Parenting Payment Single (PPS) customer and/or child going overseas 102-11210000

Scenario

Description

1

Overseas holiday for 4 weeks

Wendy, a PPS customer is going to Canada for a holiday and will be absent for 4 weeks.

The PPS is portable and Wendy will be paid the full rate of pension during the absence, including Rent Assistance (RA) and if Age Pension age, the Pension Supplement.

If Wendy has mutual obligation requirements, a temporary exemption from mutual obligation requirements is granted for the overseas period.

2

Overseas more than the 6 week maximum portability period visiting an ill relative

Diane is going to New Zealand (NZ) on 2 July to visit a seriously ill parent who is dying after a stroke.

Diane’s PPS is portable for 6 weeks.

Diane contacts Services Australia, as the 6 weeks are almost up. The parent has not passed away and Diane wants to remain in NZ. Transfer Diane's call to CIS to assess if this qualifies for an extension. See Discretion to extend portability period.

If an extension is not approved, PPS will stop after 6 weeks. Continuation of payment on their return to Australia may be possible if Diane returns to Australia within 13 weeks of PPS stopping.

3

Extended holiday to an agreement country

Terrie, a PPS customer, and child Damien, are going overseas to Austria on 2 February for 9 months:

• PPS will cancel after 6 weeks, but Terri may be able to continue to be paid under the agreement with Austria
• The Service Officer must transfer the case to CIS to determine qualification and arrange continuing payment if qualification exists

4

PPP customer cancelled for portability reasons claims PPS and departs within 6 weeks

James and Carol receive Age Pension and Parenting Payment Partnered (PPP) respectively and have been in Europe temporarily for 4 months.

PPP for Carol suspended after 6 weeks absence and cancelled 13 weeks later. They separated and Carol returned to Australia with the children on 3 June, where PPS was claimed and granted.

On 25 June, Carol travelled temporarily to South America.

Although Carol has changed payment type from PPP to PPS, Carol is still affected by the PP return rules.

As Carol departed less than 6 weeks after returning to Australia, having lost PP payability for portability reasons, the PPS is not portable and Carol’s PPS will cancel on departure.

5

Children travelling outside Australia on different dates, PPS customer remaining in Australia

Sam, a PPS customer has 2 dependent children, Linda and Mark.

Linda is leaving Australia temporarily on 15 January to visit family in Singapore. Mark is remaining in Australia with Sam.

As long as Sam continues to be the principal carer of Mark, a PP child, PPS can continue to be paid for the duration of Linda's absence. If Mark ceases to be a PP child, Sam's PPS can be paid for the maximum portability period of up to 6 weeks from the date Linda departed Australia.

Sam contacts Services Australia a couple weeks later, advising Mark is also leaving Australia temporarily on 15 February.

Sam's PPS is payable for the maximum portability period of up to 6 weeks from the date of Mark's departure from Australia. If neither Sam nor Linda return by the end of this period, PPS will stop.

6

PP child going overseas for greater than 6 weeks, joined by principal carer

Lisa, a PPS customer has 1 PPS dependent child Jason.

Jason is leaving Australia temporarily on 8 December to visit family in Scotland. Lisa is remaining in Australia.

Lisa's PPS can be paid for the maximum portability period of up to 6 weeks from Jason's date of departure from Australia, then PPS will stop.

Lisa later contacts the agency advising of plans to travel to Scotland to join Jason. Lisa plans to leave Australia on 30 December.

As Lisa still qualifies for PPS on the date of departure and will continue to be the child’s principal carer when joining Jason overseas, PPS can continue to be paid for a maximum portability period of up to 6 weeks from the date of Lisa's departure from Australia. If Lisa and Jason do not return to Australia within 6 weeks of Lisa’s departure, PPS will stop.

7

Previous child absence from Australia results in return rules being applied

Kelly, a PPS customer, travelled outside Australia with only child Sophie for 8 weeks. PPS was paid for the maximum portability period of 6 weeks and then suspended. PPS was restored when they returned to Australia on December 3.

Kelly contacted the agency advising Sophie was travelling to New Zealand for 2 weeks with another family member to visit family for Christmas from December 20. Kelly is remaining in Australia.

As Sophie's departure from Australia is less than 6 weeks since the last return to Australia and the previous absence was greater than 6 weeks, Kelly's PPS will suspend from the date Sophie departs Australia again for reason 'OAC' (Child returned overseas again).