Earned Income Intervention (EII) 110-13010000

Earned Income Interventions (EII) are triggered by a number of sources, including:

• external data matching with third parties such as the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) or Department of Jobs and Small Business
• information received from the public via the Centrelink reporting fraud online form or the Australian Government Services Fraud Tip-off Line

The main objectives are to:

• identify customers who may be receiving or may have received incorrect payments
• verify the accuracy of details declared to Centrelink
• educate customers to encourage voluntary compliance, this includes:
• deterring people from attempting to claim payments to which they are not entitled
• explaining how and when to update their income
• the voluntary surrender of payments to which people may not be entitled
• the voluntary disclosure of changes in circumstances which affect rates of payment
• improve the integrity of Centrelink records

If an incorrect payment is identified, action may be taken to cancel, suspend or vary a customer's payment and to recover any overpayment.

The EII outcome can be to:

• stop payments to people who are no longer qualified
• reduce or increase payments to the correct rate
• raise a debt for any past payments that were received when not entitled
• help people who may be entitled to another type of allowance/pension/payment

EIIPs are triggered by information from the ATO.

An early intervention approach is undertaken with customers who have recently signed a tax declaration form. The aim of these interventions is to:

• contact the customer as close as possible to when the change in circumstances occurred
• educate them on their obligations
• avoid overpayment
• make sure the customer receives the correct entitlement

The customer provides all the information. No verification is sought from third parties.

EIIMs are triggered by information received from the ATO or Department of Jobs and Small Business.

The aim of these interventions is to:

• assess employment income to ensure the customer and/or partner receives the correct rate of payment, and
• raise overpayments if necessary

The customer provides the information, but verification may be sought from third parties if necessary.

EIITs are triggered by information received from the public via the Centrelink reporting fraud online form or the Australian Government Services Fraud Tip-off Line.

The aim of these interventions is to:

• assess employment income to ensure the customer and/or partner receives the correct rate of payment, and
• raise overpayments if necessary

The customer provides the information, but verification may be sought from third parties.

All Customer Compliance Division data matching is conducted as per Guidelines on Data Matching in Australian Government Administration issued by the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.

See the References page for the relevant links.

Employment Income Matching Interventions for customers in Pay-As-You-Go employment (PAYG Interventions) were introduced as part of the 2015 'Strengthening the Integrity of Welfare Payments' budget measure.

PAYG Interventions are triggered by external data-matching with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).

NEIM Interventions were announced as part of the 2015-16 Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO). These interventions are triggered by information received from the ATO as a result of a customer lodging their income tax return.

The aim of these interventions is to:

• assess employment income to ensure the customer and/or partner receives the correct rate of payment, and
• raise overpayments if necessary

The customer is given the chance to provide additional information. If they are required to supply suitable evidence but cannot, the match data received from the ATO will be applied to their customer record. Verification is not sought from third parties.