Incentive Allowance (IA) overseas absences 061-01070010

IA is a 'saved' payment made to Disability Support Pension (DSP) customers to encourage them to participate in supported employment (employment at an Australian disability enterprise). In some cases, IA will remain payable when the pensioner is temporarily absent overseas.

IA is not payable to people who are not Australian residents.

If a customer leaves Australia to live in another country, IA is cancelled from the date the customer leaves Australia.

A customer who has stopped living in Australia will not be able to claim IA during any temporary return to Australia.

If the person later returns to live in Australia as a resident, IA cannot be re-granted, even if the person would be qualified for it. The customer could, however, be considered for Rent Assistance (RA) qualification as IA precludes payment of RA.

For temporary absences, continuing IA qualification is assessed manually at departure. The customer can continue to receive IA for up to 26 weeks after departing Australia if:

• their main payment remains payable, and
• their supported employment has not ceased, and
• they intend to resume their employment at the end of the leave period

For example:

• they are on leave (either paid or unpaid)
• employer closures during holiday periods
• other absences, including sick leave
• periods of long service leave

IA is portable for up to 26 weeks for a temporary absence as long as the customer remains qualified and payable for their main payment. If the main payment has limited portability, payment is portable until the main payment’s portability ends.

If the departure is temporary but the customer's employment with the supported employment has ceased or the customer does not intend to return to it, IA is cancelled. The customer can be reassessed immediately for Rent Assistance (RA), which would then be portable as per the RA rules.

Note: discretionary extensions can apply to IA provided the person remains qualified.

If a customer remains outside Australia after their payment has stopped for a portability related reason, continuation of payment on their return to Australia may be possible. Generally, the payment may be restored automatically or manually if they return to Australia within 13 weeks of their payment ceasing. See Disability payments and services which may no longer be granted for further details.

The Department of Home Affairs generally advises when a customer or child leaves or returns to Australia. The Centrelink system uses the information to assesses the portability of payments and concession cards. The assessment will happen regardless of whether the customer has told Services Australia their travel details. Note: do not cancel Department of Home Affairs datalink activities.

Where the customer gives evidence they travelled on different dates, the agency should consider using those different dates, if both the following apply:

• the new dates are logical
• the results will be a better outcome for the customer

This most often happens if a customer passes through Australian customs on one day but the flight leaves the next day.

In many cases, customers do not have to tell the agency if they are leaving Australia temporarily for less than 6 weeks, or when they have returned from a temporary absence.

When customers do need to tell us about a departure before leaving Australia or when they have returned to Australia they can use the Travelling outside of Australia service. This service is in their Centrelink online account. If the travel or portability assessment is complex the online service will ask them to contact the agency.

Services Australia website lists when customers must tell the agency they are leaving or returning to Australia. The Resources page has a link.