Return to Australia procedures for service centre and Smart Centre staff for pension payments 061-03020000

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.

If the customer and/or child has an active immigration datalink, their return date will generally be automatically updated when they return to Australia.

For those customers or children who do not have an active immigration datalink, the date they returned to Australia will need to be manually recorded.

The Portability Script - Departures and Returns cannot process a return in all cases, for example, customer returning to Australia after living overseas or paid under the New Zealand (NZ) Agreement. If the script cannot complete the assessment or coding, it will advise this and create a review for manual follow-up of the activity where required. In these cases, procedures relevant to the payment type should be followed to manually action the return to Australia.

A customer's address (including postal address) and telephone contact details must be checked at every contact with the customer and updated if required. Note: if the customer has authenticated themselves via IVR, address details do not need to be confirmed.

If a customer has a change in circumstances on their return, for example, begins to pay rent or resumes part time work, they must contact Services Australia within 14 days as usual.

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, payment can be automatically or manually restored if they return to Australia within 13 weeks of their payment stopping.

Customers with reporting requirements are re-profiled as a notification reporter during a period of absence from Australia. Upon return to Australia, their reporting requirements are again automatically re-profiled.

A Carer Payment (XWP) customer loses their qualification for CP under grandfathering provisions if they have a break in payment level Carer Allowance (CA) entitlement. Carer Payment (XWP) can only be restored if their CA is reinstated without a gap in entitlement. For more information see Transfer from Wife Pension (WP) to Carer Payment (CP).

If the customer is receiving Pensioner Education Supplement (PES) in addition to their primary payment, PES will suspend (EPF/SUS) if the primary payment suspends. PES cannot be restored if there is a gap in entitlement, the customer will need to reclaim PES. In these cases, PES will need to be cancelled to allow restoration of the primary payment (if applicable). See Restoration of Pensioner Education Supplement (PES) and ABSTUDY PES.

Some return actions must only be done by CIS. To identify these cases, see the Process page.

Concession cards are portable for temporary absences from Australia up to 6 weeks (19 weeks for Commonwealth Seniors Health Card) from departure, subject to continued eligibility. If a current concession card customer returns to Australia before the end of their allowable portability period and entitlement has continued throughout the period of absence, a new card does not need to be issued as a result of the return.

If a customer is not a resident of Australia, they are not entitled to any add-ons including concession cards if they return to Australia temporarily, unless they are paid under the Agreement with New Zealand.

If the customer is repeatedly absent from Australia for long periods with short returns to renew their portability, it may indicate that they are actually residing overseas. Customers receiving Age Pension do not need to remain Australian residents to continue to be entitled to payment. However, if they are also receiving any add-ons, Carer Allowance (CA) or family assistance payments, these payments will cease on departure if the customer is leaving Australia to live overseas.

For all other payments, the customer must remain an Australian resident to remain qualified. The Service Officer must be satisfied of this each time a customer leaves Australia, or payment should be cancelled immediately on departure. If an absence, or a period of multiple absences with short returns to Australia between the absences, exceeds approximately 3 years, continuing Australian residence is questionable.

If a customer whose payment has been suspended or cancelled returns to Australia after multiple absences, ensure they are still a resident of Australia before their payment is restored or re-granted. If payment is restored or re-granted, any future absences should be checked very carefully before making the portability decision to ensure that the customer is still an Australian resident.

Most customers do not have to remain in Australia for any minimum period before payment is portable again and, if the customer is paid a proportional rate, their rate will increase from the date of their return to Australia. However, some payments are affected by return rules and other payments may be affected by former resident rules.

Customers who cease to be Australian residents and lose entitlement to Centrelink administered payments may need to return to Australia to reside before they can lodge a proper claim for payment. Their status as an Australian resident will need to be assessed. If the customer is not an Australian resident, they will generally not be able to lodge a claim or qualify for a payment.

Returning to Australia may affect subsequent portability if the customer is receiving:

• Double Orphan Pension (DOP)
• Pension Education Supplement (PES) or
• Parenting Payment (PP)

If the customer's payment has stopped or reduced for portability reasons (they were outside Australia for more than 6 weeks) and they return to Australia and resume payment, they must generally remain in Australia for at least 6 weeks before this payment is portable again.

It is very important that a customer who is planning on returning to Australia and then going outside Australia again contacts before their return to Australia. Service Officers can then advise them what effect any return to Australia may have on their future payments if they travel outside Australia again.

The 6 week return rule on payments allowing extended portability for approved study means there is no interruption of the portability period where:

• the customer has an approved overseas study absence granted, and
• the customer returns to Australia for up to 6 weeks

There is no requirement to make a new decision.

Returning to Australia may affect subsequent portability if the customer has returned to live in Australia and then claimed or transferred to 1 of these payments:

• Age Pension (AGE)
• Disability Support Pension (DSP)

If these customers leave Australia within 2 years of their return for residence, their payments are unlikely to be portable at all.

It is very important that a customer planning to leave Australia within 2 years of a return for residence (and subsequent grant/transfer to 1 of these payments) contacts before leaving. The Service Officer can then advise them what effect the departure may have on their future payments if they travel outside Australia.

For more information, see Former resident provisions.