Add or remove characteristics for Centrelink Confirmation eServices (CCeS) businesses 101-09010050

All requests by a CCeS business to add or remove characteristics to its profile must be in writing from an authorised officer.

If the request is to add new characteristics, the business must detail the additional information required and why it is needed. The Third Party Programs team (TPP) must ensure there is a legitimate need for the additional customer information before proceeding to add characteristics to a business record. If there is any doubt, evidence should be requested from the business.

A CCeS business should only be given access to the minimum amount of customer information required to enable it to confirm entitlement to a concession, rebate or service.

See the Resources page for a list and descriptions of the CCeS characteristics.

To access the business record, either:

• in the B Env and ISS System, key the Customer Reference Number (CRN) of the business, or
• search for the business if the CRN is unknown, using the Organisation Name Search (ON) screen or the Advanced Organisation Search (OASP) screen

Full consideration must be given to the request before making characteristic updates on the business record. This is because additional testing may be required on the part of the business to ensure their system is not disrupted by an update to their characteristic profile.

Check if an approval to use CCeS batch or web services is recorded in the Contract Management workflow or in a DOC.

Is the business approved to use CCeS batch or web services?

• No, go to Step 4
• Yes. TPP will assess the request for additional characteristics and make a decision. If the request is:
• approved, refer the decision to the CCeS helpdesk who will discuss and arrange a testing exercise with the business. After the completion of successful testing, or where the business declines to participate in testing, the helpdesk will update the characteristics on the business record. Go to Step 4
• not approved, notify the business and add a DOC on the business record with the outcome and reasons why the request was declined

For multiple Characteristic Enquiry Group updates, code the updates separately for each group within the same activity.

For Customer Confirmation (Centrelink and DVA), go to these screens:

• OSAS, ‘S’elect the CCS agreement > Continue or [Enter]
• OSAB, select Y against View Org Characteristic Profile > Continue or [Enter]
• OCTS, select S against the Characteristic Enquiry Group to be updated:
• Centrelink Characteristics
• DVA Characteristics
• Superannuation Characteristics. Note: staff will not need to select or update this group. It has default characteristics that are fixed and cannot be changed or updated)
• select Continue or [Enter]

For Income Confirmation, go to these screens:

• OSAS, ‘S’elect the Income Confirmation agreement (IAS/IAB or IHS/IHB) being updated > Continue or [Enter]
• OSAD, in View Org Characteristic Profile, key Y > Continue or [Enter]

The Org Characteristic Market Sector (OCMS) screen allows staff to view or update the market sector that applies to a CCeS business. The market sector generally matches the business category allocated to the business within their CCeS contract.

When a business requires updates to their characteristics, the market sector should not be changed.

Check the characteristic profile allocated to the business in the Market Sector field.

If the business currently has:

• standard characteristics, go to Step 6
• non-standard characteristics, go to Step 7

Note: to view historical pages and information, key the page number in the Page field.

If the business currently has standard characteristics,  any change to characteristics in a standard profile will change the business to a non-standard characteristic profile.

To update a standard characteristic profile, go to the OCMS screen:

• ‘S’elect the market sector relevant to the CCes business. In these fields:
• Standard (Y/N), key N
• Source, key details
• DOR, key date of receipt
• Action, key I to insert new details or key C to correct existing details > Continue
• Confirm, key Y > Continue to go to the Org Characteristics Details (OCCD) screen
• go to Step 8

If the business currently has non-standard characteristics  and staff are updating characteristics (adding or removing):

• leave all fields blank on the OCMS screen
• select Continue or [Enter] to go to the Org Characteristics Details (OCCD) screen. Note: to view historical pages and information, key the page number in the Page field
• go to Step 8

If the business currently has non-standard characteristics  and staff are updating characteristics (adding or removing):

• leave all fields blank on the OCMS screen
• select Continue or [Enter] to go to the Org Characteristic Income Details (OCID) screen

The OCID screen allows a user to view or update the business’ characteristic profile. For existing CCeS agreements, a Y is displayed next to the characteristics that currently apply to the business.

To:

• add a characteristic, go to Step 9, or
• remove a characteristic, go to Step 10

The OCCD screen allows a user to view or update the business’ characteristic profile.

Note: to view historical pages and information, key the page number in the Page field.

For existing CCeS agreements, Y is displayed next to the characteristics that currently apply to the business:

• Payment Type characteristics (for example, PEN/NSS/ABY) are displayed in the top section of the screen
• other characteristics (for example, HCC/PCC/Address) are then displayed at the bottom

To:

• add a new characteristic, go to Step 9
• remove a characteristic, go to Step 10

Note: there are 2 screens that will display a business’ characteristics on the CCS agreement (as indicated by the number in the Column field). When updating characteristic profiles, check both screens and select all existing characteristics allocated to the business on each screen.

To scroll through the screens, use one of these options in:

• Customer Record, the PF11 and PF10 keys
• Customer First, the Move Right and Move Left buttons

Before making any updates to characteristics note down or take a screenshot of the existing characteristics on screen 1 and 2 of the OCCD screen.

Add new characteristics on the OCCD screen.

On screen 1:

• select S against all existing characteristics the business already has (as indicated by a Y)
• select S against any new characteristics to be added
• Update these fields (if required):
• Source, key INT
• DOR, key T
• Action, key I to insert new details or key C to correct details
• Start Date, key today’s date
• do not press Continue or [Enter]
• go to screen 2 to view more characteristics allocated on the business record

On screen 2:

• select S against all existing characteristics the business already has (as indicated by a Y)
• select S against any new characteristics to be added
• Update these fields (if required):
• Source, key INT
• DOR, key T
• Action, key I to insert new details or key C to correct details > Continue or [Enter]
• Start Date, key today's date > Continue or [Enter]
• Confirm > key Y > Continue or [Enter]

If selecting the Date Paid To, Payment End Date, Payment Status and/or Date of Grant characteristics, select at least one Payment Type characteristic to prevent an error.

Go to Step 11.

Before making any updates to characteristics, note down or take a screenshot of the existing characteristics on the OCID screen.

To add new characteristics on the OCID screen:

• select S against all existing characteristics the business already has (as indicated by a Y)
• select S against any new characteristics to be added
• Update these fields (if required):
• Source, key INT
• DOR, key T
• Action, key I to insert new details or key C to correct details > Continue or [Enter]
• Start Date, key today's date > Continue or [Enter]
• Confirm > key Y > Continue or [Enter]

Go to Step 13.

Note: there are 2 screens that will display a business’ characteristics on the CCS agreement (as indicated by the number in the Column field). When updating characteristic profiles, check both screens and select all existing characteristics allocated to the business on each screen.

To scroll through the screens, use one of the following options in:

• Customer Record, the PF11 and PF10 keys
• Customer First, the Move Right and Move Left buttons

Remove characteristics (if they are no longer required).

On screen 1:

• select S for the existing characteristics that are to remain
• do not select any characteristics that are to be removed (if they are selected in error, they will not be removed)
• Update these fields (if required):
• Source, key INT
• DOR, key T
• Action, key I to insert new details or key C to correct existing details
• Start Date, key today’s date
• do not press Continue or [Enter]. Instead, go to screen 2 to view more characteristics allocated on the business record

On screen 2:

• select S for the existing characteristics that are to remain
• do not select any characteristics that are to be removed (if they are selected in error, they will not be removed). In these fields:
• Action, key I to insert new details or key C to correct existing details > Continue or [Enter]
• Start Date, key today's date
• Confirm, key Y > Continue or [Enter]

Go to Step 11.

To remove characteristics (if they are no longer required):

• select S for the existing characteristics that are to remain
• do not select any characteristics that are to be removed (if they are selected in error, they will not be removed)
• Update these fields (if required):
• Source, key INT
• DOR, key T
• Action, key I to insert new details or key C to correct existing details > Continue or [Enter]
• Start Date, key today's date
• Confirm, key Y > Continue or [Enter]

Go to Step 13.

To add characteristics, go to these screens:

• OWUS, select S for the CCS Work Unit > Continue or [Enter]
• OWUD > Continue or [Enter]
• OCTS, select S against the appropriate Characteristic Enquiry Group (Centrelink or DVA) > Continue or [Enter]
• OCCD, select S against all existing characteristics the business already has, as indicated by a Y, as well as any new characteristics just added. In these fields:
• Action code footer details. Key I to insert new details or key C to correct existing details > Continue or [Enter]
• Confirm, key Y > Continue or [Enter]. Go to Step 12

Removing characteristics from OSAS will automatically remove them from the work units on OWUS screen. To remove characteristics:

• select Continue or [Enter]
• go to Step 12

Are there other Characteristic Enquiry Groups to be updated?

• Yes. Repeat Steps 4 to 12 in this table ensuring to select the next group to be updated via the OCTS screen
• No. Select Continue or [Enter], go to Step 13

Note: characteristic updates are immediate once the activity has been completed . For example, the activity will auto complete and staff do not need to key ‘Y’ to complete the activity.

Check the updates made are correct before finalising the activity. Any business that uses CCeS web services will start to get different responses straight away. Incorrect characteristic updates can disrupt the CCeS service for the business.

After confirming the updates are correct, go to the AR screen and complete the activity to finalise updates.

Email the business to notify them that:

• the request to add or remove characteristics is complete
• they must:
• update wording on their consent record to reflect the new characteristics, and
• provide a copy to the agency within 10 business days (or another agreed date)

The consent wording will also be checked during future compliance reviews.

Add a DOC to the record to detail the updates made, including the name of the authorised officer who made the request to change the characteristics.