Disability Support Pension (DSP) customer fails to reply to correspondence 008-03090080

Check to confirm that the written request the customer has not responded to includes:

• advice about the information/action required
• a reasonable timeframe for response
• information about the consequences of non-compliance and
• a reference to the relevant Act the request has been made under

Has the customer been fully advised in writing about the information/action required and the consequences of not responding?

• Yes, go to Step 2
• No, the advice must be reissued containing this information. Procedure ends here

Check the Document List (DL) screen for any DOC indicating the customer may have contacted about the correspondence.

Check Document Tools for all information scanned to the customer's record since the notification was sent to make sure the requested document has not been scanned under an incorrect identifier.

Have all requested documents been lodged?

• Yes, procedure ends here
• No, go to Step 3

When attempting to contact the customer:

• At least 2 genuine attempts to contact by phone should be made prior to suspending payment.
• If the customer does not have a telephone number recorded, manually send a Request client to contact (Q164) letter asking the customer to contact within 14 days. Resubmit the activity for 14 days to follow up a response to letter.

Is contact with the customer successful?

• Yes, go to Step 4
• No, go to Step 6

Consider if the failure to reply to correspondence is caused by the customer's medical condition or other circumstances, for example, an acute psychiatric condition, Acquired Brain Injury (ABI), hospitalisation, or remoteness.

Advise the customer that failure to reply to correspondence may result in suspension of payment.

Make sure they understand the reason for suspending the payment, information is required to verify their continuing eligibility and therefore payment cannot continue until the information is provided and their eligibility is confirmed.

Consider if other arrangements can be made taking into account the customer's circumstances and medical condition:

• It may be possible to obtain the details over the phone, or
• The customer may require further time to provide requested information

Have new arrangements been made?

For example, the customer will provide the requested information within 14 days.

• Yes, record details on a DOC. Include:
• how the customer was contacted
• the reason for not replying to correspondence
• details of the new arrangement
• If the customer still needs to provide the requested information, resubmit an activity for 14 days (or agreed timeframe) to follow up the new arrangements
• If the required information has been obtained, procedure ends here
• No, go to Step 6

Where possible the customer should be advised of the decision to suspend payment, see Making an unfavourable decision.

Go to the Benefit Action (BA) screen and code the following:

• DSP in the Svc Rsn field
• SUS in the Action field
• FRC in the Reason field
• the date of effect, (the date the suspension is to take effect), in the Effect Date field. For more information see Suspension of payments (CLK)
• the Source field
• the date of receipt in the DOR field

Record details on a DOC. Include:

• the reason for failing to reply to correspondence
• why payment has been suspended
• what information was requested but not lodged

Unless action is taken to restore DSP within 13 weeks of the suspension date, DSP will automatically cancel at the end of that period.

A Manual Follow Up (MFU) activity is created on the Activity List (AL) screen after the suspension activity has been finalised. This activity may not appear until the next day.

Complete the free text (Q999) letter. The letter should tell the customer of:

• the reasons for suspension of payment,
• the date of effect
• the impacted payment
• the relevant section of legislation, and
• their review and appeal rights