Telephone Allowance (TAL) debts 107-04020090

This document outlines the circumstances where debts for overpayments of Telephone Allowance (TAL) should be raised and recovered. It also explains the different coding that must be used when a customer was the holder of a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card (CSHC) prior to 20 September 2009 and receiving TAL.

TAL debts

TAL debts will be raised under Subsection 1223(1) of the Social Security Act. Under this subsection, if a Social Security payment is made to a customer who, for any reason, was not entitled to that payment is a debt due to the Commonwealth by the person who obtained the benefit of that payment.

Cases have occurred where customers have a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card (CSHC) and are receiving Age Pension. Cancelling the CSHC does not raise a debt shell for TAL, Seniors Concession Allowance (SCA) or the One-off payment to older Australians, so they must be raised manually. Debt Staff must investigate these cases following normal debt raising procedures.

Note: TAL debts cannot be recovered by withholdings from TAL payments. TAL debts can however be recovered by withholdings from other payments that are paid under the Social Security Act and Family Assistance (Administration) Act 1999.

Related links

Categories of debt raised under subsection 1223(1)

Create a new debt record manually on the Debt Management and Information System (DMIS)

Telephone Allowance (TAL)

Updating telephone details and/or paying Telephone Allowance (TAL)