International Disbursements - foreign cheque payments in 277-08070000

On receipt of cheques from overseas:

• Sort by country/Central Authority/customer
• Group together any cheques for the same customer
• Separate small value cheques and use the OANDA conversion website to determine if any will potentially convert to less than AUD$18

Record the receipt of each cheque in the Cuba record of the payer using the following selections:

• Written com In
• Case - select case number (if multi, leave blank)
• Reason - Debt negotiation
• With - select either Client or Central Authority (CA)
• Category - select enforcement for CA, or other for customer
• Issues - other
• Subject heading - Receipt of payment

In the notepad document the following:

'A foreign cheque payment has been received and will be forwarded to the Reserve Bank for negotiation, details are as follows:

Customer Payment Reference Number (CPRN): **** **** **** **** (16 digit reference number)

Drawer: for example, HMCTS Bedfordshire (Payer First name and Surname on Cuba entered in brackets)

Bank: for example, NatWest

Branch: for example, Westminster

Cheque No.: ******** ** **** ********

Currency: for example, GBP

Amount: for example, £75.00

Cheque Date: XX/XX/XXXX'

If this is the first cheque received use the Customer payment reference number calculator to obtain the 16 digit reference number.

Cheques with a value of less than AUD$ 18

Foreign cheques that have an expected converted value of less than AUD$18 cannot be processed by the Reserve Bank of Australia except under exceptional circumstances.

Examples

• If this is the final payment to satisfy all outstanding arrears and there is no ongoing liability, or
• where not accepting the cheque may result in the paying parent not making any further payments at all

For cheques identified as being less than AUD$18 in the notepad document the following:

'A foreign cheque payment has been received for less than an equivalent amount of AUD$18 therefore does not meet minimum amount required, cheque will be returned to the sender. Details are as follows:'

Details documented are the same as for accepted cheques above.

Note: some Central Authorities occasionally send a cheque intended to be a refund for the payer in Australia. Do not credit this cheque to the payer’s account on Cuba. Apply these cheques to the payee on Cuba. When the funds clear on Cuba they will appear as excess cash. They can then be re-allocated to the payer’s excess cash and actioned appropriately.

If the cheque is likely to convert to less than AUD$18, go to Step 6.

The Resources page contains a link for contact details for the Child Support Cash Management.

 

• Record the notepad details on the daily Overseas Cheque spreadsheet located at:
• G:\Int\DHS_International_Child_Support\Central_Authority_Team\Disbursements\Foreign and Domestic Cheques\CSA Foreign Cheques 18/19
• Update the spreadsheet with the tracking number being used to send that particular parcel of cheques to the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), the date and the names of the person completing and checking the spreadsheet
• When all cheques have been entered on Cuba and the spreadsheet, print 2 copies of the spreadsheet. These will be used in Step 5
• Photocopy all cheques for filing
• Ensure the cheques remain in the order in which they were processed and photocopied. Provide a copy of the spreadsheet and cheques to another Service Officer to check the accuracy of the spreadsheet and ensuring that all cheques have been signed, the written amount matches the numerical amount, and the cheque date is current
• When the initiating and scrutinising Service Officer agree that the spreadsheet is correct, both people sign the spreadsheet

Note: do not include on the spreadsheet details of any cheques not being sent to the RBA. For example, they are less than $18 and are being returned to the sender.

To send cheques to the RBA, gather:

• 2 x large envelopes (for RBA and Services Australia), and
• 1 x large (500g) Express Post envelope

On the large envelope to be sent to the RBA, write:

RBA
Int Cheques
[Date]

On the large envelope that remains with Services Australia, write:

Int cheques
[Date]
[Tracking number]

On the large (500g) Express Post envelope, write:

• the RBA - Banking Department address, and
• sender details

Place the cheques (secured with a bulldog clip or similar) and a signed spreadsheet print out into the large envelope for the RBA and seal it. Place this inside the Express Post envelope and seal it.

Do not remove the tracking number from the Express Post envelope.

Place the Express Post envelope in the Outward Mail basket by 1:30pm for collection by Tasmanian Mailroom Operations.

Email the daily spreadsheet to the RBA Registry.

Using the appropriate pre-approved letter text prepare a unique letter to the sender advising the cheque cannot be processed as the value is too low. The letter may be issued to either the paying parent or the overseas Central Authority. Print the letter locally and include the cheque in the envelope with the letter.

• UQ46.01 - Small cheque returned - customer
• UQ46.00 - Small cheque returned - Central Authority

The Resources page contains a link to these letters.

Update the Small Cheques Returned Register located in the following path:

G:\Int\DHS_International_Child_Support\Central_Authority_Team\Disbursements\Small Cheques Returned.

Place the photocopy of the cheques, the spreadsheet printout and cheque remittances in the other large envelope labelled ' Int Cheques'. These are filed in the disbursements locker and transferred to secure storage in bulk lots.

Note: send any correspondence received with cheques to the mail team for action and then batch filed as per Correspondence received in Child Support.

Ensure that cheques forwarded to the RBA for processing are credited to the customer’s account on Cuba.

Open the spreadsheet used to record the cheque details:

• G:\Int\DHS_International_Child_Support\Central_Authority_Team\Disbursements\Foreign and Domestic Cheques\CSA Foreign Cheques 16-17

Refer to the most recent dated spreadsheet that does not have the $$ symbol on the tab. Enter the 12 digit CSRN for the first cheque into Cuba and locate the payment to confirm it has been applied. Repeat this process for the second cheque on the spreadsheet. Update the tab to include the $$ symbol to indicate that cheques for that spreadsheet have been credited to Cuba.

Note: it takes approximately 10 days for cheques forwarded to the RBA for processing to appear on the customer’s account in Cuba.

Overseas cheques are processed on the day they are received.

Record the receipt of each cheque in the Cuba record of the payer using the following selections:

• Written com In
• Case - select case number (if multi, leave blank)
• Reason - Debt negotiation
• With - select either Client or Central Authority (CA)
• Category - select enforcement for CA, or other for client
• Issues - other
• Subject heading - Receipt of payment

In the notepad document the following:

'An Australian Dollar cheque has been received and was forwarded for processing to:

Fuji Xerox

Details are as follows:

CPRN:

Drawer:

Bank:

Branch:

Cheque No.:

Currency: AUD

Amount: $

Cheque Date: XX/XX/XXXX'

If this is the first cheque received use the Customer payment reference number calculator macro to obtain the 16 digit reference number.

Open the AUD Cheque spreadsheet, located at:

• G:\Int\DHS_International_Child_Support\Central_Authority_Team\Disbursements\Foreign and Domestic Cheques\CSA AUD Cheques 16-17

Record the details of each cheque using the following selections:

• today’s date
• 16 digit CPRN
• the drawer
• the amount

Save the spreadsheet.

Each cheque must have a payment slip attached to it, hand write one if the customer did not include one with the cheque. Information on the payment slip includes:

• client name
• CPRN
• date payment processed (today’s date)
• amount

Photocopy the cheques and place them with attached payment slips in a sealed envelope. Place the envelope in a medium Australia Post Express Post envelope and address to:

Fuji Xerox

Write the tracking number on the ‘Int Cheques’ envelope for that day and record the tracking number on the spreadsheet. Do not remove the tracking number from the Express Post Envelope. Deliver the package to the mail room by 2pm.

File the photocopy of the AUD cheques and spreadsheet in the same large filing envelope used for foreign currency payments that day.

Note: any correspondence received with cheques must be forwarded to the mail team for action and then batch filed as per Correspondence received in Child Support.

The Resources page contains a link for contact details for the Child Support Cash Management Team.

If a cheque is received that cannot be forwarded to the RBA or ANZ for processing it must be returned to the customer or Central Authority with a letter explaining the issue. This could be due to:

• incorrect details on the cheque
• amount and written figure do not match
• no signature/date/currency or other field not completed
• cheque is stale or post dated
• corrections have not been initialled by the customer
• unable to identify the customer

Create a unique letter using free text to the customer/Central Authority/Court advising why Child Support was unable to process the cheque. Locally print the letter and include the cheque, ensuring details of the letter and cheque are documented in the payer's Communication window.

See:

• Letters Cuba Process Help
• Documenting Child Support information in Cuba

Paste a copy of the letter issued and record in Cuba if the cheque has been returned to the customer/CA.

The letter must be approved by an APS6 officer or above.

• RBA will notify International Disbursements of any cheques they are unable to process or have dishonoured
• Depending on the circumstances the cheque may be returned with an attached slip advising the reason or an email is sent detailing that a dishonour has occurred
• Locate the Communication notepad in Cuba with details of when the cheque was originally processed. Add a new notepad explaining the reason the cheque has been sent back by the RBA. Make reference to the explanatory letter from Step 4 being sent to the customer or CA
• If a cheque has dishonoured check the Payer Account window to ensure the amount originally credited to the payer has been reversed