Unrestricted Cash Payments (UCPs) 103-01050120

When a customer contacts to request a UCP, the approval and coding procedure depends on the reason for the UCP and the applicable Income Management measure:

• For a one-off UCP from an income support arrears payment, go to Step 2
• For a one-off UCP for Family Tax Benefit (FTB) reconciliation, go to Step 4
• For a one-off exceptional circumstances UCP request, go to Step 8
• To cancel an UCP, see Table 2 > Step 8

If the customer has an income support arrears payment that has been 100% income managed, and they have not received their usual discretionary funds in the previous fortnight, the Service Officer may grant a UCP equal to the normal amount of discretionary funds they would have received for their last fortnightly payment, less any discretionary funds they have already received in the last fortnight.

If the arrears payment has not yet stripped (that is, the payment shows on the Payment Summary (PS) screen as 'Immediate' and the customer requires immediate access to funds, a portion of the payment can be paid via the New Payments Platform (NPP), Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) or Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) where the request meets usual agency processing guidelines. For more details, see Effect on Income Management (IM) or enhanced Income Management (enhanced IM) when a payment is restored or re-granted.

• The exceptional and unforeseen reason for the immediate payment and why the customer is unable to wait the usual processing time (1-2 business days)
• The amount to be issued via immediate payment method (this may not be the same as the UCP)
• The most appropriate method of issue for the customer (that is, NPP, RTGS or EBT). Note: NPP is the preferred payment option if available. For more details, see Immediate payment by payment method New Payments Platform (NPP)
• If requesting issue via RTGS, confirm the customer meets current guidelines for this payment method and possibility of the customer's financial institution imposing fees and charges. Note: RTGS will only show as the next available payment option if an NPP payment to a customer's account has been unsuccessful (due to their nominated account not being NPP-enabled, or the service itself being unavailable). For more details, see Immediate payment by payment method Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS)
• If requesting issue via EBT card, include EBT card number and confirm the customer is aware of the terms and conditions, and use of the EBT card. For more details, see Immediate payment by payment method Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card

Note: this function cannot be performed on non-income support payments.

Go to Step 3.

Disengaged Youth, Long Term Welfare Payment Recipients, Voluntary Income Management and VWPR customers:

• net fortnightly payment x 0.50 = usual discretionary amount
• Usual discretionary amount - any discretionary funds already received in the last 14 days = UCP payable

Note: net fortnightly income = gross fortnightly payment less compulsory deductions. Compulsory deductions are amounts deducted for recovery of advance payments and Centrelink debts, payment of financial supplement loans, Child Support liabilities and tax deductions (including voluntary tax deductions).

Customers can elect a one-off UCP for an amount lower than the maximum calculation, however customers must be advised any request for the remaining amount later will be assessed as a one-off UCP for exceptional circumstance.

Go to Step 9.

Customers on any measure of Income Management can be paid up to 50% of their total FTB reconciliation payment as a UCP if the Service Officer is satisfied the amount currently available in their Income Management account is sufficient to meet the customer's and their dependents current and reasonably foreseeable priority needs.

To check if the FTB reconciliation has been issued:

In Customer First:

• Type FRCS in the Next field > select Continue > press [Enter]
• Look for ‘FTB Reco Completed’
• Use this amount for the calculation of the UCP
• Check the PS screen for the arrears payment
• Select the Delivery Date to see if payment has delivered to income management.

Has the customer been issued their FTB reconciliation payment into their Income Management account?

• Yes, go to Step 5
• No, DOC the discussion with the customer. Procedure ends here

Has the customer already had a UCP coded for the FTB reconciliation payment (one UCP per FTB reconciliation payment)?

• Yes, further UCP requests for same FTB reconciliation payment must be assessed as a one-off UCP for exceptional circumstances
• Go to Step 7
• No, check there are available funds in their Income Management account
• If funds have already been allocated to the BasicsCard these will have to be recalled to the IM account before the UCP is coded. See Recall of funds from a BasicsCard to a customer's Income Management account
• Go to Step 6

Calculate the amount of the one-off UCP as follows:

• FTB reconciliation payments:
• FTB reconciliation amount x 0.50 = maximum UCP payable

The amount available for the UCP may be affected by FTB debt offsetting.

Customers can elect a one-off UCP for a lower amount than the maximum calculation, however customers must be advised any request for the remaining amount later will be assessed as a one-off UCP for exceptional circumstances.

Go to Step 9.

Most requests to access income managed funds should be able to be paid using one of the standard Income Management payment methods, therefore Unrestricted Cash Payments should only be granted in exceptional circumstances.

Discuss with the customer what they require the funds for and assess if the purchase can be made through a standard Income Management payment method such as BasicsCard, deduction or one-off payment to a Third Party Organisation. If so, the payment must be made using this option.

For details on coding expenses see Coding Income Management expenses.

If the payment is for a priority need and the Income Management Payment and Contact Team (IMPACT) confirm the TPO will not accept payment direct from income managed funds, a Restricted Direct Payment (RDP) may be appropriate. For details on RDPs see Restricted Direct Payments (RDP).

Does the customer meet the criteria to have a UCP due to exceptional circumstances?

• Yes, if the above payment methods are not available or appropriate, the customer may apply for a UCP for an exceptional circumstance, go to Step 8
• No, the above methods are available. Record details of discussions on a DOC.
• Tell the customer of their rights to request Reviews of Income Management decisions. Procedure ends here

One-off exceptional circumstances UCP requests must be referred to the Level 2 Income Management Policy helpdesk to be assessed. Service Officers will record the UCP request and escalate the request to the TPS.

A UCP can only be issued where the customer's and their dependents current and reasonably foreseeable priority needs are met, and the customer has excess available funds in their Income Management account.

Service Officers should use information readily available on the customer's record, in addition to discussions with the customer, to determine if a UCP is appropriate for the customer.

Regular Income Management expenses should not be ceased or reduced to increase the customer's available Income Management funds.

• Tell the customer the UCP will be paid directly to their nominated bank account, or their payment nominee
• Explain to the customer there are no restrictions on how the UCP can be spent
• Go to the Payment Destination Summary (PAS) screen and confirm the customer's payment destination for Service Reason 'GPY' matches the customer's most recent payment type
• If there are no details recorded, or the account number is incorrect, select 'GPY' to go to the Payment Destination Details (PAD) screen to update account details. See Changing payment destination
• Review the customer's priority needs and record discussion on the Priority Needs Expenses workflow. For more details, see Changes to Income Management priority needs
• Record full details of the UCP request in the Fast Note. Select Auto text > Income Management > Update > Customer Requests UCP
• Tell the customer to contact after 24 working hours only if the funds have not been received in their nominated bank account. Service Officers can check on the progress of the request

Staff not authorised to code UCPs must escalate the request, go to Step 10.

IMCOs and IM staff authorised to code UCPs (including Income Management LPS), see Table 2.

Service Officers not authorised to code UCPs must escalate the request.

Escalate to:

• Level 2 policy helpdesk. The Resources page contains a link to the Income Management Policy Helpdesk webform. Procedure ends here.
• an Income Management Contact Officer (IMCO), Team Leader or Service Support Officer with the appropriate level of access for coding. The Resources page contains a link to the IMCO intranet page. Procedure ends here

When a Service Officer determines the customer may be eligible for a one-off or regular UCP, a Customer requests UCP Fast Note will be recorded on the customer’s record.

Review the Fast Note on the record to confirm the calculation of the UCP request is correct and the following checks have been completed:

• IM Funds available
• Priority needs discussed and updated, and
• Go to the Payment Destination Summary (PAS) screen. Confirm the customer's payment destination for Service Reason 'GPY' matches the customer's most recent payment type
• Calculation of UCP Request
• Request for Urgent Delivery

If the request is for:

• a regular UCP go to Step 2
• a one-off UCP, go to Step 3

All requests for regular UCPs must be forwarded to the Income Management helpdesk via webform for final approval.

Technical Peer Support will refer the request to the Income Management helpdesk via webform for final approval. The Resources page contains a link to the Income Management helpdesk webform. Important: TPS are not authorised to approve and code regular UCPs (except those for ABSTUDY customers). Procedure ends here.

Level 2

Has Income Management helpdesk approval been granted for the regular UCP?

• Yes, go to Step 4
• No, attempt to contact the customer to advise the outcome of the decision and their right to request Reviews of Income Management decisions. Clearly DOC the reason the request was declined, including any attempts to contact the customer. Procedure ends here

Authorised staff with appropriate access to code one-off UCPs include:

• Income Management Contact Officer (IMCO),
• the Income Management helpdesk,
• authorised Service Officers with appropriate access, or
• Income Management TPS

Income Management TPS are only authorised to code a one-off UCP for:

• FTB Reco, and
• Income Support payment arrears

To code the one-off UCP request:

In Customer First:

• From the Income Management menu, select Manage Expenses then Expense Management Summary screen will show
• Scroll down to New Expenses at the bottom of the page, from the Please select the expense you wish to add: dropdown list, select 'add one-off Unrestricted Cash Payment'
• Select Start
• The Payment Expense Management Details screen shows. Complete the Expense Inputs screen:
• Expense Category: select the most appropriate option the customer will be purchasing with funds from the dropdown menu
• Amount: enter amount to be paid; select Continue
• In the notes field, add notes of why the UCP is being coded and by whom it was approved. Select Save & Exit
• Select Continue
• On the Expense Management screen, check the payment is showing under the One-off Expenses twisty (TPO Name will show as 'One-off Unrestricted Cash Payment to Customer')
• Select Finalise
• Select Continue
• Annotate the Customer requests UCP Fast Note with the action taken

Go to Step 5.

Authorised staff with appropriate access to set up regular UCPs include:

• Income Management Contact Officer (IMCO),
• the Income Management helpdesk, or
• authorised Service Officers with appropriate access

To set up the regular UCP, access Customer First:

• Search in Workspace Expense Management Summary
• Scroll down to New Expenses at the bottom of the page, from the Please select the expense you wish to add: dropdown list, select 'add regular customer reimbursement'
• Select Start
• The Payment Expense Management Details screen shows. Complete the Expense Inputs screen:
• Amount: enter amount to be paid
• Start Date: this will default to the customer's next EPED or EPED +1 depending on the customer's payment type. Income Management holiday processing coding is to apply where the default date is incorrect due to holiday processing
• End Date: Leave blank unless the customer nominates a specific end date
• Select Continue
• On the Expense Management screen, check the payment is showing under the Regular expenses twisty (TPO Name will show as 'Customer')
• Select Finalise
• Annotate the Customer requests UCP Fast Note with the action taken

Go to Step 5.

Check the Income Management Summary screen for any outstanding Work Items and take appropriate action. For more details, see Income Management and BasicsCard Work Items.

Finalise the activity on the Income Management Summary page.

Is the customer in hardship and requires immediate access to funds being issued via a one-off Unrestricted Cash Payment?

• Yes, go to Step 6
• No, procedure ends here

If a customer is in hardship and urgently requires access to their one-off UCP, funds can be issued via NPP or EBT card.

Issuing an Income Management immediate payment via NPP, RTGS or EBT requires all requests to be sent to the Income Management helpdesk via webform. See the Resources page for a link to the Income Management helpdesk webform.

Note: if the request for payment via RTGS or EBT is outside Income Management helpdesk hours, an Income Management Contact Officer (IMCO), State Income Management Coordinator (SIMCo) or authorised Service Officer in the Income Management Payment and Contact Team (IMPACT) can process the request.

When the webform or DOC has been finalised, contact the Income Management helpdesk, IMCO, SIMCo or IMPACT to advise of the immediate payment request.

Is the immediate payment being issued via EBT card?

• Yes, go to Step 7
• No, procedure ends here

Income Management helpdesk staff, IMCO, SIMCo or IMPACT Service Officer with the appropriate access will code the immediate payment as follows:

On the Payment Summary (PS) screen:

• Select the GPY payment to be issued via NPP, RTGS or EBT Card by typing 'R' next to the payment line
• Press [Enter]

On the Issue Payment Select (IPPRE) screen:

• The system will automatically 'S'elect Immediate/Arrears Payment for 'type of issue' and Default Destination (direct Credit/system Cheque) for 'destination type'
• Update the destination type field to New Payments Platform (NPP), Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) or EBT as appropriate
• Press [Enter]

On the Issue Future Payment (IFP) screen, complete the following fields:

• Issue Amt: the amount of the payment to be delivered (this may or may not be the full amount of the UCP)
• Reason: 'URG'
• Finished (Y/Q/N): key 'Y'
• If reissuing the funds via EBT, include:
• EBT Card Num: enter the EBT card number as provided by the Service Centre
• EBT Card Issue Date: date of issue
• Notes: the reason for issue
• Source: and DOR: fields
• Press [Enter] to complete the activity
• Record details of immediate payment on a DOC

When coding is complete and where payment has been issued via an EBT card, staff in a service centre must make sure the card is activated and all usual processes completed before giving the card and Personal Identification Number (PIN) to the customer. For more details, see Immediate payment by payment method Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card.

Procedure ends here.

A customer may request a UCP to be cancelled if they no longer need the funds for discretionary purposes, or need the funds to be directed elsewhere (for example, to their BasicsCard or to a Third Party Organisation).

• On the Expense Management screen, select the UCP to be cancelled. A regular UCP will show under the Regular Expenses twistie (TPO name will show as 'Customer'), and a one off UCP will show under the One Off Expenses twisty (TPO name will show as 'One OFF Unrestricted Cash Payment to Customer')
• Select Cease, then Finalise
• Select Continue
• Check the Income Management Summary screen for any outstanding Work Items and take appropriate action. See Work Items and messages for Income Management for more details
• Finalise the activity on the Income Management Summary page
• Record the reason the UCP was cancelled in a DOC

Note: One-off UCPs paid via New Payments Platform (NPP), Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) or Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) are unable to be cancelled.