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Disability Support Pension (DSP) overseas absence for terminally ill customers 008-03120020

For Centrelink International Services (CIS) staff only

This document outlines the procedure to assist a Service Officer to decide if a customer satisfies the terminally ill provisions and whether DSP is payable indefinitely when they leave Australia.

Verify terminal illness and confirm DSP is portable

Step	Action
1	DSP customer leaving Australia advised that they are terminally ill + Read more ... If a DSP customer is diagnosed as terminally ill within their allowable portability period (e.g. within 4 weeks in a rolling 12 months period) of leaving Australia, their payment is portable indefinitely. This situation is only expected to occur very rarely. If so, go to Step 7. Does the Document List (DL) indicate that Centrelink recently requested the customer to provide proof of their terminally ill condition from their doctor? Yes, go to Step 2 No, go to Step 4
2	Proof of the terminally ill condition received + Read more ... Has proof of the terminally ill condition been received? Verification can be information from the customer's treating doctor. Yes, go to Step 3 No, go to Step 4
3	Medical evidence + Read more ... Does the medical evidence or report confirm that the customer is terminally ill and not expected to live more than 2 years? Yes, go to Step 7 No, go to Step 6
4	Verifying the terminally ill condition + Read more ... Consider the customer's situation when determining whether the customer is terminally ill. Where possible, the customer should not be asked for the information where it already exists. Before requesting proof, consider whether the customer's terminally ill condition can be verified from information already held by Services Australia. Check the Electronic Medical Information File Envelope (MIFE) menu to see if there is already medical information provided to Services Australia that confirms the condition is terminal. Check the Medical Conditions Details (MC) screen. If the medical condition is Totally and Permanently Incapacitated (TPI) (Disability Compensation Payment at Special Rate), request medical documentation from the Centrelink DVA Clearance Team to determine if the condition is terminal. Use Fast Note - Auto text, select Generic > Enquiry > DVA Clearance/Advice Request. If the condition is terminal and if the event date is within the past 2 years, accept the terminally ill status. Check the DL for information recorded in the past 2 years regarding any medical evidence (for example, grant DOC, medical review DOC). Has the customer: been assessed as terminally ill within the last 2 years, or had a Job Capacity Assessment (JCA) within the previous 6 months and medical evidence indicates the customer has a terminal illness that has not been recorded, or already provided acceptable evidence from their doctor in the past 2 years confirming they are terminally ill? Yes, go to Step 7 No, go to Step 5
5	Customer still needs to provide proof of their terminally ill status + Read more ... Advise the customer that a final decision cannot be made until further information is obtained from their treating doctor. Advise the customer that an interim decision will be made assuming that they are not terminally ill and that once verification is provided, a new decision will be made. If the customer departs Australia to live in another country prior to the terminally ill decision being made, their payments will stop. However, if they are later assessed as being terminally ill their payments will be restored back to the date of departure from Australia. Issue the necessary form (AUS222) with a covering letter asking them to have the form completed by their treating doctor. Also, advise that the customer is responsible for the cost of obtaining this report. Record a review for the return of the additional information. Rerun the Portability Script - Departures and Returns using the information that the customer is treated as not terminally ill pending the return of the form. If the script is not working, see Disability Support Pension (DSP) customer going overseas. Procedure ends here.
6	'No future work capacity' portability provisions + Read more ... Consider whether the customer may qualify under the 'no future work capacity' portability provisions. Even if the customer does not satisfy the terminally ill provisions, they may qualify under the 'no future work capacity' portability provisions if they are leaving Australia for more than 4 weeks in a rolling 12 month period. To determine if these conditions are met, an assessment must be completed prior to the customer's departure from Australia regardless of whether a recent medical has been completed or not (unless the medical was done for portability reasons). Note: if the customer meets the current manifest guidelines for grant of DSP, an assessment is not required. For further information regarding manifest guidelines, see Granting Disability Support Pension (DSP) (manifest). Note: if a customer has an assessment it will be done using the 1 January 2012 revised Impairment tables. The customer may not satisfy the no future work capacity conditions and they may no longer satisfy the medical requirements for DSP. This may result in their DSP being cancelled. It is important that the customer is aware of this possibility before making a decision to have the assessment done. Does the customer wish to test their entitlement to indefinite portability under the 'no future work capacity' portability provisions? Yes, go to Assessment for Disability Support Pension (DSP) customers going overseas under the no future work capacity provisions. Procedure ends here No: Advise the customer in writing and verbally (if appropriate) that the original decision regarding portability of their DSP will stand, unless further information can be provided from their doctor Record actions in a DOC Rerun the Portability Script - Departures and Returns. If the script is not working, see Disability Support Pension (DSP) customer going overseas. Procedure ends here
7	Condition occurred whilst a resident of Australia + Read more ... A customer who is terminally ill is portable indefinitely. If a customer has already been assessed as terminally ill and is leaving Australia for more than 4 weeks in a 12 month rolling period, the Service Officer should consider it to be a permanent absence, unless the customer indicates it is temporary and No Work Capacity provisions apply. The rate of payment after 26 weeks absence from Australia, if travel is not to New Zealand, will be proportional based on their working life residence (WLR), unless they became permanently blind or their continuing inability to work occurred while they were a resident of Australia. If travel is to New Zealand, the rate may become proportional immediately, depending on the intended length of departure, and will be based on Working Age Residence. The New Zealand Agreement rate may apply even if the continuing inability to work occurred while the customer was a resident of Australia. See Australian pensions paid outside Australia, the proportional rate and New Zealand Agreement and foreign pension information. It may be possible to work out if a customer became unable to work while a resident of Australia from information held by Centrelink: check the Country of Residence (CRES) and Travel Outside Australia Summary (TOAS) screens. For example, if the customer has been a resident of Australia for the past 40 years, accept that the permanent blindness or continuing inability to work (CITW) occurred in Australia. Note: if the customer has a congenital medical condition, the CITW occurred at birth check the Pensions Disability Information (PDI) screen. If the CITW/Blind Residence: field displays 'AUS', the customer's inability to work or blindness occurred in Australia check the medical condition on the MC screen and, if recorded as 'TPI' (Totally and Permanently Incapacitated (TPI) (Disability Compensation Payment at Special Rate), contact the Centrelink DVA Clearance Team to determine where the continuing inability to work (CITW) occurred. Use Fast Note - Auto text, select Generic > Enquiry > DVA Clearance/Advice Request. also check past documents on the DL screen and previous medical information held on the customer's file. For assistance, contact an International Disabilities Officer to offer suggestions Did the customer's continuing inability to work or permanent blindness occur while they were a resident of Australia? Yes, go to Step 9 No, go to Step 8
8	Unable to work or permanently blind occurred outside Australia + Read more ... Customer became unable to work or permanently blind while residing outside Australia. Rate will be proportional after 26 weeks on WLR (except if going to NZ). Go to the PDI screen and in the following fields: Event Date, key the date of departure from Australia Severely Disabled, key 'YES' CITW/Blind Residence, key 'OVE' Go to Step 10.
9	Unable to work or permanently blind whilst a resident of Australia + Read more ... Customer became unable to work or permanently blind while a resident of Australia. Rate will not be proportional after 26 weeks (except if going to NZ). Go to the PDI screen and in the following fields: Event Date, key the date of departure from Australia Severely Disabled, key 'YES' CITW/Blind Residence, key 'AUS' Go to Step 10
10	Record terminal medical condition and permanent absence + Read more ... Go to the MC screen and in the following fields: Event Date, key the date of departure from Australia Medical Condition, update if appropriate Manifest Code, key 'TRM' On the CRES screen, record the customer's residence and ensure the permanent departure from Australia is recorded. Finalise activity on the Assessment Results (AR) screen. Record the details of the decision in a DOC, including: the type of verification assessed and the doctor's details whether the customer is considered to be terminally ill whether the customer's condition occurred while a resident of Australia or not, and how this decision was made Rerun the Portability Script - Departures and Returns if the script is not working, see Disability Support Pension (DSP) customer going overseas.