Cancellation and Period of Grace for Mobility Allowance (MOB) 008-05070030

To access Mobility Allowance (MOB) screens in Customer First/Customer Record:

• in the Next field, key SVMOB
• select ISS from the System dropdown
• press [Enter]

See Change of circumstances for Mobility Allowance (MOB) customers.

Note: staff will need to access Process Direct (PD) to view this information.

Where the customer:

• has a change of circumstances that involves a change in their gainful employment, voluntary work, training, or a combination of these, or job search activities (for example, a change in the hours they work or train, or they cease job search activities):
• select Customer Summary from the Process Direct landing page
• enter the customer’s CRN, select Go
• in the customer’s record select > > Participation Summary > Job seeker registration & provider information > Job Plan > Activity type/Non-applied exemptions
• go to Step 8
• has ceased participation in Disability Employment Services (DES) - Disability Management Service:
• select > > Participation Summary > Activity type/Non-applied exemptions > Referral Summary
• go to Step 2 in Table 2
• is in receipt of JobSeeker Payment (JSP) or Youth Allowance (YA) (job seeker) and they receive an exemption from their mutual obligation requirements:
• select > > Participation Summary > Job seeker registration & provider information > Activity type/Non-applied exemptions
• go to Step 2 in Table 3
• has a change in circumstances that is not due to a change in their employment, voluntary work, training, job search activities or mutual obligation requirements status, go to Step 3

Has the customer died?

• Yes, go to Step 10
• No, go to Step 4

Is the customer going overseas?

• Yes, determine eligibility for MOB for a customer going overseas. Procedure ends here
• No, go to Step 5

Is the customer imprisoned or in psychiatric confinement?

• Yes, MOB must be cancelled. Code the cancellation details on the Benefit Action (BA) screen:
• Cancellation code, key IMP
• Date of Event, the date the customer was imprisoned or entered psychiatric confinement
• finalise the cancellation activity via the Assessment Results (AR) screen. There is no period of grace (POG)
• record the details on a DOC
• cancellation letter is auto issued
• procedure ends here
• No, go to Step 6

Is the customer a participant with the NDIS?

• Yes, go to Step 11
• No, go to Step 7

Has the customer:

• become able to use public transport without substantial assistance, or
• been provided with a 'gift' car from Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA), through the DVA Vehicle Assistance Scheme or Motor Vehicle Compensation Scheme or
• ceased travelling to undertake employment (voluntary or gainful) or study?
• Yes, see Table 3, Step 1
• No, no change in the customer’s circumstance so payment to continue, Procedure ends here

Note: customers not required to report due to hours or employment income precluding an income support payment or receiving Disability Support Pension (Blind) (DSB), may still be eligible for MOB if still working at least 15 hours per week. To continue receiving MOB, details of the hours worked must be coded on the Employment/Training Details (ETD) screen. See Rates for Mobility Allowance (MOB).

If the customer ceases to be eligible for the higher rate of MOB due to one of the following changes, a Period of Grace (POG) will commence once the change in circumstances is recorded:

• ceased working 15 hours or more per (single) week at or above the relevant minimum wage, or
• reduced their job seeking activities to less than 15 hours per (single) week for work at or above the relevant minimum wage, or
• ceased registration with an employment services provider

Once the POG ends, the system will automatically determine if the customer is still entitled to the standard rate and if they are, the customer will automatically commence receiving the standard rate.

In some situations, customers are required to provide verification of changes. However if MOB is going to cancel due to the customer no longer undertaking one of the following activities, verification may not be needed:

• working, or
• training, or
• participating in voluntary work for at least 32 hours every 4 week period, and
• have not indicated they intend to supplement their hours with another working or training activity

Is there a reason to request verification?

• Yes, see Table 2, Step 1
• No, go to Step 9

In Customer First code the following:

• in the Nxt field, key ETS
• 'S'elect the line that has changed for either employment or training and press [Enter]
• on the Employment/Training Details (ETD) screen:
• Event date field, key the date the change occurred
• Details Verified, key Y (even though verification has not been received)
• if gainful employment/voluntary work/training hours have reduced below 32 hours per 4 weeks but are still continuing, update the Hrs:Min field with the new amount of hours per 4 week period. If the customer's gainful employment/voluntary work/training/job search activity has ceased, zero off the hours in the Hrs:Min field
• press [Enter]
• update employment details including changes to income and hours on the Employment Income Summary (EANS) screen
• finalise the activity via the Assessment Results (AR) screen
• record the details on a DOC

Procedure ends here.

Confirm and action death. See Confirmation of the death of an adult or child for processing details.

The payment cancels and the POG commences.

Status changes from CUR (Current) to POG (period of grace). The POG will be for a duration of 2 weeks.

Procedure ends here.

Is the customer a participant with NDIS?

• Yes, MOB should already be cancelled with a status of HCC/CUR:
• If customer advises they are a participant with NDIS and is still receiving Mobility Allowance, create a Fast Note for the Mobility Allowance National Team (AMW) to follow up. Use Fast Note - select Auto text, use Disabilities > Mobility Allowance > Mobility Allowance Customer Call Required
• Document the date of commencement and NDIS number (if known)
• Confirm
• MOB is not to be manually cancelled
• No, no further action required

Note: NDIS participants whose MOB payment has been cancelled continue to be eligible for a Health Care Card (HCC). Manual concession override processing is required to enable this continuation of HCC entitlement and is part of the cancellation activity.

Procedure ends here.

• In the Nxt field, key ETS
• 'S'elect the line that has changed for either employment or training
• press [Enter]
• complete the following fields (use field help ?):
• Type
• Employer/Trainer Name
• Address
• Phone
• Suburb/Town
• Postcode
• Event Date
• Details Verified?, key as N or leave blank - the system issues to the customer either a Mobility Allowance (Verification of Work - including voluntary work) (MA005(E)), if employed, or a Mobility Allowance (Verification of training) (MA005 (T)), if training. See the Resources page for a link
• Hrs:Min, key new hours, or key 0 if nil hours
• Expected End Date, is optional for use if the customer has a temporary employment contract, or if the customer is doing a training course with an end date. Coding this field will prompt the system to review the customer's circumstances once this date is reached
• check employment details are updated on Employment Income Summary (EANS) screen to accurately reflect changes in employment circumstance
• once verification is received, update Details Verified from N to Y

Does the customer continue to qualify for MOB?

• Yes, update relevant screens if required. Procedure ends here
• No, update relevant screens to trigger commencement of POG. Go to Step 3

A Department of Employment and Workplace Relations transaction automatically triggers the appropriate POG when the provider notifies the cessation or suspension of the activity. An auto advice is issued advising of the commencement of POG.

Procedure ends here.

Ensure customer is not undertaking another qualifying activity which is not coded and would entitle customer to continue receiving MOB:

• finalise the activity via the Assessments Results (AR) screen
• customer will commence POG. Status will change from CUR (Current) to POG (period of grace). The POG will be for the duration of 12 weeks. An auto advice is issued to the customer
• record the details on a DOC
• at the end of the POG, customer will drop to standard rate or payment will cancel

Code the MOCD screen as follows:

• Event date, key the date the change occurred
• Inability to use Public Transport, key N if the customer is able to use public transport without substantial assistance or if their condition is for less than 12 months
• Vehicle Assistance Received, key Y if the customer has received a gift car from the Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA)
• Failed Travel Test field, key Y if customer is no longer required to travel to undertake employment (voluntary or gainful) or study
• press [Enter]
• finalise the activity via the Assessments Results (AR) screen
• the payment will cancel and the POG commences. Status changes from CUR (Current) to POG (period of grace). The POG is for a 2 week duration. An auto advice is will be issued to the customer
• record the details on a DOC

Procedure ends here.

When a JSP or YA (job seeker) customer's exemption from their mutual obligation requirements is coded on the Activity and Exemption Summary (AEX) screen, a MOB/REA activity is created with the comment line: Update of Mobility Allowance Employment or Training details Exemption <reason> coded for <payment type>.

The activity cannot be cancelled.

Select the activity from the AL screen.

Is the customer receiving JSP or YA (job seeker) as their exemption ended and are now meeting their mutual obligation requirements?

• Yes, finalise the activity without any updates:
• check outcome is correct (such as restoration)
• auto advice is issued
• procedure ends here
• No, go to Step 4

If the customer is still exempt from mutual obligation requirements, complete the following fields:

• Type, key JSP or YA
• Event Date, key date the mutual obligation requirements exemption was granted
• Details Verified, key Y
• Hrs:Min, key 0:00
• POG, key 2
• press [Enter]

Finalise the activity via the Assessments Results (AR) screen.

• the payment cancels and the POG commences. Status changes from CUR (Current) to POG (period of grace). The POG duration is 2 weeks with a reason of 'RNS - Not satisfying the mutual obligation requirements'. An auto advice is issued to the customer
• record the details on a DOC
• finalising the activity generates a POG cancellation review activity on the FAL screen with a maturation date 15 days after the event date
• if the customer comes back onto JSP or YA (job seeker) with mutual obligation requirements within the POG, and it is coded on the ETD screen, the benefit status is checked upon maturity of the POG review and the review activity is auto cancelled on FAL. The status changes to CUR and a letter is auto issued
• if no activity is coded within the POG, the review activity matures, resulting in the MOB being cancelled with the reason 'RNS - not satisfying the activity test', and a letter is auto issued. The letter advises: 'Your Mobility Allowance has been stopped because you are no longer satisfying the mutual obligation requirements for (JSP/YA)'