Customer contact following a death notification 277-22021514

Contact is required with a parent or carer when:

• the death is a terminating event i.e. the case will end
• the case has ended before the death, and there is debt (arrears or overpayment) that requires follow up
• the case or cases will be amended due to the death of a child
• the other parent or carer has not already been contacted or the death discussed

Note: contact with a payee or payer is not required at this point if the case is an NZ ‘In or ‘Out’ and International case. See Table 4 in Notification of death - Child support.

Consult International services before making contact with the customer. See Table 4 in Confirmation of death for Child Support customers.

Is customer contact required?

• Yes, go to Step 2
• No, see Testacy Searches and collection options when someone has died

When a person has died, approach customer contact in a sensitive manner.

Allow at least 21 days from the date of death, before contacting a customer to discuss relevant child support matters.

Each contact will differ depending on the individual circumstances involved. DCM Service Officers need to gauge the situation at the time of the call.

Consider the following before and during contact:

• If the customer is from a Culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) or Indigenous background they may have different traditions, customs and concepts around funerals and the grieving process. Interpreter services should be offered where appropriate
• If the customer is Indigenous, obtain permission before mentioning the deceased by name. The name of an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person who has passed away is generally extremely sensitive information. See Indigenous naming conventions
• The customer may prefer that the conversation takes place at another time or with another person. The Service Officer should comply with the customer’s wishes where possible
• A customer may react emotionally, aggressively or they may not react at all
• Communicate in a manner that is tactful, sensitive and concise
• Be prepared to refer the customer to a support service - see Social worker and other service referrals for child support customers
• The customer may not be aware of the death
• Before contacting a customer check the care records. If the customer had a level of care, they may be more likely to be aware of the death
• Check previous communications to see if there are any records indicating that the customers were in contact with each other
• They may continue to receive letters or statements associated with the case. These letters may name the deceased person. Although this may be upsetting for customers, child support needs to tell customers of any retrospective changes to their assessment
• Customers should be advised that if there are retrospective changes to their assessment in the future, letters may refer to the deceased person

When making phone contact with other parents or carers, make three contact attempts. See Customer contact guidelines.

Note: do not use SMS when making initial contact post death.

Make an effective introduction. At this point the customer may indicate that the other parent, carer or child is deceased:

• 'I am calling about your child support case with (use name of other party)'

If the customer does not indicate that they are aware of the death, advise them what you are calling about:

• 'I am calling to talk about (deceased person's name). We have received information that they have passed away. Are you aware of this?'

Pause to allow the customer to acknowledge/react/respond to the information provided. If comfortable, express your condolences.

Let the customer know you need to discuss some details with them:

• 'I need to discuss some details with you, is it okay if we talk about it now or would you like to talk about it later?'

If the customer wants to discuss the details later, arrange a time to do this. If the customer would prefer you to speak to a third party, get the persons full contact details and be sure to establish their relationship to the customer:

• ' Would you prefer I call you back at another time? When would you like me to call you?'

If a customer is comfortable to proceed, be concise and empathetic. The grieving process can affect people's decision-making and memory. At the end of the call Service Officers are to provide an opportunity for questions.

Where appropriate, offer the customer the services of a social worker and provide support and referral services. See Social worker and other service referrals for child support customers.

If the customer would prefer to review support and referral services at a time convenient to them, more information is available on the Services Australia website - Death of a loved one. The Resources page has a link.

The Needing help after someone has died (HD001) publication may be sent by post and contains a text version of the information published on the Death of a loved one page on the Services Australia website. For information on accessing this publication seek help from Service Support Officer (SSO).

When speaking with a parent or carer, advise:

• their case (or cases) will be ended or adjusted, depending on their case circumstances
• they may continue to receive letters or statements associated with the case. These letters may name a deceased person. Although this may be upsetting, child support needs to tell them about any retrospective changes to their assessment

Deceased child (single case)

If the deceased child was the only child of the case, the case will end from the day before the date of death.

Multiple children (single or multiple case)

• If there is more than one child in a single case or the customer is involved in multiple active cases, the assessment will be amended from the day before the date of death
• A Notice of Assessment (NOA- 01) or other assessment notice may issue

Additional information provided to the customers will differ, depending on if they are a:

• payee, go to Step 4, or
• payer, go to Step 5

Advise of any amounts outstanding and if the debt is likely to change.

Arrears

If there are arrears owed to the payee, discuss the potential election to discharge the arrears.

If the payee elects to discharge the arrears, see Collection of child support payments privately and/or discharging arrears.

Note: if the payee receives Family Tax Benefit (FTB) and elects to discharge the arrears, warm transfer the call to FAO using Services Australia Workspace to discuss any impact on benefit entitlement.

Ongoing liability

If there is an ongoing liability or the payee has multiple cases, tell the payee:

• their child support amount has been re-calculated, and
• the new rate

Overpayment or consolidated revenue debts

If there is an overpayment owed by the payee to the deceased payer or consolidated revenue debt, discuss the options available for addressing the debt, see Debt repayment (CS).

If the deceased customer is a child, ask the payee if the other parent is aware of the death.

Use the DCM general contact macro to document the conversation.

Ask the payee if they would like a letter to confirm the case has ended or changed, advise this is optional.

Has the payee requested an end assessment letter?

• Yes, see Table 2, Step 1
• No, procedure ends here

Advise of any amounts outstanding and whether the debt is likely to change.

Debts or overpayments

If there are arrears owed by the payer to the deceased payee, or the payer owes a consolidated revenue debt, discuss the options available for addressing the debt. See:

• Debt repayment (CS)
• Testacy searches and collection options when someone has died

Ongoing liability

If there is an ongoing liability or the payer has multiple cases, advise the payer:

• their child support amount has been re-calculated, and
• the new rate

Use the DCM general contact macro to document the conversation.

Ask the payer if they would like a letter to confirm the case has ended or changed, advise this is optional.

Has the payer requested an end assessment letter?

• Yes, see Table 2, Step 1
• No, procedure ends here

Cuba does not automatically produce an end assessment letter when the terminating event is death.

The Deceased Customer End Assessment letters macro enables staff in DCM to produce appropriate text that can be pasted into a unique letter, when a letter is requested confirming the end of a case. The letter will name the deceased person.

Issue an end assessment letter once proof of death has been confirmed, and:

• a case (or cases) is ending due to a death and/or the case is ended prior to death and there is debt that requires follow up
• successful phone contact has been made with the customer, and
• the parent or carer has opted to receive an end assessment letter

A peer to peer letter check is needed before sending.

An End Assessment letter is not issued when:

• the person has died after a case has ended and there is no debt, or
• the parent or carer has opted to not receive the letter

When contact attempts to discuss the death with the other parents or carers by phone have been unsuccessful, do not issue an end assessment letter. Instead issue a pre-approved 'case' preset letter action text CAL. See Letters Cuba process help.

Note: if a CAL is issued, do not mention the deceased person.

If a customer has multiple child support cases, a Notice of Assessment letter (NOA- 01) or other notice of assessment may issue when:

• the death is processed in Cuba, and
• eligibility is saved

See letters for child support customers.

A Notice of Assessment letter (NOA- 01) or other notice of assessment will not advise of the death. However they may name the deceased person in the letter. Only release letters:

• after successful contact (or relevant contact attempts) has been completed by phone with all associated customers about the death, and
• at least 21 days after death has passed, if contact has been unsuccessful

If the associated customer has opted to receive an end assessment letter, a Notice of Assessment letter (NOA- 01) or other notice of assessment letter (if generated on a case), should be printed locally and sent together with the end assessment letter.

Is the assessment a NZ 'In', 'Out' or International case?

• Yes, see Table 4 in Notification of death - Child support
• No, procedure ends here