Calculating the additional Double Orphan Pension (DOP) component 007-06010030

The DOP additional component is calculated and assessed by the DOP and Bereavement Smart Centre Processing Team as part of the DOP new claim process and during Manual Follow Up (MFU).

DOP claimants who have shared care of 35% or more are assessed under the Family Assistance shared care rules:

• Customers who have actual care of a child for less than 35% of the time are not entitled to either the basic rate of DOP or the additional component
• Where the customer has actual care of a child for 14 - 34% of the time, they will be assessed for ancillary benefits as part of their Family Tax Benefit (FTB) claim

Did the child become a DOP child on or after 1 July 1998?

• Yes, go to Step 3
• No, child is not eligible for additional component of DOP. Procedure ends here

Staff must check the FTB Payment Choices (FPC) screen to identify if the customer's FTB Part A rate is affected by More Choice for Families (MCFF) and/or continuous adjustment before proceeding to the next step.

Does the current carer receive Family Tax Benefit (FTB) Part A at the maximum rate?

• Yes, carer does not currently qualify for the DOP additional component. Procedure ends here
• No, go to Step 4

Is the customer currently receiving DOP?

• Yes, go to Step 5
• No, go to Step 6

Determine if the customer’s FTB Part A rate has changed since the child become a double orphan.

Go to the XDE screen in the customers record:

• Key ‘FAO’ in the Sys field
• Key ‘Basic’ in the Cmpnt field

The daily rate is displayed in the $CAmt column, and the relevant state date is displayed in DoE column.

Check the record to confirm if there was a change to the amount of the carers FTB Part A immediately before the child became a double orphan. I.e. a new income estimate which resulted in a decrease to the FTB Part A rate.

If the customer is already receiving DOP, check if the customer has had any legislative changes since the previous manual rate calculation, either 1 January or 1 July. This will also ensure the CPI increase is correct.

Has there been a decrease in the customer's FTB Part A rate?

• Yes, the DOP rate must be manually reassessed from the date of change. Go to Step 6
• No, a new DOP additional component calculation is not required. Procedure ends here

Go to the Calculating the additional component of DOP table in the Guide to Social Security Law, 5.1.4.50, DOP - additional component and follow the steps to:

• determine the legislative rate of FTB Part A that was received immediately before the child became a DOP child
• determine the legislative rate of FTB Part A to be paid to the current carer after the child became a DOP child

Once both figures are determined:

• add these details into the DOP Additional Rate Worksheet. See Resources
• go to Step 7

Note: the DOP start date is the date the claim is lodged unless the following backdating provisions are met:

• a claim is lodged within 13 weeks of the birth of the DOP child being cared for, or
• a claim for DOP is lodged by a person within 13 weeks after another person who was receiving DOP for the same child has died

To calculate the additional component of DOP:

• Subtract the current customer's fortnightly legislative rate of FTB Part A from the previous carer's legislative rate of FTB Part A that was paid immediately before the child became a DOP child
• The additional DOP component is the difference between the two

Go to the Calculating the additional component of DOP table in the Guide to Social Security Law, 5.1.4.50, DOP - additional component and follow the steps.

Add these details into the DOP Additional Rate Worksheet. See Resources.

Go to Step 8.

The DOP additional component will need to be recorded as a manual payment.

DOP DOA DOC

Record details using Fast Note - select Auto text, use Families > Updates > DOP Additional Manual Rate.

Note: if there is already a DOA DOP Manual Rate DOC, expire the existing DOA and create a new one.

DOP MFUs due to rate increase

• For New Financial Year: Record details on a DOC. Use Fast Note - select Auto text, use Families > Updates > DOP NFYA Applied 1/7/20xx
• For CPI increase: Record details on a DOC. Use Fast Note - select Auto text, use Families > Updates > DOP CPI Applied 1 January

Go to Step 9.

The Additional Rate worksheet must be scanned to the customer record.

• Scan the Additional Rate worksheet to upload the document
• Use the DOPCAL reclassification page. For reclassification and separator pages, see Scanning Centrelink documents using an MFD