Processing Centrelink Academic Reassessment Transformation (CART) reviews 110-07030010

CART reviews allocate via Workload Management (WLM) in Process Direct as a Change of Circumstance (CoC).

To search for CART reviews manually in Process Direct:

• Select Inbox
• Main Category field select Change in Circumstances or key the Customer Reference Number (CRN) in the CRN field
• Select CART review from the Circumstances menu and press [Enter]
• The CART Review work item will appear in the Work Items table
• Select Claim ID number to open the review

Prior to commencing CART reviews, Service Officers must complete pre-assessment checks.

Investigate the customer's record in Process Direct:

• To review the data loaded by the university and any additional information related to the CART review select the CART Review Initiated Summary in the Notes icon
• Compare the existing information on the Customer Study Details (EDC) screen and customer's responses in the 'Review Receipt' where applicable
• Go to the Document List (DL) screen via the Super Key to review any CART related Notes/DOCs
• To identify if the student has been requested to supply any supporting documents, select the Tasks icon

Investigate the customer's record in SIMS:

The Selection Intervention Management System (SIMS) is a data repository, containing current and historical selections. These selections are created when student records are captured for action as a CART review. For information on how to access SIMS, see the Resources page.

• In the absence of the load dates displayed within the CART match data in Process Direct, they can be viewed in SIMS:
• Open SIMS
• Select Selection Search and Action
• Select the Search Query field to view Historical Selections
• Enter the customer's CRN
• Enter Risk Review Type CRT-CART Program
• Select Search

Note: the load dates are displayed in the Selection Date column. Do not use SIMS data after 14 July 2019.

To view the CART review dates from initiation to suspension and cancellation stages, in Customer First:

• Key the Customer Reference Number (CRN)
• Select the CRN/BP link to enter the Customer Summary
• Select the Interaction History tab
• Select the Integrated Review Activity
• Select the Dates tab to view the:
• Initiation or load dates
• Suspension date
• Cancellation date

Service Officers may be allocated a CART CoC transaction at several stages during the lifespan of a CART Review.

For Manual Action reviews are allocated if the:

• customer has responded to review notifications and their payment is not suspended, or
• system failed to update the customer file (suspension or application of CART data)

On Hold reviews are held for various reasons including:

• request for additional information
• referral to the Course Assessment and Liaison officer
• referral to CART Support
• system issue pending investigation

Once an On Hold review reaches its due date, and supporting documentation has not been uploaded, they system will attempt to apply the CART data. If unsuccessful, the review will be allocated to a Service Officer.

The On Hold status will revert to For Manual Action when the customer has supplied the required documents. This will enable allocation of the review.

Refer to the CART review Initiated Notes and the Tasks screen in Process Direct for documentation required from the customer to finalise the review, or the reason the review is placed On Hold.

Note: if the CART review was On Hold because of an escalation to ICT via ROXY, the review will remain On Hold until the ICT incident is resolved. Reviews held pending an outcome of a referral to a specialist, may need to be placed on hold again if an outcome for the referral has not been reached.

Students will be asked to provide evidence of their enrolment where their responses to the review question set contradict the enrolment information advised by the university, or other documents to support their change in circumstances.

The student will be asked to supply documentation as part of the CART online review, if they advise they have:

• an aggregated study load
• enrolled cross institutionally
• ceased study or reduced workload due to a medical condition
• a concessional study load
• ceased a course to commence a new one

To assess if further information is required, see Assessing study load requirements.

Note: the online review will not request medical evidence from students receiving PES if they indicate a medical condition is the reason for their change in study load. This is because most PES customers will qualify for a concessional study load based on their existing circumstances. There may be some situations where the customer will not qualify for a concessional study load. Request medical evidence via phone or by issuing a written request for information notice, see Requesting information (CLK).

If the customer commenced the CART online review, and:

• the customer has completed the review and provided evidence (if requested), see Step 3 in Table 2
• requested evidence has not been provided evidence within 14 days of request, see Step 2 in Table 2
• the review was submitted and supporting documents uploaded, if requested, however additional evidence is required to assess the customer's circumstances, go to Step 7

If the customer has not commenced the CART online review, go to Step 6.

If the CART online review has not been submitted by the customer and:

• the student payment has failed to automatically suspend 'SLR' on day 23 and the review is less than 37 days old, see Step 1 in Table 2, or
• the CART data has failed to automatically apply on day 37, see Step 2 in Table 2

Apply discretion if a student has provided unrelated or deliberately incorrect documents. Before requesting information, Service Officers must attempt to contact the customer.

If contact is successful:

• Advise the student of any outstanding document(s) to be provided:
• If the student payment is current - tell them their payment will be suspended if documents are not provided within 14 days
• If the student payment is suspended (SLR) - tell them the CART data will be applied, as advised by their university, if documents are not provided within 14 days
• Place the CoC on hold for 14 days for reason 'Customer to Provide Information'
• Annotate the CART Review Initiated Note in Process Direct to indicate a verbal request was made under:
• section 63 of the Social Security (Administration) Act 1999, or
• chapter 1.5 of the ABSTUDY Policy Manual

If unsuccessful:

• Issue a written request for information notice, see Requesting information (CLK)
• Annotate the CART Review Initiated Note in Process Direct
• Place the CoC on hold for 14 days

Procedure ends here.

If a student fails to submit the CART online review within 22 days of review creation, the system will automatically suspend their payment Study Load Reduced (SLR) on Day 23.

The suspension may need to be manually completed in the following scenarios:

• A system generated auto suspension fails, due to the record being task locked
• A customer has failed to submit a completed online review, the review is more than 22 days old and their payment is current (CUR)

In the customer record in Process Direct:

• hold the CART review CoC until Day 37 from the review creation date
• outside of the CART Review CoC, suspend the customer's payment in Process Direct:
• select the Customer Summary tile from the Process Direct homepage
• in the Centrelink Reference Number (CRN) field, enter the customers CRN and Enter
• select the customer from the search results
• go to the Benefit Action (BA) screen via the Super Key
• suspend payment using code 'SLR' from Date Paid To (DPT) + 1
• finalise activity
• annotate the CART Review Initiated Notes

Procedure ends here.

If a student fails to:

• complete the online study review within 36 days, or
• upload requested documents within 14 days of a request for information (either by the system or a Service Officer)

CART skilled Service Officers will be allocated the work item with the status of 'For Manual Action'. The CART review data, as advised by their education provider, must be applied to the customer's record and the student payment cancelled or restored. A restoration may be required, if the customer remains qualified at a reduced rate.

There are circumstances when this will occur automatically, however Service Officer intervention may be needed in the following scenarios:

• System-generated application of CART data fails, or
• Customer has failed to respond, the review is more than 36 days old and their payment is CUR or SUS, or
• Customer is SUS, but retains qualification despite the updated educational changes

Note: it is important to consider all of the CART data, dating back to the initial load where the student has reduced their study load to part time or withdrew from study. Use the CART Date of Effect rules to ensure correct dates are considered. See the Resources page for examples.

If the CART data shows the student has ceased study or reduced their study load and the customer receives:

• ABSTUDY, ABSTUDY PES or PES go to Step 6
• Youth Allowance (YA) or Austudy, go to Step 7

The system will automatically accept the date of a change in circumstances, as advised by the customer, if the date is:

• on or earlier than the CART critical date, or
• within 14 days following the CART critical date

If the date advised by the customer is more than 14 days following the CART critical date, evidence is required to establish the correct date the change occurred.

To determine if the customer has met their notification requirements, Service Officers must consider if the customer has notified with 14 days of the date accepted as the date of change in circumstance.

If the student:

• has transferred to another education provider, go to Step 4
• may be eligible for payment based on an aggregated study loads, go to Step 5
• commenced concurrent or cross institutional study with another education provider, go to Step 5
• ceased or reduced study workload due to temporary incapacity, go to step 5
• is an ABSTUDY, ABSTUDY PES or PES customer and ceased study or reduced their study load and are not eligible for a concessional study load, go to Step 6
• is YA or Austudy customer who ceased study or reduced their study load and are not eligible for a concessional study load, go to Step 7
• supplied evidence which contradicts the CART data, go to Step 9
• is enrolled in an unapproved course, go to Step 10

When customers have confirmed they have/will commence a new course, proof of enrolment is requested within the online review if the start date of the new course is on, or earlier than the date the review is completed.

To determine if they can be considered a continuing/intending student, consideration must be given to the:

• date the student ceased the course they received their student payment for, and
• start date of the new course

Update the customers pervious and current course details:

• For Youth Allowance (YA), Austudy and Pensioner Education Supplement (PES) students, see Changing or correcting course of study or educational institution for YA, Austudy and PES students, then return to this step
• For ABSTUDY and ABSTUDY PES, see Changing or correcting study and/or educational institutions for ABSTUDY students, then return to this step

Go to Step 9.

If the student has ceased study or reduced their study load to part time, they may still qualify for payment. See Assessing study load requirements.

If the student is enrolled in more than one course or at more than one institution, they may still qualify for payment. See Effect on student payments of enrolment in more than one course or at more than one educational institution.

If the customer qualifies for a student payment:

• update the Customer Study Details (EDC) screen in Process Direct or Education Details (EDC) screen in Customer First as appropriate. Base this on if the student is:
• undertaking approved cross-institutional study, ensure the correct Home institution and concurrent Host institution codes are recorded on EDC
• receiving ABSTUDY or ABSTUDY PES eligible for a study load concession see Changing study load from full-time to part-time or concessional study load for ABSTUDY or ABSTUDY PES
• receiving PES eligible for a study load concession see Changing study load from full-time to part-time or concessional study load for YA, Austudy or PES
• eligible for Austudy at a 66% concessional study load, see Assessing eligibility for the 66% concessional study load for Austudy
• eligible for Austudy at a 25% concessional study load, see Assessing eligibility for 25% concessional study load for Austudy, then go to Step 9
• For YA incapacitated students see YA student or Australian Apprentice becomes incapacitated
• code the Review Exemption End Date field on the EDC screen with the last day the customer is approved for the exemption, then go to Step 11

Note: do not code the Review exemption field for students who qualify for payment based on the concessional study load rules, or if they have ceased study due to an incapacity.

If the student still qualifies for payment, coding the Review Exemption Date field on the EDC screen will prevent Part Time (PUE) reviews from loading on the customer record for the period of the exemption.

If the customer does not qualify for a student payment, for:

• ABSTUDY, ABSTUDY PES or PES go to Step 6
• YA or Austudy go to Step 7

If the customer has:

• not submitted a completed response to the CART online review within 36 days
• not responded to a request for information within 14 days of the request, or
• confirmed they are no longer a full time student

The CART data must be applied to the student's record and their study details updated. This may result in cancellation of the student payment, with or without an overpayment. If the customer remains qualified at a reduced rate, a restoration may also be required.

• For ABSTUDY or ABSTUDY PES, if the student has:
• withdrawn from study, see Payment of ABSTUDY when a student is deferring or discontinuing study before the end of the course, then return to this step
• reduced their study load, but remains qualified, see Changing or correcting course of study and/or educational institution for ABSTUDY students, then return to this step
• For Pensioner Education Supplement (PES), if the student has
• withdrawn from study, see Deferring or discontinuing study before end of course for PES, then return to this step
• reduced their study load, but remains qualified, see Changing or correcting course of study for YA, Austudy and PES students, then return to this step

If the student is suspended, but remains qualified a restoration must be coded, see:

• Restoration of PES and ABSTUDY PES, or
• Restoration of ABSTUDY payments
• Then return to this step

Go to Step 11.

If the customer has:

• not submitted a completed response to the CART online review, or
• not responded to a request for information within 14 days of the request, or
• Confirmed they are no longer a full time student

Their study details must be updated using the deemed critical date or the CART critical date. This may result in cancellation of their student payment, with or without an overpayment.

Note: customers who advise they have ceased study in the CART review and do not provide a reason for ceasing study (such as a medical condition or aggregation of study), are asked if they require further financial support from the agency. Unless the customer is eligible to transfer from YA (student) to YA (job seeker), their payment will be cancelled and they will be directed to claim another payment.

If the CART data has not been automatically applied to the customer's record. Update the student's record to reflect the change in circumstance:

• Go to the EDC screen to correct the last day of study in the Student End Date: field:
• Process Direct - Edit the relevant line in the Education Details table
• Customer First - select the relevant EDC screen
• Update the Newstart Education Status (NES) screen:
• Event Date: field, key the new student end date plus 1 day
• Student Status field, key 'NST' (not a full-time student)
• Update the Education Level Attained field if necessary
• Update the Benefit Action (BA) screen (for YA under 22 only):
• Action: key 'CAN'
• Reason: key 'NST'
• Event Date: key the student end date plus 1 day
• Finalise the activity

Is the customer receiving YA and under the age of 22?

• Yes, go to Step 8
• No, go to Step 11

YA customers under 22 who meet the following can be transferred to YA (job seeker) without lodging a new claim:

• cease study on or before the deemed critical date, and
• complete the CART online review within 14 days of ceasing study, and
• advise they require further financial support

They are directed at the end of the CART review to contact the agency to have the participation interview conducted to discuss their job seeker obligations and complete the transfer.

Annotate the CART DOC, procedure ends here.

If the YA customer has not met the conditions above their payment must be cancelled:

• Update the Benefit Action (BA) screen
• Action: key CAN
• Reason: key NST
• Event date: key the student end date plus 1 day
• Finalise the activity

Go to Step 11.

If there are discrepancies between CART data and information the customer has supplied, refer to CART support to clarify the customer's enrolment:

• Complete the CART Support Referral form available on the Resources page
• Email the completed form to Cart Support
• Annotate the CART Review Initiated Notes in Process Direct
• Go to the Status page and place the CoC 'On Hold' with reason 'Third Party to Provide Information'

Procedure ends here.

To check for approved courses, see:

• Approved courses of study for YA, Austudy and PES), or
• Approved courses of study for ABSTUDY, ABSTUDY PES and AIC

Go to Step 11.

When finalisation of a CART review results in cancellation or a reduction in rate of payment, staff do not need to contact the customer to notify of an adverse decision, unless the customer:

• will lose entitlement and has indicated that they wish to claim an alternative income support payment, or
• is a YA student wanting to keep payment as YA Jobseeker

In both instances, follow the process in Student to job seeker transfers.

Was a debt shell created by the CART review?

• Yes, standard appeal rights apply to these decisions, go to Step 12
• No, procedure ends here

When the result of the assessment is a negative adjustment, the debt is to be finalised by the CART processing team at the time of the study update.

For help raising an overpayment, see Raising debts for students and Australian Apprentices.

Exceptions: ABSTUDY and ABSTUDY PES (EPA) debts can be finalised by ABSTUDY Smart Centre:

• Transfer to region code 'ABY'
• Clearly document the reason for the overpayment in Process Direct Notes

If a customer's payment is cancelled due to reduced study load or withdrawal from studies, and the customer then re-qualifies for a student payment, raise an overpayment for the period of non-qualification.

Go to Step 13.

Service Officers must determine if the student has lost entitlement to payment as a result of a CART review assessment, and has regained entitlement between the date they lost eligibility and the date the CART review is processed.

Has the customer regained entitlement to their student payment before completion of the CART review?

• Yes, see Step 1 in Table 3
• No, procedure ends here

Completing or requesting a re-grant is not appropriate if the customer has not re-qualified at the time the CART review is processed.

• For YA (student) and Austudy re-grants go to Step 2
• For YA (jobseeker) and JobSeeker Payment (JSP) re-grants, go to Step 3
• For PES, ABSTUDY and ABSTUDY PES re-grants, go to Step 6

Note: this procedure does not apply to transfer of payments. For example if the customer was in receipt of YA, and would later be eligible for Austudy. However, if the customer had applied for Austudy and that payment had been rejected to action the YA CART review then a re-grant of the Austudy would be appropriate.

If a customer is subject to a re-grant for YA (student) or Austudy and an Online Claim or Assisted Customer Claim (ACC) is not available to re-index, Service Officers can create a claim activity using the SOA shell application in Process Direct. For example:

• CART re-grants when it has been identified that a customer lost qualification from a date in the past but have since re-qualified for their student payment
• Implementation of Authorised Review Officer (ARO) decisions when no new claim has been lodged

Service Officers can create a SOA shell transaction for:

• Youth Allowance (YA) (students and apprentices) claims, and
• Austudy (students and apprentices) claims

Note: unlike claims indexed and processed through other channels (such as ISIS), the SOA shell does not have a date limitation. The Date of Receipt (DOR) can be more than 12 months in the past.

Before creating a SOA shell:

• Cancel the student payment from the date qualification ceased
• Complete all components of the CART review
• Go to Step 3

Locate the SOA shell on the Home Page in Process Direct.

• Select the SOA Shell application tile
• Key the payment type, Customer Reference Number (CRN) and date of receipt. The date of receipt can be more than 12 months in the past but must match the date of requalification
• Select Create
• Complete all necessary coding within the claim, see:
• Assessing and coding student and Australian Apprentice claims for Youth Allowance (YA), or
• Assessing and coding student and Australian Apprentice claims for Austudy
• If the customer has already been paid for a period of the re-grant, ensure the Rate Component Override (RCO) screen has been coded with a Nil rate for the entire period of non-qualification for each component
• After finalising the claim, in Customer First delete the RCO coding and zero arrears for the required period

Note:

• The SOA claim activity will be assigned to the Service Officer who created it
• If the claim activity is placed on hold, the WLM activity status will automatically be set to 'On Hold'
• It is important that a SOA shell claim is not created until it is ready to be processed
• SOA shell work items not actioned within 48 hours will be automatically reassigned

The Service Officer must negotiate an Activity Agreement with the student at the time of re-granting their payment, if they have:

• withdrawn from a course before completion without any exceptional circumstances, and
• have returned to study another course at the same level that is greater than 12 months in duration

Procedure ends here.

There are cases where the customer has transferred to a job seeker payment between the date they discontinued study and the date the CART review is finalised. If a CART review identifies that a customer has lost qualification for a student payment in the past, their payment needs to be cancelled and debt raised for the period of non-qualification.

• Reject the jobseeker payment
• Cancel the student payment from the date qualification ceased
• Complete all components of the CART review
• Clearly DOC the record with the circumstances outlining re-grant requirement
• Complete the CART Re-grant Referral - Jobseeker payment Web form

Procedure ends here.

If a student has lost qualification for PES (EPF), ABSTUDY or ABSTUDY PES (EPA) in a previous study period, and has since re-qualified for payment between the date they lost eligibility and the date their CART review is processed:

• Cancel the student payment from the date qualification ceased
• Complete all components of the CART review
• Create a Fast Note - select Auto Text, use Students, ABSTUDY & Apprentices > CART > Select appropriate template:
• For PES, select CART PES (EPF) Regrant
• For ABSTUDY or ABSTUDY PES, select CART ABSTUDY Regrant
• Select Confirm

Service Officers must populate the DOC text accordingly, select the appropriate Service Reason and ensure that a sufficient level of detail is included to support the re-granting Service Officer to complete necessary actions.