Maintenance Action Test (MAT) codes 277-51070030

This is a Family and Domestic Violence Interaction Point. If the customer is with another person, on speaker phone, 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 you have concerns about a child's safety, conduct the risk and referral process.

This document details the Maintenance Action Test (MAT) codes and how they are recorded and updated. The MAT code determines whether or not a customer can be paid more than the base rate of Family Tax Benefit (FTB) Part A for a child, if they are eligible.

MAT codes

According to the customer's circumstances, the appropriate procedure should be used for the protocols and actions to be taken in each case, for example, when the customer applies for a child support assessment.

The MAT code must be recorded for an FTB child to show that the customer (or their current partner if they are the child's parent and the customer is not):

• has taken reasonable action to obtain child support
• is not required to take action to obtain child support
• has applied for or been granted a full or partial exemption from obtaining child support
• has made an informed decision not to take the required action to obtain child support - FTB Part A will be limited to the base rate for the child
• has failed to take the required action to obtain child support - FTB Part A will be limited to the base rate for the child

In some cases the maintenance action code is auto-updated by the system, for example, after an automatic review or as a result of child support entitlement data transferred from Child Support.

Note: some 'Parentage Unknown 'exemptions and 'Artificial Conception Procedure' cases are assessed by Service Officers.

Related links

Action required when Family Tax Benefit (FTB) customer no longer entitled to child support

Child support Manual Follow-up (MFU) activities and automatic reviews

Death of a family assistance or Paid Parental Leave child

Family Tax Benefit (FTB) and child support for children born as a result of a surrogacy arrangement or via artificial conception procedure (including children of same-sex couples)

Effect on Family Tax Benefit (FTB) where the customer elects to suspend or end a child support assessment

How to group children on a customer's Family Tax Benefit (FTB) record

Maintenance Action Test (MAT) for Family Tax Benefit (FTB) customers

Exemptions from seeking child support for Family Tax Benefit (FTB) customers

Referrals to legal advice for action to obtain child support to satisfy the Maintenance Action Test (MAT)

Transfer of information between Centrelink and Child Support