Coding a regular absence for Carer Payment (CP) and/or Carer Allowance (CA) when the care receiver is absent 009-06040020

Is this regular absence for the purposes of a Carer Allowance (CA) child care receiver undertaking education, training or treatment?

• Yes, see Carer Allowance (CA) child care receiver undertakes education, training or treatment. Procedure ends here
• No, go to Step 2

• Yes, go to Step 3
• No, go to Step 5

• Yes, go to Step 4
• No, go to Step 5

When an absence is more than 14 days and due to illness, the couple may be entitled to the illness separated rate.

For detailed information, see Assessment of circumstances for a couple separated due to illness.

If entitled to the illness separated rate, coding the Marital Status (MS) screen will allow the illness separated rate to be paid automatically.

In the carer's record, go to the Marital Status page and click on the Add new details button. Update the following fields:

• Event Date:
• Qualifier Code:
• Marital Status: update this field only if changed
• Source:
• Receipt date:

Click on the Update button.

For coding assistance see, Assessment of circumstances for a couple separated due to illness.

All absences are to be coded using the Temporary Cessation of Care workflow.

The absence can be coded manually only if the workflow is not available, or not working. For manual coding information, see Step 6 in the Assessing and coding using the manual process table.

• Run the Temporary Cessation of Care workflow. The Temporary Cessation of Care Summary page will show. This is a display screen only
• Expand the page for the applicable care receiver by clicking on the arrows (>>) next to the care receiver's name. If required, further care receivers can also be selected and details recorded within the workflow. This will show the full summary of the history of absences for the period displayed. Note: if a different period is needed use the drop down box in the Period to Display: field at the top of the page
• Press Continue button. The Care Receiver Absence Update page will display
• Update the absence/s as required. For more detailed information on one-off absences, see Coding a one-off absence for Carer Payment(CP)/ Carer Allowance (CA) when the care receiver is absent
• Go to Step 6

• If required, record additional absences on the Care Receiver Absence Update section of the page (as instructed in Step 5) and click on the Update button when completed
• When all updates are completed, click on the Continue button
• The Assessment Results for Activity page will display. Finalise activity and exit the workflow
• Record details on a DOC in the carer's record including:
• If the end date is keyed as a result of an estimate by the carer, this should be included in the DOC
• If an extension was considered, the reason for either granting or rejecting the extension must be included in the DOC

If there is more than one carer does one carer receives CP and the other CA in respect of the care receiver?

• Yes, and:
• the care receiver was absent from both carers, repeat this process for the other carer
• only one of the carers was absent, procedure ends here
• No, procedure ends here

Is this regular absence for the purposes of a Carer Allowance (CA) child care receiver undertaking education, training or treatment?

• Yes, see Carer Allowance (CA) child care receiver undertakes education, training or treatment. Procedure ends here
• No, go to Step 2

• Yes, go to Step 3
• No, go to Step 5

• Yes, go to Step 4
• No, go to Step 5

When an absence is more than 14 days and due to illness, the couple may be entitled to the illness separated rate. For detailed information, see Assessment of circumstances for a couple separated due to illness.

If entitled to the illness separated rate, coding the Marital Status (MS) screen will allow the illness separated rate to be paid automatically.

In the carer's record, go to the MS page/screen and update the following fields:

• Event Date:
• Qualifier Code:
• Marital Status: update this field only if changed
• Source:
• In 'Workspace' Receipt date, or in 'Customer Record', DOR:
• In 'Workspace' click on the Update button or in 'Customer Record', press [Enter]

For coding assistance see, Assessment of circumstances for a couple separated due to illness.

All absences are to be coded using the Temporary Cessation of Care workflow wherever possible. For workflow instructions, see Step 5 in the Completing the activity using the manual process table.

If the workflow is not available or not working, manually code the absence.

Absences are to be manually coded only when the workflow is not available or not working.

• Go to the Care Receiver Summary (CRS) page/screen
• 'S'elect the appropriate care receiver from the list
• in 'Workspace' click on the Continue button
• in 'Customer Record' press [Enter]

On this screen, 's'elect;

• Absence Enquiry: field
• Absence Details: field
• Assessment Results: (for Carer Allowance only) field
• in 'Workspace' click on the Continue button
• in 'Customer Record' press [Enter]

'Workspace' - manual coding

The Temporary Cessation of Care Update page will display.

• Ensure the correct care receiver is displayed in the Care Receiver: field. If not, use drop down box to select correct care receiver.
• Go to Step 9.

'Customer Record' - manual coding

The Absences Enquiry (ABCE) screen will display.

The ABCE screen provides the summary of the absences taken in the current calendar year.

• Code 'Y' in the Go to Absences Details Screen (Y/N): field
• Press [Enter]. The ABSN screen will display

• Start Date: field - this is the date of the first full 24 hour midnight to midnight period of the absence. For example, if the care receiver left home on 10 January, record the start date as 11 January.
• End Date: field - put the end date in if the carer knows or can estimate the date of the regular absence. This field is not necessary for a regular absence as the number of days a fortnight is coded in the Regular Nights PFN: field
• In the Absence Type: field in 'Workspace' or the Reason: field in the 'Customer Record', update the absence details. Valid reason codes are:
• RCP - Respite for Carer Payment only - Child with partner. If a child care receiver is in the care of the partner, this is not an absence for Carer Allowance (CA) purposes, but it is an absence for Carer Payment (CP). Using code 'RCP' will ensure each system maintains an accurate count of absence days used. 'RCP' counts against the respite care allowance for CP only
• HSP - Hospitalisation. Code the total duration of all hospitalisation absences as 'HSP'. If the carer exceeds the allowable 63 hospitalisation absence, they can utilise their remaining respite absences. Note: CP (child) and CA (child) care receivers have no limit on days of hospitalisation, but the limit of 63 days for respite still applies. All absences must be coded
• RSP - Respite. Any other temporary absence. If the carer is paid under the short term care or episodic care provisions, the respite limit will be a pro-rata amount, based on the period for which CP (child) is being granted
• Regular Nights PFN: field - this is the number of days the care receiver is regularly absent each fortnight
• Absence Extended: field, if the respite is to extend past the allowable 63 days per calendar year:
• Delegation for the decision to extend payment/s is at the APS 5/6 level. See Temporary cessation of care (respite) for more than 63 days
• 'Workspace' - tick the radio button
• 'Customer Record' - 'Y' must be coded in this field
• Update the Source: and DOR: fields
• Press Continue button in 'Workspace' or press [Enter] in 'Customer Record'

In 'Workspace' - the Temporary Cessation of Care Update page will redisplay.

• Press the Update button
• If required, record additional absences on the Care Receiver Absence Update section of the page and click on the Update button

In 'Customer Record' - the ABSN screen will redisplay with the absence accepted and a new input line. Press [Enter] again

In 'Workspace'

The Temporary Cessation of Care Update page will redisplay with additional fields to allow for further absences to be updated.

• This will now show the updated data, check the details
• When all updates are completed, click on the Continue button
• For Carer Allowance, go to Step 3
• For Carer Payment, go to Step 4

Using 'Customer Record'

The ABCE screen will redisplay:

• This will now show the updated data, check the details
• Press [Enter] and the ABSN screen will redisplay
• Further absences can be coded, if required
• Press [Enter]
• For Carer Allowance, go to Step 3
• For Carer Payment, go to Step 4

• The Assessment Results (AR) page/screen is displayed with the results of the assessment
• Record details on a DOC in the carer's record including:
• if the end date is keyed as a result of an estimate by the carer, this should be included in the DOC
• if an extension was considered, the reason for either granting or rejecting the extension must be included in the DOC

Procedure ends here.

Check the calculation for accuracy by:

For 'Customer Record' screens only - the Activity List (AL) screen in the carer's record will now display.

• 'S'elect the activity
• 'S'elect the care receiver for whom this absence is for on the CRS screen
• The CETS screen will display
• To check the calculation on the ABCE screen 'S'elect the Absence Enquiry: field. The ABCE screen will show the updated data

'Workspace' and 'Customer Record'

• The Assessment Results (AR) page/screen is displayed with the results of the assessment

• On the AR page/screen finalise the activity. Note: for 'Customer Record' the 'AR' must manually be coded in the Nxt: field or the system will default to the AL page/screen and the activity will need to be re-selected
• Record details on a DOC in the carer's record including:
• If the end date is keyed as a result of an estimate by the carer, this should be included in the DOC
• If an extension was considered, the reason for either granting or rejecting the extension must be included in the DOC

If there is more than one carer does one carer receives CP and the other CA in respect of the care receiver?

• Yes, and:
• the care receiver was absent from both carers, repeat this process for the other carer
• only one of the carers was absent, procedure ends here
• No, procedure ends here