-08020000

To reduce the risk of fraud and the creation of multiple and linked records, staff must ensure they have the correct record.

Before making updates:

• authenticate the customer, or
• ask an authorised nominee to authenticate themselves and the customer

A customer can make a request to change the gender details recorded on their record:

• in person
• via phone (Child Support and Centrelink only)
• via online accounts (Centrelink only), and
• in writing

If a customer:

• wants to update/correct the gender on their record, go to Step 3
• makes a complaint about gender issues, go to Step 4
• wants to update/correct or question the gender of a child, they have parental responsibility for, on a:
• Medicare record:
  to correct, see Amend a person's Medicare enrolment details
  to update, see Change of gender for Medicare enrolments
• Child Support record, see Updating Child Support Customer information
• Centrelink record, see Step 1 in Table 3

Customers must tell each service delivery brand if they want to make changes to their record. Evidence requirements for a change of gender are different across the agency.

To update/correct the gender details for:

• Centrelink, see Step 1 in Table 2
• Medicare, see:
• Change of gender for Medicare enrolments (update)
• Amend a person’s Medicare enrolment details (correct)
• Child Support, see Updating Child Support Customer information

Child Support - all Level 1 staff must give assistance to the customer and try to resolve the complaint at first contact. Record the complaint in the Customer Feedback Tool (CFT). See Transgender, intersex and non-binary table in Level 1 complaints - Child Support.

Centrelink and Medicare - staff must escalate all complaints relating to customer Gender to Level 2 complaints in the first instance, as they are fundamentally sensitive.

If the complaint cannot be resolved at Level 1 and an escalation reason is met, warm transfer the customer to Level 2 complaints.

Complaints Officers in the Escalated Complaints Team

• For Centrelink and Medicare - see Transgender, intersex and non-binary table in Level 2 complaints - vulnerable customers and high risk complaints (CLK)(MED)
• For Child Support - see Transgender, intersex and non-binary in table 2 in Level 2 complaints - Child Support

Procedure ends here.

From 3 December 2022, staff can record a customer’s gender as non-binary (X) on their Centrelink customer record. Staff should use 3 December 2022 onwards as the date of effect.

On their Centrelink record a customer can identify as:

• Male (M)
• Female (F), or
• Non-binary (X)

‘U’ or “Unstated” is recorded against a gender where Services Australia has received information from an external source (for example Department of Home Affairs) and gender has yet to be stated by the customer. ‘U’ is not to be recorded by staff and should be updated at first point of contact with the customer.

Evidence is not required to update gender, except in circumstances where it is required under an international agreement or for a foreign pension claim. Staff should refer to International Services (CIS) for further information.

Staff can update customer name details when updating gender. Customers may have legally changed their name or want to use an affirmed name and title to reflect their identified gender. If the customer has requested a change to their legal name when updating their gender, see Changing the Legal name of customers or their children.

Note: staff can update the customer's preferred name and title without a supporting document.

Staff must:

• update gender against both Legal name and Preferred name (if the customer has one)
• use Customer First to make these updates due to issues with how gender displays across differing platforms. Coding against both Legal and Preferred name in Customer First ensures correct information is displayed to both staff and customers

Status Resolution Support Services (SRSS) customer

If an SRSS customer requests to update their gender, either:

• warm transfer them to Multilingual Call, so an experienced SRSS Service Officer can assist, or
• see Change of circumstances for Status Resolution Support Services (SRSS) payment customer

Previously recorded details:

Previous gender and/or names used by a customer should remain on their record as historical information. If the customer asks to remove details from their record due to security concerns, consider if Restricted Access or customer password processes are appropriate.

For customers who request a gender update, and they are in same sex relationships, there are systems limitations. This means if:

• the customer requests an update to their gender that results in a same-sex relationship, and
• the relationship existed before 01 July 2009

In this circumstance, regardless of the date of effect of the gender update, staff must check the Marital Status (MS) screen. If the customer meets this circumstance staff must:

• unlink the customer on MS
• action the gender update, then relink the customer on MS

Note: staff must complete both actions on the same day to ensure that customers do not get any inappropriate letters, and that customer information displays correctly.

Example

Customer A (F) and customer B (M) have been in a relationship since 23 March 1988. Customer A (F) tells the agency on 10 December 2022 that their gender is now male.

On the same day staff must:

• unlink customer A and customer B from 09 December 2022
• In a separate activity update customer A’s gender to M and relink customer A and customer B from 10 December 2022

Updates to gender must be applied against Legal and Preferred name (if the customer has one).

For customers who want to update their:

• gender - and the customer has a legal name only, go to Step 4
• gender - and the customer has both legal and preferred name, go to Step 5
• gender - and updates to legal name requested, go to Step 6
• gender - and updates to preferred name requested, go to Step 7

Note: customers do not have to change their name to align with a change in gender identity.

Customer First

To update gender, go to the Customer Person Details Summary(CPDS) screen:

• Select the customer's Legal name
• Select Continue to go to the Customer Personal Details (CPD) screen
• Key the date of the request in the Event Date field
• Change or delete the title if it is not correct. Note Mx Option
• Update the gender to the customer’s gender identity for Legal name
• Key the Source and Date of Receipt
• Select Continue
• The provisional update will show on the CPDS screen
• Select Continue
• Select the ‘Finalise an activity via Activity AR’ radio button
• Select Continue until the Assessment Results (AR) screen
• Select Finalise and Continue
• Record details on a DOC
• Procedure ends here

Customer First

To update gender, go to the CPDS screen:

• Select the customer's Legal name
• Key the date of the request in the Event Date field
• Change or delete the title if it is not correct. Note Mx Option
• Update the gender to the customer’s gender identity for Legal name
• Enter the Source and Date of Receipt
• Select Continue
• Select the customer’s Preferred name
• Change or delete the title if it is not correct. Note Mx Option
• Update the gender to the customer's gender identity for Preferred name
• The provisional update will show on the CPDS screen
• Select Continue
• Select the ‘Finalise an activity via Activity AR’ radio button
• Select Continue until at the Assessment Results (AR) screen
• Select Finalise and Continue
• Record details on a DOC
• Procedure ends here

Customers may request a change of name. Ask the customer if they have legally changed their name. See Changing the Legal name of customers or their children.

The customer must show evidence of change of name if they have legally changed their name.

Customer First

Follow the Centrelink Naming Convention.

To update gender and name, go to the CPDS screen:

• Select the customer's Legal name
• Select Continue to go to the CPD screen
• Key the date of the request in the Event Date field
• Change or delete the Title field if it is not correct. Note Mx Option
• Update the gender to the customer's gender identity for Legal name
• Update Legal name details
• Key the Source and Date of Receipt
• Select Continue
• If the customer also has a Preferred name, update gender to the customer gender identity for Preferred name
• The provisional update will show on the CPDS screen
• Select Continue
• Select the Finalise an activity via Activity AR radio button
• Select Continue until the Assessment Results (AR) screen
• Select Finalise and Continue
• Record details on a DOC

Customer First

Follow the Centrelink Naming Convention.

To update gender and name, go to the CPDS screen:

• Select the Select Add new person details and add the Preferred name
• Key the date of the request in the Event Date field
• Change or delete the Title field if it is not correct. Note Mx Option
• Update the gender to the customer's gender identity for Preferred name
• Key the Source and Date of Receipt fields
• Select Continue
• Select the customers Legal name
• Change or delete the title entry in the Title field if it is not correct- Note Mx Option
• Update the gender to the customers gender identity for Legal name
• The provisional update will show on the CPDS screen
• Select Continue
• Select the Finalise an activity via Activity AR radio button
• Select Continue until the Assessment Results (AR) screen
• Select Finalise and Continue
• Record details on a DOC

Procedure ends here

If the parent/guardian:

• is a Status Resolution Support Services (SRSS) customer requests to update their or their child's gender, either:
• warm transfer them to Multilingual Call, so an experienced SRSS Service Officer can assist, or
• see Change of circumstances for Status Resolution Support Services (SRSS) payment customer
• of a dependent Youth Allowance or ABSTUDY living allowance customer should only be able to request this update if the parent is also a correspondence nominee

If the customer wants to:

• update their own gender details on their record, go to Table 1
• update or ask about gender details for their child, or a child they have parental responsibility for and:
• the Service Officer taking the call is not Personalised Services, go to Step 2
• the Service Officer taking the call is from Personalised Services, go to Step 3
• question why the gender of a child they have parental responsibility for was updated, and the Service Officer taking the call is from Personalised Services, go to Step 8

Staff must:

• refer all child change of gender enquiries to the Personalised Services team. This is due to the sensitive nature of the enquiry
• tell the customer you are transferring them to the Personalised Services team to complete the enquiry
• use softphone to complete an announced (warm) transfer to Change of Gender Child Enquiry

If staff cannot warm transfer to Personalised Services complete the Advise of change to gender – Child – Handover Fast Note.

Procedure ends here.

Customer First

To confirm the care percentage for a child, go to the Child Selection (CHS) screen:

• Select the relevant child
• Select Continue – this will go to the CHTS screen

If the customer is receiving Family Tax Benefit, select the Shared Care (FTB) field; otherwise select the Shared Care (SSA) field.

• If the customer is the primary carer, go to Step 4
• If the customer is not the primary carer, tell them that:
• gender updates must be made by the primary carer for the child, and
• the change cannot be made to the child’s gender at this time

If the customer would like to discuss the care percentage for the child, refer them to the Centrelink Families line. Procedure ends here.

Tell the customer that changes to child gender may be provided to any linked parent or carer.

Ensure the customer is aware that this may also be accessed through online services where a claim is prefilled with the child’s information.

If the customer is not comfortable with this information being accessible by the other parent or carer, do not update.

To continue with the update, go to Step 5

• No, go to Step 6
• Yes, go to Step 7

To update child’s gender details see Change Child (CCH) screen.

If the customer wants to update the child’s name, see Changing the Legal name of customers or their children.

Note: staff should take additional care if there is a:

• history of documented DV
• history of documented gender changes
• possibility of the child being coerced into making these changes

Refer to Family and Domestic Violence if required.

Procedure ends here.

Is the child receiving their own payment as a customer? For example, Youth Allowance:

• Yes, go to Table 4
• No, the child is listed as a dependent for a Carer, DSP or families payment. Code updates in the child’s PER record before returning to the customer’s record

In the child’s PER record, navigate to the CPDS screen:

• Update the gender in the Gender field
• Complete Source and DOR fields
• Finalise the update
• Return to the customer’s record and DOC the update. Use Fast Note > Advise of change to gender – Child – Updated

If the customer would like to update the child’s name, see Changing the Legal name of customers or their children

Note: staff should take additional care if there is a:

• history of documented DV
• history of documented gender changes
• possibility of the child being coerced into making these changes

Refer to Family and Domestic Violence if required.

Procedure ends here.

Where there is a dispute about the child's gender between the carer, these must be resolved on a case-by-case basis.

Personalised Services staff can consider asking for third party verification, such as a doctor’s letter to resolve.

Where it cannot be resolved, the agency can leave gender unchanged, and the young person can update when they make a claim in their own right.

Procedure ends here.

Note: the parent of a dependent Youth Allowance or ABSTUDY living allowance customer should only be able to request this update if the parent is also a correspondence nominee

If the customer says they want to update their own details and:

• the Service Officer taking the call is not Personalised Services, go to Step 2
• the Service Officer taking the call is from Personalised Services, go to Step 3

Staff must:

• refer all child change of gender enquiries to the Personalised Services team. This is due to the sensitive nature of the enquiry
• tell the customer you are transferring them to the Personalised Services team to complete the enquiry
• use softphone to complete an announced (warm) transfer to Change of Gender Child Enquiry

If staff cannot warm transfer to Personalised Services complete the Advise of change to gender – Child – Handover Fast Note.

Procedure ends here.

Confirm the customer is on an eligible payment type including:

• Youth Allowance (YA) Student
• Youth Allowance (YA) Job Seeker
• Disability Support Pension (DSP)
• ABSTUDY
• Special Benefit (SpB)
• Parenting Payment (PP)

If customer is:

• on an eligible payment, complete the updates for the customer. See Table 2 Step 6
• not on an eligible payment, or is a dependent for someone else’s payment, for example FTB, tell the customer that the parent must update this information on their behalf