Correcting a simple Child Support error 277-09030010

Various types of errors may occur on a child support case, including:

• TFN errors, refer to Solutions Gateway Team See Customer Referral Guidelines > SGT > SGT referral – Potential identify mismatch
• Cuba errors (including MAR apportionment errors and non-aligning child support periods)
• duplicate customer records
• errors of fact (including keying errors)
• invalid decisions
• errors made by delegates (e.g. Change of Assessment and Departure Prohibition Order decisions)
• decisions not yet made

The Resources page for examples of error corrections.

For help identifying or investigating an error, seek Technical support.

To prevent an error having further negative impact:

• record a special recovery condition if correcting the error is likely to reduce a customer's debt, this will stop the automated recovery of their TRIP. See Tax Refund Intercept Process (TRIP) Cuba Process Help
• do not run eligibility on duplicate customer records or related cases prior to Service Support Officer (SSO), Parent Support or Solutions Gateway Team (SO 5) analysis. Running eligibility may prevent the customer record from being immobilised
• update letters relevant to the error with a status of keyed to pended. See Letters Cuba Process Help

• For duplicate customer record errors, create either:
• Data Integrity - Dup Customer intray on the primary and duplicate customer records
• Mutual Customer Matching Error intray on the primary and duplicate customer if a CLU Service Officer is actioning the Mutual Customer Mismatch report
• For all other errors, create a CSO - potential error intray on all affected customers

For help, see Intray management Cuba Process Help.

Document the potential error on each intray and the action that is being taken.

Note: do not record any information that may breach a customer's privacy. If unsure about what can be documented, speak to the Team Leader or seek Technical Support.

If the customers are locked, route the CSO - potential error or Data Integrity - Dup Customer intray to the locked Service Officer describing the potential error for follow-up.

If the customer is locked to the PST or SGT team (or if one of the customers in any related case which may be affected by the possible error correction is locked to the PST or SGT team), route the CSO - potential error or Data Integrity - Dup Customer intray to the locked PST or SGT Service Officer, describing the potential error for follow-up.

If the customers are not locked, lock the customers in line with the Customer Management Approach (CMA) for Child Support.

Some specialist areas are not required to lock customers. Check if the customer has an issue that is being managed by a specialist area. If so, contact the Service Officer managing the issue before proceeding to correct the error (or recommend not to correct the error) to confirm:

• an agreed customer management strategy is in place
• they are aware of the error, possible impacts and timeframes for correction
• action(s) to be taken and who will be completing the action

Review:

• the Complex system processing for reverse child support cases and/or Network News Update (NNU) bulletins to determine if this is a systemic issue
• decisions relevant to the error
• verify facts and error types - see the Process page in Correcting errors on Child Support cases
• documentation
• evidence already provided by the customer
• external data (e.g. Centrelink information)
• the correcting errors principles
• legislation and policy documents
• the duplicate customer records, see Correcting a duplicate Child Support customer record

Note: some international cases require the use of duplicate records. To determine whether the duplicate customer record is necessary, see New Zealand 'In' case management - Registrations between IR, NZ and Child Support.

Document the findings in the customer's Communication window, use the 'Category' of 'TECHNICAL ENQ' and 'Issue' of 'ERR ISSUE'. See Documenting Child Support information in Cuba.

Note: do not use the Correcting errors macro to document the investigation findings.

If an error is:

• not identified, go to Step 5
• identified, go to Step 6

If on investigation an error did not occur:

• remove special recovery condition (if no longer required), see Tax Refund Intercept Process (TRIP) Cuba Process Help
• if letters were pended as a preventative measure, change letter status to keyed
• if the customer has previously been advised of the potential error, contact the customer to advise that no error has occurred. Note: if the customer insists that an error has occurred, seek SSO support
• document the conversation in the customer's Communication window
• unlock the customers, see Customer Management Approach (CMA) for Child Support

Procedure ends here.

Review the details to determine if the error is Simple or Complex.

Simple errors:

• are obvious, straight forward and indisputable
• must not meet any of the complex criteria (including decisions to not correct an error)
• corrected at the SO3 level and above

Note: Service Officers can only correct their own errors if a simple keying or decision error has been made and is being corrected the same day. Refer all other simple errors to another Service Officer for correcting.

Service Officers can correct their own error in the following situations:

• the decision document details what the decision should be, but a Service Officer keys the decision incorrectly. the error is identified on the same day it was made

• Further information is received the same day:
• a decision is made and keyed in Cuba
• later on the same day the Service Officer receives evidence they had been waiting for (either written or verbal) which changes the original decision. Since it is still the same day, the decision could be changed, provided the customers have not been verbally advised of the decision

Note: the error must be detected and corrected on the same day. That is, before letters have been sent to the customers advising them of the decision.

If unsure or not confident at any time in the identification of or action needed to correct the error, seek SSO support.

An error is considered complex if:

• it occurred more than 6 months ago
• it has a financial impact that is greater than 6 months liability. Note: financial impact relates to the assessment not the collection status. Collect and private collect cases are not treated differently
• the customer has a duplicate customer record, these require SO5 authorisation
• the case has ended (including the reverse case if applicable)
• a mixed assessment is in place or is required
• a workaround is required which involves recording a formula modification
• the case involves a non-parent carer with two or more associated cases
• external remedies are not available (e.g. Change of Assessment (COA) is not available as the error occurred more than 7 years ago)
• the correction results in a role reversal (back dating 3 months or more)
• the error requires a Cuba fix to correct
• child support period (CS Period) alignment is required for more than the current LRYI
• a decision is recommended to not correct the error
• a decision is recommended to partially correct the error by applying the correction from a date later than the error's date of effect
• a decision is recommended to be considered invalid
• a change of assessment decision is recommended to be reviewed and altered
• a departure prohibition order decision is recommended to be reviewed and altered
• a change is being considered to the register under section 42 of the Child Support Registration and Collection Act 1988 and it is not a simple clerical error

See:

• Change of assessment in special circumstances, and
• Departure prohibition orders (DPO) for Child Support customers

Service Officers at the SO3 and SO4 level may make complex error correction recommendations and must be referred to a SSO, Parent Support or Solutions Gateway Team SO5 for approval.

Some complex errors must be referred to a Program Support Manager for analysis.

If the error:

• meets the complex criteria, see Correcting a complex Child Support error
• does not meet the complex criteria, go to Step 8

As the Registrar is considering correcting the simple error all parties must be notified of the final decision and their review rights.

Initial customer contact may not be required where:

• a customer is not affected by the error
• one or all of the customers are unlikely to be aware of the relevant facts, or
• the facts can be easily verified

Check any sensitive issue indicators, if unsure whether customer contact is appropriate, seek SSO support.

If correction of an error is being considered by the Registrar, one customer may have already notified the Agency of the error. Contact with the other parent may or may not be required depending on the circumstances of the error. For examples of where initial contact may not be required, see Correcting child support errors > Resources page.

If initial customer contact:

• is required and the error is considered simple, go to Step 2
• not required, go to Step 3

Contact the customers to:

• confirm the facts relating to the potential error
• give the customer the opportunity to comment
• give the customer the opportunity to forward evidence if the error relates to a decision not yet made/processed (if required) with an agreed due date. Process the decision in line with the relevant Operational Blueprint
• discuss the proposed solution and impact (if known) on the assessment. This may include discussing that the correction may be made retrospectively (backdated) or prospectively. Do not assume that the customer wants a retrospective correction

If certain what correction action will be taken, discuss with the customer:

• the intended error correction decision and the impact (if any) on the assessment
• objection rights relating to the error correction decision
• the potential impact on Family Tax Benefit, transfer the customer to Centrelink if they would like any information
• any outstanding issues

See Contact with Child Support customers.

Document the discussion in the Communication window. See Documenting Child Support information in Cuba.

Go to Step 3.

Use the Correcting errors submission macro to:

• provide a guide through the process
• create a macro error submission (this will be pasted into the most relevant Cuba window when the error correction is finalised)

Officers at the SO3 level or above completing a simple error correction submission must use the macro to record the decision.

If a technical Quality and Customer Complaints/SAS SO6 is correcting and the error requires QA analysis, refer to a SSO.

If SSO support is required, see Technical support in Child Support.

Go to Step 4.

Call all affected customers to:

• explain the error correction decision and the impact (if any) on the assessment (if this has not been discussed in the initial discussion)
• make an arrangement for debt repayment if arrears will be created by the error correction - see Debt repayment
• advise there may be an impact on their Family Tax Benefit, transfer the customer to Centrelink if they require information
• advise if active case number(s) or customer reference number(s) have changed following duplicate customer correction
• advise them of their objection rights
• document customer contact

Phone contact is not required if:

• the error correction is simple and the above information was already discussed with the customers at Step 2 Contact the customer (initial contact) - simple error, or initial contact was not required
• the customer is not affected by correction of the error and letters are issued which notify the customers of the decision and their objection right

If any of the affected customers dispute the facts or the effect of the correction, seek SSO support before taking any further action.

If unable to contact the customer finalise the correction, go to Step 5.

For simple errors:

• process and document the corrective action
• run and save eligibility (check the pre-confirmation window for the expected outcome)
• copy and paste the error macro decision into the most relevant window
• check letters for correctness, making sure they inform the customer of the decision and their objection rights (if applicable). If a letter has not generated or is not appropriate (e.g. inaccurate assessment notices due to formula modifications), create a unique letter advising the customer of the decision and objection rights, refer to the Letters for Child Support customers
• as well as the system letter, issue a UQ95.00 - Notification of decision to correct an error letter
• provide feedback (if appropriate)
• finalise any outstanding issues including collection