Manual review after automatic payment suspension and cancellation of vulnerable customers 008-03130050

MFUs allocate through Workload Manager (WLM). Search for them in Work Optimiser using the keyword SUSVULFU.

The work item ZIAM_VUL_CUS_SUS - Vulnerable Customer SUS/CAN is created if a manual intervention is required to review the circumstances of vulnerable customers. This is where their income support payment is suspended or cancelled for a minimum of 6 weeks due to an auto suspension or cancellation activity.

Has an MFU allocated for a customer living permanently overseas?

Check the customer's Country of Residence (CRES) screen to see if they are living permanently outside Australia:

• Yes, customers who have had their payments auto suspended or cancelled and who are permanently residing overseas are not eligible for the manual intervention procedure:
• Cancel any MFUs generated for these customers
• Create a DOC detailing the reason for cancelling the MFU
• If the MFU cannot be cancelled, see Table 2 > Step 1
• Complete a CIS referral use Fast Note - select Auto Text, use Centrelink International Services > Update > Investigate SUS/CAN reason. Do not close DOC
• Procedure ends here
• No, go to Step 2

Review the customer's circumstances before taking steps to re-engage them.

Check the:

• Customer's benefit status line to confirm their income support payment remains suspended or cancelled
• Document List (DL) screen to see if there has been any contact by the customer or the service centre about the income support payment suspension or cancellation

Has the payment been restored?

• Yes, if payment has been restored, cancel the MFU
• If unable to cancel, or
• If message text 'TDI:VULNDOC (DOC must be completed with this MFU)' shows, see Table 2 > Step 1
• Procedure ends here
• No, go to Step 3

Check why the income support payment was suspended.

Check the:

• Service Reason Summary (SRS) screen or the Pension Status History (PNSH) screen for the pension status, reason and date of effect (DOE), or
• Event Summary (ES) screen and find the suspension/cancellation activity
• Document List (DL) screen and Document Tools for evidence that the customer has contacted Services Australia, provided required details and/or returned any required documentation

Indicators of vulnerability and being at risk include:

• A history of mental illness
• Intellectual disability coded on the Medical Conditions (MC) screen
• Recent grant of Disability Support Pension (DSP)
• DSP (Blind) and Age Pension (Blind), Check screen coding reflects the customer's current circumstances including:
• Pension Disability (PDI) screen. See Income and assets for blind customers for more information
• Accomodation Details (AC) screen. See Completing the Accommodation Details (AC) screen and assessing Rent Assistance (RA) for more information
• Homelessness or an identified risk of becoming homeless
• A lack of or disconnection from supports and community
• Frail aged
• Vulnerability indicators
• Circumstances impacting compliance
• Recent hospitalisation of a carer or care receiver
• Recent grant of Carer Payment (CP)
• In a bereavement period
• Nominee arrangements
• Weekly payment arrangements, and/or
• A history of incidents of aggression

For help, see Identifying customer vulnerability and risk issues.

Determine if the customer is vulnerable and/or at risk.

Note: if the customer may be at risk of harm or immediate danger, escalate to the service centre manager straight away. If the manager is unavailable, see Referral to a social worker for appropriate action.

Check the record to see if the customer has Personalised Services (PS) or has an active Managed Services Plan (MSP).

If the customer is:

• a PS customer or has an MSP, go to Step 8
• not a PS customer, continue below

Service Officers must make 2 genuine attempts to contact the customer to discuss their circumstances and what is required to restore their income support payment.

If the customer is registered for SMS messaging, issue a pre-call SMS before attempting to contact.

When a nominee arrangement is in place, Service Officers must:

• try to contact the nominee first, and
• if unsuccessful contact the customer

No restriction exists on contacting customers who have a nominee. However, Service Officers must consider the nominee arrangement exists for a reason and where possible make initial contact with the customer's nominee.

Nominee arrangements should also be discussed with the customer if appropriate.

If the customer:

• has contact details, go to Step 6
• does not have contact details, go to Step 7

First attempt

Attempt to contact the customer (or nominee if applicable)

If the contact is

• successful, go to Step 9
• unsuccessful:
• record the contact attempt on a DOC and hold the MFU until the next working day. See Table 2 > Step 2
• procedure ends here until MFU becomes due

Second attempt

When the MFU is due, make a second attempt to contact customer.

If the contact is:

• successful, go to Step 9
• unsuccessful, go to Step 7

• Issue a Q164 letter if:
• the customer has no contact details, or
• both attempts to contact the customer have been unsuccessful
• Record a DOC detailing the reason for the request and hold the MFU for 14 days. See Table 2 > Step 2
• Procedure ends here until the customer contacts, or MFU becomes due

If the customer:

• responds to the Q164, go to Step 9
• does not respond to the Q164 and the MFU becomes due, go to Step 8

If the customer does not respond to the Q164, action according to the customer's circumstances.

The customer is considered:

• Vulnerable and/or at risk, go to Step 11
• Not vulnerable and/or at risk, Cancel the MFU and record details on a DOC
• If message text 'TDI:VULNDOC (DOC must be completed with this MFU)' shows, see Table 2 > Step 1
• Procedure ends here

Explain the reason for suspension or cancellation and discuss what is needed for restoration.

Special Benefit (SpB) customers due to return their SpB 13 weeks review cannot be restored until the review is received and processed by the SpB processing team. See Special Benefit (SpB) reviews for more details.

Note: If a customer has received Crisis Payment (CrP) and a change has occurred, a manual reassessment of CrP may be required. For more information, see Reviewing and reassessing Crisis Payment (CrP).

If the customer is having trouble accessing their online account, app or phone self-service to report their employment income or other change in circumstances, see Troubleshooting Centrelink self service.

Can the income support payment be restored in this contact?

• Yes, restore the payment:
• Record details on a DOC
• Use Fast Note - select Auto text, Generic >SUS/CAN/RES > RESTORE (Payment type) DOV
• Cancel the MFU
• If message text 'TDI:VULNDOC (DOC must be completed with this MFU)' shows, see Table 2 > Step 1
• Procedure ends here
• No, and the customer:
• Is not vulnerable and/or at risk, tell them they must supply the required details or attend the required interview based on their suspension or cancellation reason:
  Record details on a DOC
  Use Fast Note - select Auto text, Generic > Enquiry > Advice given. No Update made - see Text for Detail
  Cancel the MFU activity
  If unable to cancel the MFU and if message text 'TDI:VULNDOC (DOC must be completed with this MFU)' shows, see Table 2 > Step 1
• Procedure ends here
• Is vulnerable and/or at risk, go to Step 11

Note: if the customer may be at risk of harm or immediate danger, escalate to the service centre manager straight away. If the manager is unavailable, see Referral to a social worker for appropriate action.

If the customer is contacted and extra documentation or customer action is needed before their income support payment can be restored, follow the below process:

• Give the customer details about what is needed before their payment can be restored
• Make arrangements for the customer to provide the details at their local service centre or through Upload documents online (preferred option)
• Issue a Request for Information (RFI) for the documents within the appropriate time frame. See Requesting information (CLK)
• Record a DOC detailing what is needed to restore income support payment and any other relevant details
• Hold the MFU until RFI due date

Are the documents returned within the required time frame?

• Yes,
• Undertake relevant action and restore if appropriate
• Cancel MFU activity. Procedure ends here
• If the MFU cannot be cancelled, see Table 2 > Step 1
• No,
• If the customer has contact details, try to contact the customer
• If unsuccessful, Go to Step 11

The Service Officer must review the customer's record and assess the level of risk. Confirm all reasonable action has been taken or use the most appropriate resource for the customer's circumstances to re-engage.

Further action is required to engage customer

If the customer has contact details:

• Refer the customer to the appropriate resource
• All specialist referrals must include the payment SUS/CAN reason, action required if the customer wants payment to be restored (if applicable) and the identified vulnerability/risk.
• Service Officers must follow the correct referral process, and ensure the referral is appropriate, based on the customer's circumstances. See links below:
• If the customer has a Personalised Services (PS), see Referring customers to and handling customer enquiries and correspondence for Personalised Services
• Social worker, see Referral to a social worker
• Multicultural Service Officer (MSO), see Multicultural Service Officers (MSO)
  Note: requiring an interpreter is not sufficient reason to refer a customer to an MSO, other vulnerabilities/risk must be identified
• Community Engagement Officer (CEO), see Community Engagement Officers (CEO)
• Indigenous Services Officer (ISO), see Specialist staff for Indigenous customers, or
• Customer Critical Response Team (CCRT), see Resources
• For more information regarding Specialist Officers and other supports, see Specialist Officers and other internal supports for customers
• Record a DOC detailing what is needed to restore the income support payment and any other relevant details
• Cancel the MFU activity
• If the MFU cannot be cancelled, see Table 2 > Step 1
• Procedure ends here

If the customer has no contact details:

• Issue an additional Q164 letter asking the customer to contact Services Australia
• Record a DOC detailing what is needed to restore the income support payment and any other relevant details
• Cancel the MFU and record details on a DOC
• If message text 'TDI:VULNDOC (DOC must be completed with this MFU)' shows, see Table 2 > Step 1

No further action is required to engage customer

• DOC the record with details of action taken
• Cancel the MFU activity. Procedure ends here
• If the MFU cannot be cancelled, see Table 2 > Step 1
• Procedure ends here

If the MFU activity cannot be cancelled or if message text 'TDI:VULNDOC (DOC must be completed with this MFU)' shows:

• Create a DOC using Fast Note workflow
• Select Custom text and add free text detailing the action taken
• In the Document Completion, select Link to existing activity
• From dropdown menu, select appropriate activity on the Activity List (AL) screen
• Go to AL screen, select MFU activity and finalise through Assessment Results (AR) screen

To hold the MFU activity:

• Create a DOC using Fast Note workflow
• Select Custom text and add free text detailing the action taken
• In the Document Completion, select Link to existing activity
• From dropdown menu, select appropriate activity on the Activity List (AL) screen
• Select Held and enter the date the resubmit date required
• Select Continue