Coding departures and returns for customers leaving Australia 061-02010000

The Portability Script - Departures and Returns helps Service Officers collect relevant information from the customer and assesses their entitlement to payment while outside Australia.

The script will:

• code the departure information onto the customer's record
• provide information about the possible effect on their entitlement while outside Australia, and
• issue a letter, if requested

Use of the Portability Script when a customer advises of an absence from Australia is mandatory.

The exception is when:

• the script is temporarily unavailable and interview cannot be deferred, or
• a Service Officer must make a manual assessment

If a customer notifies of an absence after they have departed, portability must still be assessed using the Portability Script.

The script cannot be used for child only absences or Child Care Subsidy, ABSTUDY, Farm Household Allowance, Double Orphan Pension or non-income tested Pensioner Concession Card holders.

The script can record a child's departure from Australia if the child is leaving with the parent. However, if the child is travelling outside Australia alone, record the departure manually. See Family assistance and Paid Parental Leave scheme customer/child going overseas for more details.

The Portability Script assesses a customer's portability. It does not assess if they will retain qualification for their payment. The Service Officer must update any changes in qualification or payability not related to portability separately to running the script. Examples of other changes, which, while related to the person's absence, are not strictly portability issues, include:

• a Disability Support Pension (DSP) customer is going to another country to work full-time
• a Parenting Payment Single (PPS) customer is leaving Australia to become a member of a couple
• an Age Pension customer has sold their home in Australia
• a Carer Payment (CP) customer is going to New Zealand temporarily and from that date, the person who they usually care for will be looked after indefinitely by another family member

The script will ask the Service Officer if any other changes have occurred that will change the person's ongoing entitlement. This question will allow the Service Officer to record any additional changes at this point such as those listed above. While the script will incorporate any such changes into the portability advice it gives, it will only record the details in a document - it will not code the non-portability changes.

Note: there is a known problem with coding when using the script for ‘no work capacity’ (NWC) approved cases where the Customer Advised Travel Details (RSCD) screen has previously been keyed with ‘NWC’. The script tries to add a new entry of ‘NWC’ when it is already recorded. This error does not prevent a user from using the script, but does result in a script error and staff need to delete the new entry of ‘NWC’ on RSCD in order for the script to progress.

The Portability Script - Departures and Returns will identify numerous consequential reviews that may be required because of the overseas departure and return.

Only the following consequential reviews need to be selected when identified during the portability interview:

• Departure reviews:
• Respite Care or Carer/Caree Portability Review
• Return of outstanding SU19 forms
• Review Apprentice/Trainee Status
• Review Participation Agreement
• Review Student Status
• Section 24 Review
• Vacation of Home Property Review
• Return reviews:
• Agreement Payment check
• Code return to Aus
• Participation Requirements Review
• Section 24 Review
• SHC (Commonwealth Seniors Health Card) Reissue
• Transfer from I Environment
• Vacation of Home Property Review

Note: selecting any other consequential review type will generate an unnecessary work item in Workload Manager (WLM).

Where the Service Officer has the appropriate skills, they are required to complete applicable consequential reviews with the customer after finalising the Portability Script - Departures and Returns. The Resources page contains information to assist Service Officers in completing the consequential reviews.

The Portability Script - Departures and Returns, accurately guides decisions about portability, and can be used for hypothetical cases where a person wants information about the effect on their payments before making a decision to travel outside Australia. While the script will provide accurate information to them, the information about payment for a hypothetical situation is not a decision and therefore cannot be appealed.

Do not issue a portability assessment letter to a customer if they are not definitely leaving Australia as their departure date may change and this can affect their payment. If the letter is issued, they may believe the same changes will apply to a different date of departure. If they require further information, refer them to the website. The Resources page has a link.

If a customer or child remains outside Australia after their payment has stopped for a portability related reason, continuation of payment on return to Australia may be possible. Generally, their payment can be restored automatically or manually if they return to Australia within 13 weeks of their payment stopping.

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.

Customers leaving Australia are still required to notify any other changes to their circumstances that would normally affect their payment or concession card.

Depending on the event, they may be able to notify the change online. See the Change of circumstances procedure for the relevant payment or concession card type.