Restoration of Carer Allowance (CA) 009-03110040

Confirm the reason for cancellation or suspension via the:

• Carer General Information Screen (CGI), or
• Service Reason Summary (SRS) screen, or
• CJAR and 'S'elect the relevant care receiver
• cancellation, suspension and rejection codes

From the Document List (DL) screen, check the cancellation or suspension DOC for more evidence including:

• proof of income and assets
• proof of change of address
• medical review
• notice to attend the service centre

Check the carer's record for how long in total the payment has been cancelled and/or suspended.

The Benefit Status (XBS) screen shows:

• status of payment
• reason for cancellation or suspension, and
• the date of the last action

The Activity history list (ES, HAL, HAY) screen in Process Direct or the Event Summary (ES) screen in Customer First shows the date the CA was cancelled or suspended.

If suspended before being cancelled, CA will restore from the date of suspension. The total length of the cancellation and suspension is relevant.

Has the carer contacted within 13 weeks of the date of the notice of cancellation or suspension?

• Yes, go to Step 2
• No, the carer will need to reclaim. See Claiming Carer Payment (CP) and/or Carer Allowance (CA)

CA was cancelled due to:

• hospital or respite care, go to Step 3
• carer or care receiver overseas, go to Step 4
• carer ceased care, go to Step 5
• non return of forms or online tasks, go to Step 6
• whereabouts unknown (WUK), go to Step 7
• there is no Identity Confirmation, see Step 2 in Table 2
• CA (auto) cancelled, restore CP first as this will allow concurrent restoration of CA, see Restoration of Carer Payment (CP)

CA cannot be restored where the carer has exceeded 63 days hospitalisation and/or respite absences in a calendar year. The carer will need to re-claim when the care receiver returns to their care.

The carer will not get any hospital or respite days if they:

• re-claim in the same calendar year as the CA was cancelled, and
• cease to provide care

A decision may be made to extend CA for special reasons. There is no limit to hospitalisation days for CP (child) or CA (child) child care receivers. A 63 day respite limit applies.

Has the carer exceeded 63 days hospitalisation and/or respite absences in a calendar year?

• Yes, if the care receiver is:
• in Australia, see Claiming Carer Payment (CP) and/or Carer Allowance (CA)
• overseas, see Return to Australia procedures for service centre and Smart Centre staff for non-pension payments and cards
• procedure ends here
• No, go to Step 8

Carer overseas

To restore CA for a carer who was overseas longer than the allowed portability period, see Return to Australia procedures for service centre and Smart Centre staff for non-pension payments and cards.

Overseas more than 6 weeks

CDA/SUS-O6W not restoring due to respite coding.

Correct both of the following actions to correct the error:

• cancellation of CA at the care receiver level, and
• suspension of CA at the carer level

Key the restoration

Key the restoration at the carer and care receiver levels:

• correct the absence. See Coding departures and returns for customers leaving Australia
• on the CJBA screen, restore CA using the correct reason for the care receiver
• go to the Assessment Results (AR) screen to view the assessment as suspended (O6W)
• go to the CJAA screen and check the status displays as Restored at the care receiver level
• go to the BA screen. Restore CA from the date the carer is entitled

If this does not resolve the issues, contact the ICT Service Desk.

Go to Step 8.

Restore CA if the carer:

• ceased providing care for 63 days or less, and
• total number of Temporary Cessation of Care (TCC) days in the calendar is 63 days or less when it occurs

Check:

• the number of days the carer did not provide care
• if another carer received CA during the time they did not provide care
• the number of days of TCC used in the calendar year they did not provide care

Refer the case to the Level 2 Policy Help Desk if another carer received payment for this time.

Can CA be restored?

• Yes, restore CA and record TCC, go to Step 8
• No, and a TCC extension:
• might apply, see Temporary cessation of care (respite) for more than 63 days
• cannot apply, tell the carer they will need to reclaim payment. Procedure ends here

Failing to return Medical Report or Care needs Assessment Form

Restore CA from the date of cancellation or suspension if the carer:

• returns their form(s), or
• contacts within 13 weeks of the cancellation or suspension date, and
• still qualifies

Refer the activity to CD1:

• Use Fast Note - select Auto text, use Carers > Update > CA Update - Action Required
• Select Confirm
• Complete all fields
• Procedure ends here

Non return of a CA Review or online task

If less than 13 weeks since cancellation or suspension, tell the carer to:

• lodge their review form, or
• complete the online task

Procedure ends here.

If all forms are lodged and tasks complete, but CA is not paid as a CA Review is pending:

Refer to Carer processing (CD1):

• Use Fast Note - select Auto text, use Carers > Update > CA Update - Action Required
• Select Confirm
• Complete all fields
• Procedure ends here

Restore CA with full arrears from the date of the original decision, if the carer:

• continued to qualify and was payable during the period
• did not receive a notice to suspend or cancel CA as:
• not known at their address, or
• the notice of decision was sent back to the agency

See the References page for links to policy and legislation.

Can the suspended or cancelled payment be restored in the Smart Centre?

Note: refer Carer Reviews to Processing Services.

• Yes, go to Step 9
• No:
• use Fast Note - select Carers > Update > CA Update - Action Required
• complete all fields

Procedure ends here.

Check carer is still eligible for:

• CA (care receiver under 16), or
• CA (care receiver over 16)

Work out the date CA will restart. Some cancellation and suspension codes allow a gap in entitlement. If no gap, restore from date paid to plus 1 (DPT + 1).

If a WUK carer's address is unchanged, they must provide evidence to confirm they still live at the recorded address.

To remove the end date from the current address:

• go to the Address History (ADH) screen
• 'D'elete the ADRESS TYPE ENDED line

Does the carer need to send more documents?

• Yes, do not restore CA:
• ask the carer for more details to restore CA
• explain CA will not restore until details are received
• record details on a DOC
• code a 14 day review for follow up
• No, see Table 2

For reason code CRM (Care and dependency requirements not met), go to Step 5.

If the customer did not complete the online task within 14 days and CA was cancelled FRC, go to Step 1 in Table 3.

For all other reason codes, conduct the following checks.

Check if a new medical report and/or carer questionnaire has been provided. If

• provided, record the details as outlined in:
• Calculating the total Disability Care Load Assessment Determination (DCLAD) (2020) score, or
• Coding the Adult Disability Assessment Tool (ADAT)
• not provided, go to Step 2

Check qualifying scores for restoration of CA. If the carer:

• meets the qualifying score, go to Step 2
• does not meet the qualifying score, the carer must be contacted:
• issue a manual letter using Q999 text
• the original date of cancellation remains the original date of decision
• the reason for the cancellation (CAN/MRN) remains unchanged
• DOC the carer's record. If the customer does not understand or does not agree with the cancellation decision, they can request an explanation or apply for a formal review of the decision
• procedure ends here

Run the Carer Restoration workflow.

Note: key Identity Confirmation (IC) POI screen before restoring the payment.

Is the workflow available?

• Yes, procedure ends here
• No, key manually. Go to Step 3

To manually restore CP and CA, restore CA first (and then CP), except if CP was cancelled reason CID.

Go to the Link Summary (LS) screen:

Does the LS screen display a current CRA link relevant to the care receiver?

• Yes, go to Step 4
• No:
• update the Display all field. Check 'Y' keyed or the page with the end dated-link will not display
• 'S'elect the CRA link relevant to the care receiver
• Enter. The information will be in the page format
• page up/down to find the Unblocked date field
• in the Action field, key 'D'elete
• Enter
• in the Confirm Delete field, key 'Y'
• Enter
• go to Step 4

Cancellation or suspension of CA can be actioned via the:

• Benefit Action (BA) screen, or
• Care Receiver Benefit Action (CJBA) screen

To find which screen was used, check the:

• Event Summary (ES) screen, or
• History Activity List (HAL) screen

From ES screen:

• select the relevant cancellation activity
• in the Screen View field, key 'Y'
• Enter to view the Event Circumstance Selection (ECS) screen that lists the screens accessed to cancel or suspend CA
• in the View all Screens field, key 'Y' to access all screens
• if cancellation was at the:
• care receiver level (via the CJBA screen), CJBA will display
• carer level (via the BA screen), both CJBA and BA will display

Select the relevant cancellation activity from HAL screen.

If the cancellation was at the:

• care receiver level, (via the CJBA screen). CJBA will display in a line on the History Activity Details (HAY) screen
• carer level (via the BA screen), both CJBA and BA will display. BA will be listed as BACDA

If the action was done via the:

• BA screen, go to Step 5
• CJBA screen, go to Step 6

Go to the BA screen and in the following fields:

• Svc Rsn, key 'CDA'
• 'RES' in the Action field, key the action
• Enter
• Event Date, key the effect date of the restoration if it does not default
• Source and DOR, complete
• Care Details (CDCR) screen, update details if they have changed
• record details on a DOC:
• action taken
• advice given to the carer, and
• change in details or circumstances
• go to the Assessment Results (AR) screen
• check the carers claim to arrears
• confirm the arrears amount
• finalise the activity

Use both screens to restore CA

There may be times when both screens are used to restore CA. For example, CA cancelled or suspended for both carer and care receiver at the same time:

• review the record
• work out the correct coding
• restore:
• CA. A letter will go to the carer
• CP if needed

Procedure ends here.

CA cancelled or suspended on the CJBA screen occurs due to a change in circumstances to the care receiver. The care receiver no longer qualifies for CA. For example, the care receiver has left the carer's care for good:

• select the correct care receiver from the Care Receiver Summary (CRS) screen
• go to CJAA screen and get last reason CA was granted or reassessed with payment continuing
• go to the CJBA screen
• key restoration reason from the CJAA screen
• finalise the activity
• CA will auto restore for the carer

Using both screens to restore CA

There may be times when both screens are used to restore CA. For example, CA cancelled or suspended for both carer and care receiver at the same time:

• review the record
• work out the correct coding
• restore:
• CA. A letter will go to the carer
• CP if needed

The carers online task will be available for 13 weeks if:

• the carer did not complete the online task within 14 days, and
• CA is manually cancelled FRC

A new work item will create if the carer completes the task within 13 weeks.

Locate the associated work item in Process Direct:

• Go to the Care Receiver Summary (CRS) screen
• select Edit
• on the Care Receiver Summary Details screen for the relevant care receiver delete:
• the End Date, and
• End Reason. The End Date will default to 31/12/9999
• select Save
• Go to the Transaction Summary (TS) screen
• select Process
• select
• select the care receiver
• CDCR Care Details will auto select
• select Next
• select the carer in Relations
• select Assess
• go to the Care Receiver Benefit Action (CJBA) screen
• select Add, to add new row. When the Create Care Receiver Benefit Action screen displays, key:
• Care Receiver Name, select the Care Receiver
• Action select RES - RESTORE
• REASON, select the CA grant reason. See CJAA screen
• Effect Date, key date of cancellation
• select Save, then Assess
• select Assess again
• pre-populated text will display, including the Social Security Act reference. Any comments about the decision will appear in Notes
• select Finalise
• select OK

Check:

• CA is CUR
• A Note has been created

Tell the carer CA is now current.