Adjusting and adding debt repayments 107-05140010

Some Work Items are administered by specialist teams:

• Refer the Work Item directly to the team where possible
• Alternatively, email the Payments and Integrity Operations Strategy team who will allocate the Work Item to the specialist team to action

Use the debt benefit type, debt status, and/or repayment to identify Work Items requiring referral.

These include:

• NRR - Status Resolution Support Services (SRSS):
• refer NRR Work Items to the SRSS Team by re-categorising the Work Item to ZIAM_NRR_OVR
• if unable to re-categorise, email the CRN and Work Item ID to the Payments and Integrity Operations Strategy team
• FHA - Farm Household Allowance (FHA)
• refer FHA Work Items by emailing the CRN and Work Item ID to the Payments and Integrity Operations Strategy team
• AGD - Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment (AGDRP)
• refer AGD Work Items by emailing the CRN and Work Item ID to the Payments and Integrity Operations Strategy team
• JB1 and JB2 - Job Commitment Bonus (JCB)
• refer JB1 and JB2 Work Items by emailing the CRN and Work Item ID to the Payments and Integrity Operations Strategy team
• XGD - New Zealand Ex-Gratia Allowance
• refer XGD Work Items by emailing the CRN and Work Item ID to the Payments and Integrity Operations Strategy team
• CCS - Child Care Subsidy (CCS)
• labour hire Debt Staff will need to refer CCS Work Items to APS Debt Staff due to delegation limitations. Email the CRN and Work Item ID to the Payments and Integrity Operations Strategy team
• Any debt benefit type with a ‘Civil Action’ status
• debts with this status are case managed by Debt Staff in the Specialised Recovery Team. Review the Display on Access (DOA) DOC. Refer the Work Item to the relevant team by adding the ISIS Activity Keyword to the Activity on the AL screen
• DVA - Department of Veterans' Affairs
• if a payment from DVA needs to be manually credited, refer the Work Item by emailing the CRN and Work Item ID to the Payments and Integrity Operations Strategy team

Check the Debt List (OPDL) screen to identify the benefit type for which the debt was raised, as well as the debt status.

Is the Work Item administered by a specialist team (which is not the Debt Program)?

• Yes, refer the Work Item. The Resources page contains referral details
• No, go to Step 2

Take care with Work Items which relate to Bankruptcy and Debt Agreements. Refer the Work Item to a Bankruptcy Officer in the Collections Administration Team if the repayment is a:

• dividend
• repayment on a debt written off under:
• Bankruptcy Pending (BRP)
• Bankruptcy Awaiting Estate (BRT)
• Bankruptcy Discharged, No Further Estate/No Fraud (BRD), or
• Debt Agreement Current (DAC)

Check these screens to identify the debt repayment and write off status:

• Debt List (OPDL)
• Arrangement List (OPAL)
• Repayment History (OPRH)
• Write-off (OPWO)

Note: a garnishee payment can show on a record where there is no garnishee arrangement. These payments are dividends paid by an Administrator due to a bankruptcy or debt agreement. They are coded as a garnishee due to a system limitation. Refer these to a Bankruptcy Officer.

Is the repayment a dividend, or is the repayment on a debt written off under Bankruptcy?

• Yes, refer the Work Item to a Bankruptcy Officer. The Resources page contains referral details
• No, go to Step 3

Adjust or add a debt repayment in limited circumstances only. Consult with a leader if unsure.

The action to be taken is:

• adjust a debt repayment on the Debt Transfer Details (OPRTD) screen, see Step 1 in Table 2
• adjust a debt repayment on the Adjust Repayment History (OPAH) screen, see Step 1 in Table 3
• add a debt repayment, see Step 1 in Table 4

Adjust a debt repayment using the OPRTD screen to partially complete a refund and return a finalised debt to 'Determined'. This action will allow the debt to be waived prior to completing the refund and paying the over recovered amount to the customer.

Is a repayment adjustment, waiver and refund required?

• Yes, go to Step 2
• No, only a repayment adjustment and waiver is required, see Step 1 in Table 3

A debt with a status of 'finalised' cannot be waived. Partially complete a refund to update the debt status to 'determined'.

Is the debt status 'finalised'?

• Yes:
• start the refund to reduce a repayment down by of 0.01c using the OPRTD screen. See Refunding debt repayments
• the status will update to 'determined'
• the debt can now be waived
• arrange for the waiver to be actioned
• No, arrange for the waiver to be actioned

An over recovered Work Item will generate after the waiver and allocate to Debt Staff to complete the refund.

Check the DL, OPRH and OPWA screen to confirm that a debt repayment was adjusted and the debt is waived.

Complete the refund:

• Continue the refund for the remaining over recovered amount using the OPRTD screen. This will be $0.01 short of the repayments receipted, for example $144.99 of a $145 refund. See Refunding debt repayments
• Complete the refund to pay the full amount, for example $145. See Refunding debt repayments

In the Debt Management Information System (DMIS):

• Access the customer’s record
• View the Debt List (OPDL) screen
• ‘S’elect the debt that has a repayment for adjustment
• Press [Enter] to navigate to the OPRH screen
• ‘S’elect the repayment for adjustment
• Press [Enter] to navigate to the OPAH screen

Note: if pressing [Enter] navigates to the OPRTD screen, the adjustment of that repayment is not possible. Consult with a leader.

On the OPAH screen:

• In the Correct Amount field, key the new repayment amount
• In the Refund Method field, key 'ADJ' (or key a ? and press [Enter] to display alternate options)
• In the Reason changed field, key the reason for the adjustment
• Press [Enter]
• The Adjustment Amt field will display the difference between the original repayment amount and adjusted repayment amount
• Press [Enter] again to confirm and navigate to the Assessment Finalisation (OPAF) screen
• In the Finished? field, key Y (or Q if submitting to Quality On Line checking)
• Press [Enter]

For example, to adjust a $145 repayment by 0.01c for a waiver:

• enter $144.99 in the correct amount field
• the adjusted amount field will automatically display 0.01c
• this will change the repayment to $144.99
• the debt will show as 0.01c owing and allow a waiver

The adjusted repayment amount will display on the OPRH screen with the source adjustment. Check the OPRH screen to ensure the repayment was adjusted correctly.

Note: if the adjustment is for a waiver, code the debt waiver before the reversal. Code all adjustments, waivers and reversals on the same day to avoid unnecessary recovery action such as withholdings.

Is a reversal required?

• Yes, see Step 1 in Table 5
• No, procedure ends here

There are limited circumstances that require payments to be added on the OPAR screen. Access to this screen is restricted. Access is granted by Debt Program Systems and Assurance, however cannot be granted immediately. Consult with Local Peer Support (LPS) if unable to action.

In DMIS:

• Access the customer’s record
• View the Debt List (OPDL) screen
• ‘S’elect the debt that where a repayment will be added
• Press [Enter] to navigate to the OPAR screen

On the OPAR screen, in these fields:

• Debt Id, check that it is the correct debt ID
• Source, key where or how the repayment was received (or key a ? and press [Enter] to display alternate options)
• Amount, key the repayment amount
• Date paid, key the:
• date on which the repayment was made for single repayments, or
• date on which the most recent repayment was made to the agency for multiple repayments
• Reason, key:
• details of the repayment(s)
• include debt ID if the repayment is from another debt
• if multiple repayments, include the date range
• Refund Method, leave blank
• Receipt Number field, key the ESSentials receipt number for the repayment (if ESS)
• CRN, key the CRN
• W/H Ben Type, key the type of benefit from which the repayment was withheld (if WHS)

Press [Enter] twice to confirm and navigate to the Assessment Finalisation (OPAF) screen:

• in the Finished? field, key Y
• press [Enter]

The repayment amount will display on the OPRH screen and the balance on (General Information) OPGI will recalculate.

Check the repayments to ensure the correct amount was added.

Is a reversal required?

• Yes, see Step 1 in Table 5 to reverse
• No, procedure ends here

On the OPRH screen:

• ‘S’elect the adjusted repayment
• Press [Enter] to view the OPAH screen
• In the Reverse Adjustment field, key Y
• Press [Enter] to confirm and navigate to the Assessment Finalisation (OPAF) screen
• In the Finished? Field, key Y (or Q if submitting to Quality On Line checking)
• Press [Enter]

The adjusted repayment amount will display on the OPRH screen with the source .adjustment. Check the repayments to ensure the correct amount was reversed.

If the reversal is not correct, do not continue to make further adjustments and reversals. Seek assistance from a leader.