Customer or business makes a complaint or provides feedback about Centrepay 103-09030080

Customers with Centrepay deductions may make a complaint or provide feedback about issues, such as:

• deduction amounts and frequency
• their consent for deductions to occur
• difficulties with managing their finances
• actions and decisions of the agency
• concerns about a Centrepay registered business, including allegations of misconduct

Centrepay complaints may be complex. The customer may need further help and support, such as assistance with:

• financial capability
• budgeting, or
• counselling

Complaints that:

• are less complex, such as a deduction amount not coded correctly should be managed using first contact resolution principles
• are about a Centrepay registered business must be referred to the Centrepay Complaints team
• meet a complaint escalation reason must be escalated to level 2 complaints

Customers experiencing vulnerability may need further support to resolve their concerns.

For more details, see Identifying customer vulnerability and risk issues.

A referral to an agency social worker may help customers experiencing vulnerability. Customers may also benefit from a referral to external support services, such as community or welfare agencies or local or state government services. See Specialist officers and other internal supports for customers.

If the customer needs help to manage debt and control their money:

• the National Debt Helpline provides a free, confidential and independent service
• Mob Strong Debt Help provide free legal and financial advice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples

See the Resources page for links.

Customers may raise concerns about the actions or conduct of a Centrepay business. The customer may give information that suggests further actions are needed by the agency to fully investigate the complaint.

The customer may request to remain anonymous. This can limit the agency’s ability to resolve the complaint, however the agency must respect the customer’s choice.

Where a customer:

• provides their express consent for the agency to disclose their details to a business, the agency will directly investigate the customer’s concerns. If contact with a business is required, the complaint must be referred to the Centrepay complaints team
• does not provide consent, the agency still needs to carefully consider the concerns raised about the business, including whether the conduct is likely to impact more than one customer. Where this is likely:
• the feedback should be recorded anonymously, and
• an action request must be sent to the Centrepay business area. Consideration will be given to starting an assurance check and/or compliance review of the business. The customer’s details will remain anonymous

The Service Officer who receives a Centrepay complaint must:

• attempt to resolve the complaint using first contact resolution, unless an escalation reason is met and
• record the complaint and outcome in the Customer Feedback Tool (CFT)
• if the complaint is about a Centrepay business, and an escalation reason is not met, this complaint must be referred to the Centrepay complaints team

All complaints and feedback must be recorded in the CFT. See Recording complaints and feedback in the Customer Feedback Tool.

Complaints can be held for up to 5 business days at a time if:

• not resolved after 10 business days or no action can be taken during first contact, or
• a complaint escalation reason is met. Escalate the feedback for Level 2 management

See Level 1 - Manage complaints and feedback and Complaints and feedback index for more details.

The Centrepay Complaints team are responsible for:

• managing any Level 1 complaint when received directly (for example, when lodged online by the customer)
• responding to any requests received to investigate a Level 2 complaint
• contacting businesses where the complaint is about a Centrepay registered business
• referring the complaint or outcome of the investigation to the appropriate business area or external authority

Customers may be able to claim compensation if they believe the agency has made a mistake that has caused them financial loss or other detriment.

See Customer compensation and act of grace payments.

Third parties, including authorised representatives and nominees, can lodge feedback on behalf of a customer. The feedback must be recorded on the customer’s record, not the nominee’s record.

Before actioning the feedback, check the third party has permission to act on the customer’s behalf.

See Disclosing information to third parties.

The agency’s Customer Complaints and Feedback Policy specifies:

• the agency aims to finalise and respond to complaints within 10 business days
• more complex complaints that require significant investigation may take longer to finalise