Application for assessment - non-parent carer 277-19061114

This is a Family and Domestic Violence Interaction Point. If the customer is with another person, on speakerphone, or already identified with family and domestic violence concerns, continue with the current business conversation. Otherwise, go to the Family and domestic violence procedure to conduct the risk identification and referral process.

If there are concerns about a child’s safety, conduct the risk and referral process.

This document detail the process for managing a non-parent carer application for assessment. Service Support Officers (SSO) and Team Leaders should provide case-specific advice especially when managing cases involving sensitivities such as Family and domestic violence, and parents who are separated and still living in the same home.

Online application for assessment

There are 2 types of online applications:

Unauthenticated application for assessment submitted through the Services Australia website. These applications are located in the Manage Application For Assessment (MAFA) inbox
Authenticated application for assessment, submitted via the customers myGov account. Only existing customers with a myGov account can submit these applications. The applications are located in the Application For assessment (AFA) inbox

Unable to manage the application in Pluto

All applications for assessment begin in Pluto. There are limited situations where the application cannot be continued in Pluto and must be progressed in Cuba. For example, where a duplicate customer is identified.

Where you identify the application should be managed in Cuba:

Seek technical support from your Service Support Officer to make sure proceeding in Cuba is the most appropriate option. See Technical Support in Child Support
Update the interaction status in Pluto to ‘Not Required’. See Manage Interactions In Pluto
Refer to Assessments Cuba Process Help for information on processing the application in Cuba

Add child to an existing application

This process does not cover adding a child to an existing case. See Add a child or relevant dependent to an existing child support assessment for information on adding a child or relevant dependant to an existing case.

Related cases

Provide general information to explain how related cases may affect the new application.

Do not:

advise if the other parent or carer has another cases, or
provide specific details about other cases, such as names of the children involved

Agreements

A formula assessment is used if an agreement for a child was terminated
Transfer the customer to the Agreements and Court Orders team if:

an initiating binding agreement is currently suspended for a child
a terminating event has occurred for a child and the agreement has not otherwise ended

Court orders

Refer court ordered section 106A declarations to the Agreements and Court Orders team for processing. See Agreements and Court Orders table in Customer referral guidelines for Child Support staff.

Roles and responsibilities

New Customer Service Officer

Responsibilities include:

creating customer records
conducting pre assessment interviews
providing information, products and referrals
making decisions on eligibility, income and care
establishing payment methods2
processing a customer’s application for child support assessment
resolving/actioning customer enquiries to achieve sustainable outcome

Service Support Officer (SSO)