Assessing ABSTUDY Pensioner Education Supplement (PES) claims 010-05030000

Customers who are or were receiving ABSTUDY (for example, Living Allowance) who have just recently started to receive an income support payment that attracts ABSTUDY PES, may not need to lodge an ABSTUDY PES claim. See Claiming ABSTUDY to determine if a new claim is required.

Make sure the ABSTUDY Pensioner Education Supplement claim has been checked.

Is the student a boarding school student?

• Yes, see Processing an ABSTUDY claim
• No, go to Step 2

The ABSTUDY NCL activity must be checked to make sure the correct Source is recorded, and a Claim Type and Verbal Declaration Keyword has been added.

Select appropriate option below:

Index a NCL activity, making sure the correct Source is coded:

• SCT - claim lodged verbally through the ABSTUDY Claiming Tool
• OLC - claim lodged online
• SY020 - paper claim lodged

For more information, see Indexing, re-indexing and cancelling claim activities.

Select the ABSTUDY NCL activity from the AL screen:

• from the Selection Options screen, select (O) Transfer activity to another site/region
• add the appropriate Claim Type Keyword 'EPANCL' (ABSTUDY Pensioner Education Supplement)
• add the appropriate Verbal Declaration Keyword:
• 'VERBNIL' - if the applicant accepted a verbal declaration and was not required to provide any supporting documents before their ABSTUDY claim can be assessed
• 'VERBDOC' - if the applicant accepted a verbal declaration and was required to provide supporting documents before their ABSTUDY claim can be assessed
• 'VERBNO' - if the applicant did not accept a verbal declaration
• add the 'SUSYC' keyword if the student is studying a Startup Year Course

Has the applicant lodged a claim through the ABSTUDY Claiming Tool?

• Yes, go to Step 3
• No, go to Step 5

To check the Source:

• select the started ABSTUDY NCL activity from the AL screen
• check the Source is recorded as:
• SCT - claims lodged verbally through the ABSTUDY Claiming Tool
• OLC - claims lodged online
• SY020 - paper claim lodged

If an incorrect Source is recorded, the NCL activity will need to be cancelled, and the claim will need to be reindexed using the correct Source of 'SCT'.

To check the keywords:

• select the ABSTUDY NCL activity from the AL screen
• from the Selection Options screen, select Keywords
• check the appropriate claim type keyword 'EPANCL' (ABSTUDY Pensioner Education Supplement) has been added
• check the appropriate Verbal Declaration Keyword has been added:
• 'VERBNIL' - if the applicant accepted a verbal declaration and was not required to provide any supporting documents before their ABSTUDY claim can be assessed
• 'VERBDOC' - if the applicant accepted a verbal declaration and was required to provide supporting documents before their ABSTUDY claim can be assessed
• 'VERBNO' - if the applicant did not accept a verbal declaration
• check the 'SUSYC' keyword has been added if the student is studying a Startup Year Course

If the Claim Type and Verbal Declaration Keywords have not been added:

• select the ABSTUDY NCL activity from the AL screen
• from the Selection Options screen, select (O) Transfer activity to another site/region
• add the appropriate Claim Type Keyword 'EPANCL' (ABSTUDY Pensioner Education Supplement)
• add the appropriate Verbal Declaration Keyword:
• 'VERBNIL' - if the applicant accepted a verbal declaration and was not required to provide any supporting documents before their ABSTUDY claim can be assessed
• 'VERBDOC' - if the applicant accepted a verbal declaration and was required to provide supporting documents before their ABSTUDY claim can be assessed
• 'VERBNO' - if the applicant did not accept a verbal declaration
• add the 'SUSYC' keyword if the student is studying a Startup Year Course

Has the applicant lodged a claim through the ABSTUDY Claiming Tool?

• Yes, go to Step 3
• No, go to Step 5

Applicants who complete a claim through the ABSTUDY Claiming Tool must:

• accept a verbal declaration, or
• return a signed Customer Declaration Form (CDF)

The accepted verbal declaration is recorded on the:

• Verbal Declaration DOC, and
• Progress of ABSTUDY claim DOC

Has the applicant accepted a verbal declaration?

• Yes, where the CDF has been returned, review the form and update any changes. Go to Step 5
• No, applicant has not been offered or has not accepted a verbal declaration. Go to Step 4

If the customer:

• has returned a signed CDF:
• review the CDF and update any changes
• go to Step 7
• did not provide a signed CDF and a verbal declaration has not been accepted:
• make 2 genuine attempts to contact the customer to obtain the verbal declaration

Was contact successful?

• Yes, and verbal declaration has been provided and documented, go to Step 5
• No, and the claim is:
• 18 days or older, go to Step 12
• 17 days or less, place the claim on hold until day 18, procedure ends here

Is the customer receiving JSP or YA (job seeker)?

• Yes, go to Step 6
• No, go to Step 7

JSP and YA (job seeker) customers:

• who commence a new course or have had a break in their ABSTUDY PES entitlement and lodge a new claim for ABSTUDY PES:
• do not qualify for ABSTUDY PES
• go to Step 11
• receiving ABSTUDY PES immediately prior to their transfer to JSP or YA (job seeker) and claim ABSTUDY PES within 14 days of cancellation
• may have their ABSTUDY PES payment restored
• procedure ends here

Does the student meet the general ABSTUDY eligibility criteria?

• Yes, go to Step 8
• No, the student does not qualify for ABSTUDY PES, go to Step 12

Is the student employed as a full-time apprentice or trainee?

• Yes, the student does not qualify for ABSTUDY PES payment, go to Step 12
• No, go to Step 9

Note: part-time Australian Apprentices who are undertaking full-time study may qualify for ABSTUDY PES as students under the normal criteria. Earnings from their apprenticeship will affect the Personal Income Test.

For further information on approved courses or study load, see:

• Approval of a course as full-time or part-time for ABSTUDY
• Assessing study load concessions for ABSTUDY and ABSTUDY Pensioner Education Supplement (PES)

Is the student enrolled in the approved course as either a full-time student or an approved concessional study load student?

• Yes, go to Step 10
• No, go to Step 12

Is the student satisfying the progress rules for ABSTUDY PES?

• Yes, if the student is:
• transferring from PES to ABSTUDY PES, go to Step 14
• not in the above criteria, see Table 2
• No, go to Step 12

JSP and YA (job seeker) customers who are commencing a new course, or who are returning to study after a break in ABSTUDY PES entitlement are not eligible for PES. This is because JSP or YA (job seeker) are not considered as a qualifying payment for PES unless the customer was receiving ABSTUDY PES for the same course immediately before transferring to JSP or YA.

To correctly reflect the customer is ineligible because they are no longer in receipt of a qualifying payment for ABSTUDY PES, the new study details must be entered via a NCL activity.

Make sure the previous course details have been ceased on the Customer Study Details (EDC) screen in Process Direct or Education Course Details (EDC) screen in Customer First, and see Table 2.

Consider alternative income support payments, if appropriate. If they are not eligible for ABSTUDY PES only because they cannot prove Aboriginality or Torres Strait Islander status for ABSTUDY, they may be eligible for the PES.

Note: although the customer does not qualify for ABSTUDY PES (EPA), they may still qualify for the Incidentals Allowance only. This will need to be processed as an ABSTUDY NCL after the rejection of the EPA claim. The claim that was lodged for ABSTUDY PES (SY020) can be used to claim the part-time award. For further information, see Processing an ABSTUDY claim.

Depending on the reason for the rejection, the ABSTUDY claim may reject automatically (following the updating of information on the customer's record, for example, student attending primary school) or may need to be rejected manually. For a list of which rejection codes are automatic and which are manual, see Pensioner Education Supplement (PES), ABSTUDY PES and Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC) PES cancellation, suspension and rejection codes.

To action the rejection:

• manually, see Table 3
• automatically, go to Step 13

Select the started ABSTUDY NCL activity from the AL screen in the customer's record:

• in the ABSTUDY Task Selector (EYTS) screen, update the appropriate screens according to the information provided in the ABSTUDY claim
• go to the Assessment Results (AR) screen to finalise the activity
• record details on a DOC
• contact the applicant and provide an explanation of the decision. See Advising verbally of an unfavourable decision

See Table 3 > Step 2.

When an ABSTUDY PES claim has been received and the student is currently on PES, the PES is required to be cancelled so the ABSTUDY PES claim can be processed. The PES cancellation should be processed as follows:

• Go to the PES system:
• Key SVPES in Nxt field, and
• Change the system to ISS
• Cancel the PES:
• Key BA in Nxt field and press [Enter]
• Key EPF in Svc Rsn field
• Key CAN in Action field
• Key OTH in Reason field
• Record DPT + 1 in Effect date field
• Record a DOC:
• Use Fast Note - select Auto text, use Generic > SUS/CAN/RES > Suspend Cancel Reason
• Record all relevant details in the Fast Note

The ABSTUDY PES claim can now be processed, see Table 2.

Access the Small Benefit System (ISS) by keying ISS in the System field, key SVPES to access the PES screens.

Select the started new claim (NCL) activity from the Activity List (AL) screen in the student's record.

Go to the Customer Details Task Selector (CDTS) screen.

Select and update the screens using the details provided in the claim. Selected screens include:

• Payment Destination Details (PASB)
• Proof of Identity (POI)
• Office codes (OC)

Select Next to progress through the claim.

Go to Step 2.

Update the details on the Payment Destination Details (PA) screen. Payments will be made to the student.

Go to Step 3.

When the screens selected from the Customer Details Task Selector (CDTS) screen have been updated, the screen flow will go to the ABSTUDY Task Selector (ESTS) screen. Continue through this until the Education Course Details (EDC) screen presents.

See Coding ABSTUDY education details for coding instructions.

Go to Step 4.

The date of commencement for payment will be automatically calculated by the system, however, in some circumstances, this may need to be manually adjusted.

Check the Education Payments Start Date (EPDC) screen to confirm the correct date of commencement has been calculated and override if necessary. If more information is needed to determine the start date, see:

• Calculating the start day for Pensioner Education Supplement (PES) and ABSTUDY PES
• Late commencement of course for ABSTUDY, ABSTUDY Pensioner Education Supplement (PES), Austudy, PES, and Youth Allowance (YA)

Attempt to go to the Assessment Results (AR) screen.

Has the error code Error: X511AS - PE date does not align with customer EPEDC Cluster/PES Cur Navkey: #PLENT occurred?

• Yes, go to Step 6
• No, go to Step 5

Finalise the claim via the Assessment Results (AR) screen:

• record the outcome of the claim assessment on a DOC
• expire the Progress of ABSTUDY Claim Display on Access (DOA) DOC
• complete any scanned documents actioned as part of the claim

Is the customer receiving Carer Payment (CP)?

• Yes, see Table 3 > Step 4
• No, procedure ends here

When this error occurs wait until after the first entitlement period of the new payment has passed before processing the claim as the bug no longer occurs after the end of the first entitlement period.

For example, if granting from 14 April 2024, the first entitlement period is 14 April 2024 to 27 April 2024. On 28 April 2024 (or later), the bug will not occur, and the claim can be finalised.

Note: the customer will receive their first payment one day late if the claim is finalised on the first day after the end of the entitlement period.

Place the claim on hold by:

• selecting the NCL activity from the AL screen
• from the Selection Options screen, select (V) View activity details on Activity Details (AY) screen
• update the Resubmit Date field to:
• current entitlement period end date +1
• select Continue

Procedure ends here.

Select the correct system. Select ISS in the Sys: field and key SVABY in the Next: field.

To code the rejection on the system:

• go to the Benefits Action (BA) screen
• key benefit type EPA for ABSTUDY PES in the Svc Rsn field
• key REJ in the Action field
• key the most appropriate reason for the rejection in the Reason field. See Pensioner Education Supplement (PES), ABSTUDY PES and Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC) PES cancellation, suspension and rejection codes. Only use rejection code 'Other' (OTH) in the Reason field if no other rejection code is appropriate
• finalise the claim via the Assessment Results (AR) screen
• record the outcome of the claim assessment on a DOC
• expire the Progress of ABSTUDY Claim Display on Access (DOA) DOC
• complete any scanned documents actioned as part of the claim

Go to Step 2.

A manual letter will be required if a Manual Follow-up (MFU) activity has been created on the Activity List (AL) screen after the rejection activity is finalised.

Go to the AL screen, if there is:

• an MFU requiring a manual letter, go to Step 3
• no MFU, for:
• students who are also receiving Carers Payment (CP), go to Step 4
• all other students, procedure ends here

In Customer First, create a manual letter (Q134) and include:

• the reason(s) for rejecting the claim
• the applicant's rights for review and appeal

Is the customer receiving Carer Payment (CP)?

• Yes, go to Step 4
• No, procedure ends here

Carer Payment (CP) customers have limits on activities they undertake to remain eligible for CP, which includes study.

Service Officers processing ABSTUDY PES claims must refer the CRN to a CP-skilled Service Officer to reassess the customer's circumstances.

If the customer receives CP:

• use the Fast Note - select Auto text, use Carers > Update > Commenced study - CPAS to be updated
• select Confirm
• make sure all relevant information is recorded in the DOC
• select Continue
• do not close the DOC created by the workflow

Procedure ends here.