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Centrelink-Child Support information exchange 277-04080000

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This document outlines the process for child support staff to:

  • exchange information between Centrelink and Child Support
  • request information from Centrelink systems, and
  • process requests for information from Child Support systems

On this page:

Requesting information from Centrelink records - initial action

Requesting information from Centrelink records - submit information request

Child Support customer record - information requested by Centrelink

Requesting information from Centrelink records - initial action

Table 1: this table describes the resources Child Support Service Officers must use before submitting a manual information request.

Expand table

Step

Action

1

Search existing resources

Before submitting a manual information request, Service Officers must use available resources to source information.

Check the View Correspondence window for previous Child Support Unit (CSU) requests.

To get the following information:

Note: in the External Information window, highlight the relevant entry to view additional information.

2

Customer contact details

Use the following resources to get customer contact details before submitting a manual information request:

  • Cuba External Information window (ADDR, RESD, PHNE)
  • Citrix:
    • Australian Taxation Office (ATO) mainframe resources including AIS, TSF, STAC (tax returns),
    • ICP (for tax returns assessed after 1 July 2012), and
    • TR (Corporate Applications)
  • Electronic White Pages
  • other party

To check Customer First for customer details:

  • Go to Customer Summary (CRN/BP), for:
    • Name
    • Date of Birth
    • Phone details
    • Email
  • Address:
    • The postal address is on the top of every screen in Customer First
    • To view all addresses, including history, go to ADH (in next field), or use the Address function in workspace

Note: Tax File Numbers must not be used from Customer First.

3

Income information

Use the following resources to get income details before submitting a manual information request:

  • Cuba External Information window (INC, INV)
  • Citrix:
    • ATO mainframe resources including AIS, TSF, STAC (tax returns)
    • ICP (for tax returns assessed after 1 July 2012)
  • Cuba Employer Relationship window

To check Customer First for income details:

4

Employments details

Use the following resources to get employment details before submitting a manual information request:

  • Cuba External Information window (EMP)
  • Cuba Employer Relationship window
  • Cuba Income Details window (including estimate documents)
  • TR Corporate Applications

To check Customer First for employment details

  • Go to Employment income summary (EANS) screen for reported income from employers
  • Go to Real Estate/Business Summary (REBS) screen for real estate and business information

5

Care details

Use the following resources to get care details before submitting a manual information request:

  • Cuba Care window and documents
  • Cuba External Information
  • Cuba External Information Care
  • Other party

To check Customer First for care details:

  • Go to Children (CHS) screen. 'S'elect relevant children and select Continue or [Enter]
  • Go to FTB Shared Care (FSC) screen for:
    • Care records including 0-100% assessed care
    • Third party carer information (Additional Carers)

Additional Carers:

  • Go to CHS screen. 'S'elect relevant children and select Continue or [Enter]
  • Go to Child Relationships (!CHRE) screen
  • Child Relationships screen shows all carers linked to a child. Where a carer has not been linked, submit a manual information request

Note: do not use care details for children who are no longer FTB children because they are no longer mutual customers. However:

  • the decision of the care that caused the cancellation of FTB/ISP for the carer is relevant, and required for the purposes of record correctness
  • if any party to a Child Support case is receiving FTB/ISP based on 'with child' rate, update care records across all programs to ensure payment correctness

6

Benefit/Separation details

Use the following resources to get separation details or benefit type before submitting a manual information request:

  • Cuba External Info - Relationship dialogue box in the External Information window
  • Benefits window

To check Customer First for benefit details:

  • Go to Customer Summary (CRN/BP) screen, which provides a hyperlink for Benefit Status. This opens the Service Reason Summary (SRS) screen and displays the current and previous services and payments (benefits) the customer has accessed
  • Some basic codes are:
    • CUR = current
    • CZR = current zero rate
    • CAN = cancelled
    • REJ = rejected
    • SUS = suspended
    • INA = inactive

To check Customer First for separation details:

  • Go to Marital Status (MS) screen

7

Bank account details

Use the following resources to get bank account details before submitting a manual information request:

  • Citrix (ATO Mainframe)
  • Cuba

To check Customer First for bank account details:

  • Go to Customer Summary (CRN/BP) screen, and select Bank Details tab
  • The Payment Destination Summary (PAS) screen also provides bank account details

Note: only use these details if the customer has received a benefit in the previous 12 months. To find this out, go to the Payment Summary (PS) screen, and enter '12' in the field Number of months in the past.

8

Proof of parentage (POP)

Use the following search to find a birth certificate when a customer advises they provided it to Centrelink,

To check Customer First for POP:

  • Go to Customer Summary (CRN/BP) screen
  • Enter Customer CRN and select Document Tools. This can be located:
    • in the left-hand Menu, or
    • key Document Tools in the Search Bar
  • Birth Certificate should be listed as UNS007
    Note: if FA081 is listed, the Birth Certificate could be attached to this. FA081 is not proof of parentage unless the actual Birth Certificate is sighted

9

Record information

Document the results of the searches.

If the search:

  • relates to collection, add the document to the notepad in the Cuba Collection window
  • is not related to collection, add the document to the notepad in the most appropriate window, or the Cuba Communication window

There is no requirement to document the searches in Customer First.

  • To view documents (DOC) in Customer First:
    • Go to Document List (DL)
  • To view scanned documents/images:
    • From the workspace (home button), select Document Tools

10

External information

In limited circumstances, a manual data exchange can be requested by using the CNLK Refresh in Cuba.

Use the CNLK Refresh button when:

  • Centrelink request a 'resend' of receiving parent entitlement information. This information transfers to Centrelink each Friday night, however if there are system errors or Centrelink was unable to process the record, a resend could be requested
  • a customer advises they have finalised a care decision with Centrelink more than three days earlier, and the care information is not displayed in the External Information window. A refresh will trigger a new match request to be initiated and request the latest data

Do not use CNLK Refresh for the following. This information automatically transfers daily:

  • If Centrelink request a resend of paying parent entitlement / assessment information as this must be initiated on the Centrelink side
  • To cancel a Centrelink Deduction, as the CLNK Refresh button is not linked to this function
  • To obtain the latest customer:
    • address
    • phone
    • relationship
    • benefit
  • When a customer:
    • first registers with Child Support
    • restarts a case
    • updates their details or a child's details (that is name, Customer Reference Number (CRN), address, Date of Birth (DOB))

Press the CNLK Refresh button and allow 3 days for the information to be updated. The CLNK Refresh button is disabled if it has been selected within the last 3 calendar days.

Note: if a Centrelink pended care record exists, pressing the CLNK Refresh button will restart the 21 day period for deletion of the pending care record where the care process is not completed as no further information is received from the customer. See Centrelink care determination from 1 July 2010 (3 March 2011 for WA ex-nuptials).


Requesting information from Centrelink records - submit information request

Table 2: this table explains Child Support Service Officers submit a manual request for information form Centrelink.

Expand table

Step

Action

1

Determine if a manual information request is appropriate

If information is not available using the resources in Table 1, manually request information from Centrelink customer records to

  • get information about a customer
  • confirm information about a customer, if a third party has provided the information

For help applying the information to a child support assessment, see:

  • the relevant intray help
  • specific Operational Blueprint process, or
  • a Service Support Officer

Child Support and Centrelink have a written protocol to govern the information which can be shared. See the 2016 Governance Arrangement on Centrelink-Child Support information exchange.

2

Complete a manual information request

Use the Centrelink/Child Support information exchange macro to manually request information. To complete the macro:

  • in the Details of Exchange section select the check box for the type of information being requested
  • complete the Customer Details by copying and pasting text directly from Cuba to ensure correct data matching. Details cannot be typed into these fields
  • complete all relevant fields which appear after making the 'details of exchange' selection
  • if the response needs to be scanned to a particular customer's record for a care/relationship enquiry, list that customer first on the request
  • when creating a request for a child, provide the details of the most recent caring customer are provided. The Customer Liaison Unit (CLU) will record information onto the record of that customer
  • at the bottom of the macro is an Additional Information field. Providing reasons for the request. This can help CLU provide additional information that may help. E.g., rejected disbursement, collection, or conflicting care data

3

Urgent requests

The criteria for urgent requests for information:

  • The customer is in hardship
  • The customer is about to be in hardship
  • The request is to respond to a Ministerial request, complaint, or other escalated customer enquiry

Did the customer meet the above criteria?

  • Yes, select Yes
  • No, select No

4

Finalise macro and send email

Update the Service Officer details section and select the Create email for Centrelink request.

The macro produces an email and pre-populates the email address.

Send the email.

5

Response times

CLU will respond within 5 working days, urgent requests within 2 working days.

See Centrelink CLU Response Times for escalation if:

  • no response is received within the above timeframes, or
  • further clarification is needed after receiving the response

6

Document the request in Cuba

Create a notepad in the Communication window using the subject heading 'CSU request sent'. Select the following options:

  • Type: ELECTRONIC OUT
  • Case: select relevant case number
  • Reason: REQUEST FOR INF
  • With: CENTRELINK
  • Category: OTHER
  • Issue: OTHER

When the information is saved, copy the text from the email created by the macro into the notepad.

7

Create CSU Request intray

Create a CSU Request intray including brief details of the request. See the notepad created in Step 6.

Note: keep the customer locked and the CSU Request intray (unless exempted by the Customer Management Approach) until a manual information response is received. This is to make sure the response is routed to the most suitable Service Officer and actioned in the most timely way.

8

Response received

The Electronic Document Classification team:

  • review and document all responses into Cuba
  • create a CSU Response received intray and route it to the requesting Service Officer

The requesting Service Officer:

  • reviews the response, in the View Correspondence window
  • takes appropriate action, and
  • delete the intray when the work is completed

Child Support customer record - information requested by Centrelink

Table 3: details the process for Centrelink Liaison Unit (CLU) staff actioning a request for information about a Child Support customer record received form Centrelink.

Expand table

Step

Action

1

Manual information request received (CLU)

Manual information requests are received in the Centrelink Liaison mailbox and actioned by CLU Service Officers.

2

Document request for information (CLU only)

CLU Service Officers must document requests in the customer's Communication window using the following selections from the dropdown menus:

  • Type: ELECTRONIC IN
  • Case: select relevant case number
  • Reason: PROVIDE INFORM
  • With: CENTRELINK
  • Category: OTHER
  • Issue: OTHER

3

Review manual information request (CLU only)

CLUs must review requests to make sure the information can be disclosed as per the Governance Arrangement.

Can the information requested be provided to Centrelink?

  • Yes, go to Step 4
  • No, the CLU officer will:
    • update the Communication window to detail the reason
    • email the officer requesting the information to advise their request cannot be provided, and copy the email to Centrelink Liaison mailbox

4

Send information to Centrelink

If the information can be provided to Centrelink, the CLU officer will:

  • obtain the information from Cuba
  • email the information to the requesting officer and copy to the Centrelink Liaison mailbox
  • update the Communication window with details of the information provided to Centrelink

If further investigation is needed, the CLU Officer may contact the owning Service Officer or subject matter experts (COA, Care etc).