Child support Manual Follow-up (MFU) activities and automatic reviews 277-51160000

This code is recorded by a Service Officer when a customer provides proof they have applied for a child support assessment.

It allows 42 days for Child Support to assess the application and transmit entitlement data to Centrelink.

APP generates an automatic reassessment review 42 days from the APP event date on the Maintenance Action (MNMA) screen - view on the Future Activity List (FAL) screen:

• Activity: FTB/ Reassess Benefit
• Review Reason: Maintenance Action Review
• Keywords: APP MAI

If acceptance or rejection of the application has not been confirmed within the 42 days, the automatic review will update the maintenance action code to either:

• DMA (deciding maintenance action) if it is within the 13 week (91 day) timeframe to take initial child support action. More than base rate Family Tax Benefit (FTB) Part A can continue until the end of the initial 13 week period
• NMA (no maintenance action) if it is outside the initial 13 week period. This will limit FTB Part A for the child to base rate

If the review completes and the customer advises they have applied, but data has not been transferred, APP should not be coded again unless the customer is transferred to Child Support, or it is verified that the customer has applied. See Applications for child support assessment through Centrelink.

This code is recorded by a Service Officer when a customer:

• provides proof they have applied for a child support assessment and
• asks Child Support to collect the child support on their behalf

It allows 42 days for the assessment of the application.

CAC generates an automatic reassessment review 42 days from the CAC event date on Maintenance Action (MNMA) screen - view on the Future Activity List (FAL) screen:

• Activity: FTB/ Reassess Benefit
• Review Reason: Maintenance Action Review
• Keywords: CAC MAI

If the acceptance or rejection of the application has not been confirmed within the 42 days, the automatic review will update the maintenance action code to either:

• DMA (deciding maintenance action) if it is within the 13 week (91 day) timeframe to take initial child support action. More than base rate FTB Part A can continue until the end of the initial 13 week period
• NMA (no maintenance action) if it is outside the initial 13 week period. This will limit FTB Part A for the child to base rate

If the review completes and the customer advises they have applied but data has not been transferred, CAC should not be coded again unless the customer is transferred to Child Support, or it is verified that the customer has applied. See Applications for child support assessment through Centrelink.

This code is recorded by a Service Officer when a customer applies to transfer from private collection to Child Support collect.

It allows 70 days for the collection to be confirmed.

COL generates an automatic review at 70 days from the COL event date to auto update maintenance action code back to the previous maintenance action code.

Details on Future Activity List (FAL) screen:

• Activity: FTB/ Reassess Benefit
• Review Reason: Maintenance Action Review
• Keywords: COL MAI

This code is recorded automatically or manually for a child, where it is within the 13 weeks (91 days) timeframe to take initial child support action. See Maintenance Action Test (MAT) for Family Tax Benefit (FTB) customers.

An initial Maintenance Action Requirement Notification letter will be automatically produced when a relevant activity is finalised, and the customer or their partner's child is within a DMA period.

For assessments finalised prior to 18 June 2012, a mandatory Manual Follow-up (MFU) (A017MN) will mature on day 56. This gives the customer 5 weeks to take child support action. This MFU will only present once before the Maintenance Action Test (MAT) code goes to NMA (no maintenance action) at day 92.

The Service Officer must contact the customer as part of this MFU. For details, see Completing child support Manual Follow Ups MFUs.

The MFU A017MN will generate on the Future Activity List (FAL) screen as follows:

• Activity: MFU
• MFU Type: MAI
• Review Reason: Maintenance Action Review
• Keywords: MAI, DMA, A017MN
• Mandatory: Yes

If no updates are made by the end of the 13 week (91 day) period, the system will automatically update the maintenance action code to NMA at day 92 to limit Family Tax Benefit (FTB) Part A for the child/ren to base rate.

From 18 June 2012, the DMA review process has been automated. A reminder Maintenance Action Requirement Notification letter may be automatically sent to the customer 21 days after the initial letter has been sent if:

• the child remains in their DMA period
• no child support assessment information has been reported, and
• where the initial letter was sent on or before day 63 of the DMA period

Details of the reminder letter review will display on the Future Activity List (FAL) screen:

• Activity: FTB/REV
• Source: Auto
• Keywords: MNMARNL, 21DREV

If no updates are made by the end of the 13 week (91 day) period, the system will automatically update the maintenance action code to NMA at day 92 to limit Family Tax Benefit (FTB) Part A for the child/ren to base rate.

If the customer is within a 28 day Child Bereavement period, (for example, a child in the customer's care has passed away within the last 28 days) the Maintenance Action Requirement Notification letter (initial and reminder) will not be generated. A Manual Follow Up (MFU) review (I013MN) will be created.

An MFU (I013MN) will be created when either the initial, or reminder Maintenance Action Requirement Notification letter cannot be sent because the customer is within a Child Bereavement period, (for example, a child in the customers care has died within the last 28 days). The MFU ensures that manual contact is made in place of the automated letter.

The Service Officer must contact the customer as part of this MFU.

Due to the sensitive nature of the customer's circumstances, contact the customer by phone. Discuss the requirements around taking child support for surviving DMA children in the care of the customer. The MFU ensures that manual contact is made in place of the automated letter.

A customer has 14 days in which to take reasonable action to obtain child support, once they have been informed that their request for an exemption from seeking child support has been denied.

MXD generates an automatic reassessment review which can be viewed on the Future Activity List (FAL) screen:

• Activity: FTB/ Reassess Benefit
• Review Reason: Maintenance Action Review
• Keywords: MXD MAI

If no other maintenance action code is recorded within 14 days from the event date on Maintenance Action (MNMA) screen, the system will automatically update the maintenance action code to NMA (no maintenance action) to limit Family Tax Benefit (FTB) Part A for the child to base rate if it is outside the initial 91 day DMA (deciding maintenance action) period to take child support action.

A Service Officer records this code when a customer requests an exemption from seeking child support.

This allows 60 days for the decision to be made and recorded.

MXR generates an automatic reassessment review at 60 days from the event date on the Maintenance Action (MNMA) screen. Details on FAL screen:

• Activity: FTB/ Reassess Benefit
• Review Reason: Maintenance Action Review
• Keywords: MXR MAI

If the maintenance action code is not updated within 60 days, the review will update the maintenance action code to NMA (no maintenance action) which will limit the Family Tax Benefit (FTB) Part A rate for the child to base rate if it is outside the initial 91 day DMA period to take child support action. If there is an active case, the previous MAT code will revert back.

A Service Officer records this code when a customer advises that the payer is living in a reciprocal country, but proof of parentage is not met. For more information, see Action to obtain child support when the payer is overseas and the Maintenance Action Test (MAT).

OSR generates a Manual Follow-up (MFU) review which can be viewed on the Future Activity List (FAL) screen.

MFU activity to be created on the customer's Activity List (AL) screen 2 years from the OSR event date on the Maintenance Action (MNMA) screen.

• Act Code: MFU
• Keywords: OSR MAI

For how to action, see Completing child support Manual Follow-ups (MFUs).

To action the MFU:

• make 2 attempts to contact the customer to ask:
• 'Is the other parent still living overseas to the best of your knowledge?'
• 'What is the name, date of birth and last known address of the otherparent?'
• 'Do you or have you received any financial support from the other parent?' If yes, obtain details including how often, how much and dates paid
• ensure that the other parent does not now reside in Australia. If they do now reside in Australia, see Step 7 of Table 2 in the Process section of Action to obtain child support when the payer is overseas and the Maintenance Action Test (MAT). Procedure ends here for these cases

Alternatively, if the customer meets the above criteria:

• advise them of their obligation to take Child Support action if the other parent returns to Australia
• re-code OSR which will trigger another MFU review in 2 years
• MFU Act Code: MFU
• MFU Keywords: OSR MAI

If the customer cannot be contacted to obtain this information verbally, issue the customer a Q034 asking the following questions, to be provided within 14 days:

• Is the payer still living overseas? (text requirement of Q034)
• What is the name, date of birth and last known address of the other parent? (included as Free Text Question A)
• Do you, or have you received any financial support from him/her? If yes, please provide details of how often, how much and dates paid (included as Free Text Question B)

In Customer First, create a manual review on the Review Registration (RVR) screen and complete the fields as follows:

• Service Reason: customer's payment type
• Review Reason: select most appropriate reason
• Due Date: 14 days from date Q034 issued
• Source: INT
• Date of Receipt: today's date
• Notes: 'Q034 issued xx/xx/xxxx. Check return of requested information and return to OB 277-51160000 to action.'
• Keywords: MATREV
• Workgroup: leave blank
• Position: leave blank
• Transfer to Region: leave blank

The review will mature on the Due Date coded in the RVR activity. Workload Management will allocate the review for manual action.

If the requested information is not provided within 14 days, code NMA for the relevant children

A Service Officer records this code when the customer advises they will seek a court order for child support.

The customer is not required to seek legal advice to satisfy the maintenance action test if the payer is overseas.

OSS generates an automatic reassessment review 1 year and 13 days from the event date on the Maintenance Action (MNMA) screen. Details on the Future Activity List (FAL) screen:

• Activity: FAO/ Reassess benefit
• Review Reason: Maintenance Action Review
• Keywords: OSS MAI

If child support details have not been updated within 1 year and 13 days, the review will update the maintenance action code to NMA (no maintenance action) which will limit the Family Tax Benefit (FTB) Part A rate for the child to base rate.

A Service Officer records this code when an exemption from seeking the full child support entitlement is granted to a customer.

PMV generates a Manual Follow-up (MFU) review which can be viewed on the FAL screen:

MFU activity to be created on the customer's Activity List (AL) screen 1 year from the PMV event date on the Maintenance Action (MNMA) screen.

• Act Code: MFU
• Keywords: PMV MAI

For how to action, see Completing child support Manual Follow-ups (MFUs).

A Service Officer records this code when the customer advises they are not able to obtain evidence of parentage needed to apply for child support.

The customer has 99 days to either obtain evidence or legal advice that they cannot get evidence.

PRP generates the following future reviews which can be viewed on the Future Activity List (FAL) screen:

• Manual Follow-up (MFU) activity to be created on the customer's Activity List (AL) screen 85 days from the PRP event date on the Maintenance Action (MNMA) screen.
• Act Code: MFU
• Keywords: PRP MAI

For how to action, see Completing child support Manual Follow-ups (MFUs).

• Automatic review 99 days from the PRP event date on MNMA screen to auto update maintenance action code to NMA (no maintenance action) to limit Family Tax Benefit (FTB) Part A for the child to base rate if details have not been updated. Details on the Future Activity List (FAL) screen:
• Activity: FTB/ Reassess Benefit
• Review Reason: Maintenance Action Review
• Keywords: PRP MAI

A Service Officers records this code when a full exemption from seeking child support is granted.

VIO generates a Manual Follow-up (MFU) review which can be viewed on the Future Activity List (FAL) screen:

MFU activity to be created on the customer's AL screen 1 year from the VIO event date on the Maintenance Action (MNMA) screen.

• Act Code: MFU
• Keywords: VIO MAI

For how to action, see Completing child support Manual Follow-ups (MFUs).

Keyword: REPART

When parents involved in a child support case have reconciled, they will suspend the case. A manual Follow-up (MFU) A020MN is created if the customer is not linked to the payer or the date on the Marital Status (MS) screen is different.

From the DOC attached to the MFU activity, locate the date the case was suspended and the payer's details.

CSU and Families staff, see Effect on Family Tax Benefit where the customer elects to suspend or end a child support assessment.

Keyword: NEWENT

The customer has separated from the payer before the end of the 6 month suspension period. The record still shows the customer as linked.

From the DOC attached to the Manual Follow-up (MFU) activity, locate the date Child Support lifted the suspension and the payer's details.

CSU and Families staff, see Effect on Family Tax Benefit where the customer elects to suspend or end a child support assessment.

Any future reviews triggered by the Maintenance Action Test (MAT) code will be mapped to Service Officers to action.

If arrears or a debt have been caused by the case end data from Child Support, CSU will investigate and take any action required. See also.Step 7 – Debt caused by case end or child end data:

• Act Code: MFU
• Review Type: MAI
• Keywords: ENDACT, CSU, CASEEND

Case End

These reviews relate to the maintenance action codes below that are recorded as a result of an Entitlement Load advising the child support case has ended.

MAT codes and reason for MFU:

• CCE - Child Support case ended by customer. MAT fail. MFU created to check reason and correct coding
• OTV - Other reasons. MAT fail. MFU created to check reason, correct coding and whether a previous Social Worker exemption should be reinstated
• PNX - Payer is not a parent. MAT exempt. Activity does not automatically complete so user needs to complete the activity. If date of effect is in a previous income year, arrears as a result of re-reconciliation may occur. Case needs to be investigated to determine if arrears should be paid. MFU created to move children to new group and check child support action against another payer. See Family Tax Benefit (FTB) customer wants to end a child support assessment for further action required.
• RHH - Payee has reconciled with the payer and has asked for the child support case to be ended. MAT exempt. MFU created to check if correct date of effect has been used and that payer and payee records are linked.

Child level

These reviews relate to the maintenance action codes that are recorded as a result of an Entitlement Load advising a child support case has been ended at the child level.

Mat codes and reasons for MFU:

• ALE - Actual vs Lawful. MAT exempt. The child support case based on court ordered level of care not actual care. MFU created to investigate case, check coding, advise Child Support of any disparity in dates, check possible Family Tax Benefit (FTB) overpayment
• CDE - Child deceased. MAT exempt. Activity does not automatically complete so user needs to complete the activity. Ensure no letter is produced. Case needs to be investigated to determine if child deceased should be applied. MFU created to check correct coding for FTB
• CLP - Child left care. MAT fail. MFU created to check that a change of care has occurred and possible FTB overpayment
• OEV - Other reasons. MAT fail. For example, child partnered, child has been adopted, child not an Australian resident, child subject to welfare order, child now over 18 years of age. MFU created to check reason, coding for FTB, and whether an earlier exemption should be reinstated
• PNP - Ineligible child. MAT exempt. Most likely scenario is payer is not the parent but could also be because. For example, the child was never in care. Activity does not automatically complete so user needs to complete the activity. If date of effect is in a previous income year, arrears as a result of re-reconciliation may occur. Case needs to be investigated to determine if arrears should be paid. MFU created to check reason, child grouping and whether child support action is needed against another payer

Keywords: DVE, SWO

Any future reviews triggered by the Maintenance Action Test (MAT) code will be mapped to Service Officers to action.

MAT code and reason for MFU:

• DVE – Case has been ended due to domestic violence. This code is only created if VIO is not already present from the same or an earlier date than the event date. MAT exempt

MFU created to check date of effect and Social Worker approval. Future 12 month MFU also generated for Service Officer to check if DVE is still applicable.

If arrears or reduced reconciliation debt for past years have been caused by the case end data from Child Support, CSU will investigate and take any action required.

The payee can switch to become the payer in a child support case due to care and/or income changes. Where this occurs, a 'case end' MFU will be generated on the new payer's record as follow up action is required.

On the new payer's record code the payer workaround as they are regarded as having taken reasonable maintenance action.

Note: where the new payer had an existing Domestic Violence (VIO) exemption in place, which was granted whilst they were the payee, they should be advised that this ceases to apply once they became the payer in the case.

On the new payee's record the new case data will transfer via the data exchange. The payer workaround must be ended and the MAT code 'APP' must be recorded from the date the payee case commenced.

Contact Child Support to determine if the information and subsequent debt are correct.

If Child Support advises case/child end data is incorrect

If a debt has been caused by incorrect data and Child Support is able to advise the relevant maintenance income details, the following workaround is required.

Details may need to be corrected for the current and previous financial years.

Correcting the maintenance action

The Child Support load reduces Family Tax Benefit (FTB) Part A to base rate for the relevant children and creates a current year debt which is automatically zeroed by the system to be taken into account at FTB reconciliation.

For each child affected by the incorrect data:

• update Maintenance Action Test (MAT) code - to 'MWP' for all case end lines

Correcting the maintenance income for the current financial year

• Code maintenance income as voluntary on the Actual Maintenance Collected - Child (MNAC) screen, as an annual amount. For the Event Date and Start Date, use the later of 1 July of the current year and the case end date. To calculate the amount for each child, if the case has been ended for:
• all children in the case, split the liability advised by Child Support between the children
• some of the children in the case, subtract the group annual maintenance entitlement amount on the Maint Ent Group Detl (MNGD) screen from the liability, and split the result between the children that have been incorrectly ended
• On the Assessment Results (AR) screen, ensure you zero out the arrears corresponding with the debt that was zeroed in the case end activity. These are not arrears owed to the customer, they are arrears to offset the zeroed debt at reconciliation
• To check the period of the debt that was zeroed, go to the Event Summary (ES) screen and 'S'elect the AMR of the case end activity. Take the activity to the AR screen
• The arrears period may be greater than the debt period if the customer received a payment since the case end load. In this case, the customer may be entitled to arrears for the period outside the debt period. For help zeroing out arrears, send a request via mySupport. Resources has a link to mySupport
• In Customer First, create a manual review on the Review Registration (RVR) screen and complete the fields as follows:
• Service Reason: customer's payment type
• Review Reason: select most appropriate reason
• Due Date: 7 days from today's date
• Source: INT
• Date of Receipt: today's date
• Notes: 'Maintenance income corrected - check to ensure corrected data has loaded and ensure voluntary child support is ended, action as per OB 277-51160000.'
• Keywords: CSUREV
• Workgroup: leave blank
• Position: leave blank
• Transfer To Region: leave blank
• The review will mature on the Due Date coded in the RVR activity. Workload Management will allocate the review for manual action

If a previous financial year is affected

• On the Override Maintenance Income (MNOI) screen, record the annual maintenance income that was used in the FTB reconciliation result prior to the incorrect Child Support case end load. This will correct the reconciliation outcome. For help coding details, see Amending maintenance income details on the Override Maintenance Income (MNOI) screen
• To view the amount to be coded on the MNOI screen:
• go to the FAO Reconciliation & Claim Summary (FRCS) screen and select the relevant financial year
• code 'M' next to the FTB reconciliation line prior to the incorrect case end activity
• from the FTB Lump Sum & Reconciliation (LRMS) screen. 'S'elect any line to go to the FTB Lump Sum/Reco Details (LRMD) screen
• on the LRMD screen, the amount in the Total Mtce Received $ field is the amount to be coded on the MNOI screen

Keyword: #REL

Information received from Child Support indicates the customer's current partner is recorded as the payer in customer's Child Support case:

• The customer will need to contact Child Support if the customer has reconciled with the payer (who is the current partner), or the customer needs to advise Centrelink if they are no longer in a relationship
• If there have been no recent changes recorded on the customer's record, contact the customer by phone to discuss the situation
• If the customer advises they have recently separated, their marital status needs to be updated, see Change in relationship status from partnered to single
• If the customer advises reconciliation with the other parent, transfer customer to Child Support to update the Child Support record
• If unable to contact the customer by phone, issue Q099 letter (Payer is in current relationship with payee) which asks the customer to contact Child Support if the customer has reconciled with the payer, or for the customer to contact Centrelink if no longer in a relationship.
• Record all details in a DOC

When a care update is received from Child Support, the system calculates any arrears or overpayments due to the change in care being applied to the customer’s record.

If the FTB amount of arrears or overpayment exceeds $10,000 the activity:

• is left as started, and
• allocated to CSU staff via Workload Manager

CSU staff will manually check and finalise.

These activities contain the keywords CXCRLD and #TACMFU.

Select the activity from the AL screen > AR screen to see the results of the care update.

Investigate the activity to determine if:

• the care can be applied, or
• the care details need to be confirmed with Child Support

When investigating the care consider the following:

• Is the care incorrectly ‘flipping’?:
• The care for 1 party shows as the care for the other party
• This can occur when Child Support send a care decision and the parents are still partnered in the Centrelink system
• Has a previous care entry incorrectly been deleted?:
• The care from the child’s date of birth is being deleted for the carer
• Is the care changing to 0% for 1 carer but no care coded for the other carer?
• Are there gaps in care where the child is not coded in anyone’s care?

All of the above points may indicate the care update and therefore the FTB result are incorrect.

If it is unclear whether the outcome is correct, contact CLU. They will check the care details in Cuba to assist in making the decision.

Do not complete the activity until it is clear the update and results are correct.

Once the care update is confirmed as correct:

• finalise the activity, and
• add a note on the record

Contact the customer

Attempt contact with the customer if:

• they have received a large debt, or
• their FTB entitlement has cancelled, or
• they may no longer be eligible for their current income support payment

Add a note on file with the details of attempt or contact.

Resources has examples.