Parental Leave Pay (PPL) claim processed with incorrect start date 007-09010010

This procedure only applies when:

• an administration error has occurred
• payments have already commenced, and
• the customer's Parental Leave Pay (PPL) claim has been processed with an incorrect:
• nominated first PPL date for a child born or adopted on or after 1 July 2023
• nominated start date, for a child born or adopted before 1 July 2023

It does not apply to customers who have requested a change to their start date after the PPL has been delivered. A separate procedure applies if the customer requests a reassessment of their PPL claim.

The customer must be contacted and the process discussed so the customer is aware that any PPL paid after the incorrect start date may be raised as an overpayment.

Has the customer's start date been incorrectly coded and the PPL payment has:

• been cancelled, go to Step 2
• already commenced, go to Step 2
• not yet commenced:
• for PPL claims for a child born or adopted on or after 1 July 2023, see Table 4 in Claiming and managing Paid Parental Leave (PPL) days for children born or entering care on or after 1 July 2023
• for PPL claims for a child born or adopted before 1 July 2023, see Step 3 in Table 1 of Customer notifies a change of circumstances for Parental Leave Pay (PPL).
• Procedure ends here

Non-FCC processing staff:

• In Customer First create a Fast Note. Select Auto text, use Families > Claims > Reassess REJ/NEF – PPL/DAP/FTB. This will be allocated by WLM to an appropriately trained staff member to process
• Procedure ends here.

FCC Processing staff:

Once a decision has been made that the customer's PPL claim has been processed with an incorrect start date, reject the original PPL claim. This allows correct claim processing to occur.

• In Process Direct, key Start into the Super Key and enter P1CA to go to the PPL Claim Action screen
• Select under the Action field to display the PPL Claim Action details.
• Select Add to insert a new line
• Code:
• Action field using 'REJ' with the Reason field as 'OTH' (do not use 'CAN' as this will not produce the correct result)
• Level field as 'Claim'
• Effect date: Use the original grant date for rejection date
• Select Save
• Update Receipt Date and Channel fields, select Save
• Update Service Reason and Payment System (if required). If the customer receives, or has received other payments in the past, the Service Reason and Payment System may not default to PPL. They must be manually changed to PPL, so the PPL Note generates when finalising the activity. No changes are required to the Activity Type:
• Go to the customer information header and check if the Service Reason and Payment System drop downs have defaulted to PPL:
• If they have, no action required
• If they have not, change both to PPL

Select Next Go to Step 3.

Once all updates have been completed, select Assess.

Address any errors/warnings on the Errors (SWE) screen.

An error will present if the customer has selected a date that does not meet the eligibility criteria for a PPL day. This includes, if they select a PPL day:

• before their child’s expected/actual date of birth or adoption
• more than 100 days in the past
• on or after the child’s second birthday/anniversary of adoption

If employer debt warning PPL debt will be sent to employer or E231AS - Must enter PPL debt action code for customer displays on the Entitlements (ELD) screen in Process Direct go to Step 4.

Use Digital Assistant Roxy in Process Direct to address any warnings or errors that present in the Message Log on the SWE screen.

Refer to additional support resources where errors or warnings present including:

• Network News Update (NNU)
• Operational Blueprint
• mySupport
• Process Direct - Current Issues page

If error or warnings cannot be resolved using above resources, raise an incident via Roxy DA. See Reporting ICT issues in Process Direct.

Note: do not attempt unapproved manual workarounds.

After fixing any errors, select Assess again to go the Entitlements (ELD) screen.

Go to Step 5.

Employer debt warning PPL debt will be sent to employer or E231AS - Must enter PPL debt action code for customer may display on the Entitlements (ELD) screen in Process Direct. This will prevent finalisation of the update.

• Before transaction can be finalised complete all updates in Process Direct. Once this has been done:
• select handover to CF/CR
• use Reason: SYS to process the non-new claim (NNCL) in Customer First
• Create a closed Note/DOC on the record outlining the reason the transaction has been handed over. Every time handover is used, see Table 5 in Process Direct navigation, common screens and functions
• In some cases, the handover button will not be available within the NNCL. The NNCL activity should already be available in Customer First/Customer Record for action. If the activity cannot be located in the relevant legacy system, raise an incident via Roxy within the activity
• Select the started activity from Activity List (AL) and go to Assessment Results (AR) within Customer First
• Select the relevant Debt instruction and finalise
• Document the record, including the reason why the transaction was handed over for processing. Go to Step 6

When a transaction is created in Process Direct, the Service Reason: may not automatically default to the correct reason and should be corrected.

Before finalising the transaction, update Service Reason:. Use the drop down field to select the most appropriate option.

The ELD screen displays the outcome of the activity and payment dates.

• Check the results on the ELD screen are correct
• Take note of the calculated debt information as this will be required when re-granting
• Go to Action (ASC) screen
• Go to the Letter Action column and select Inhibit Letters
• Select Finish
• Record additional details of the update
• Any paid amounts of PPL will be calculated as a debt. If the paymaster was:
• the employer, the debt will be transferred to the customer's employer
• the agency, the debt will be on the customer's record
• Select Finalise

Go to Step 6.

Once a decision has been made to grant the customer’s PPL from the new nominated start date, index a new claim on the customer's record with the correct nominated start date.

A Social Online Application (SOA) shell ‘Work Item’ in Process Direct will need to be created.

This contains no claim information apart from:

• the CRN
• personal details, and
• the receipt date (date of claim)

Update the claim information manually within the Work Item using:

• information from the original claim
• new information, and
• associated documentation

Contact the customer if there are any concerns that their circumstances have changed.

To create SOA shell in Process direct for a new claim:

• Go to the Process Direct Landing page and select SOA shell tile
• Key the appropriate details in the:
• Benefit type
• Customer CRN
• Date of receipt (DOR is the date all the required information was provided)
• Select Create Claim
• An activity with a claim ID will be generated without any claim information
• Update claim screens as required. See Table 1, Step 8 in Processing standalone and combined claims for family assistance and/or Paid Parental Leave scheme payments
• Go to Step 7

Go to the Entitlement (ELD) screen in Process Direct to finalise the activity when satisfied with the outcome.

When finalising, the PPL claim outcome should be:

• PPL//CUR (PPL Current) customer's arrears are to be adjusted/issued to the customer. Go to Step 8
• PPL/ASS-EIA (PPL Assessed - Employer acceptance required). Go to Step 10
• PPL/ASS-ASD (PPL Assessed - Awaiting start date). Finalise the claim and document the record

Procedure ends here.

The customer's PPL arrears must be adjusted for the same period in which a debt shell (either on the customer or employer’s record) to offset the overpayment that was generated when the rejection activity was finalised. This debt will generally be a shell and not finalised.

Ensure the arrears are used to either reduce the debt amount or recover the debt amount so the customer does not receive too much PPL.

Where the arrears are:

• less than the debt calculated, adjust:
• the arrears to $0.00 and reduce the overpayment, and
• the amount of the debt to the balance that could not be recovered from the arrears
• more than the debt calculated:
• reduce the arrears to recover the overpayment amount, and
• set the debt to $0.00 as this debt amount will have been fully recovered by the withheld arrears
• equal to the debt calculated, adjust:
• the arrears to $0.00, and
• the overpayment to $0.00

In Process Direct:

• key 'DEBTDTL' (Debt Summary) in Super Key, and
• 'view Details' for the amount and period of the debt

To adjust the arrears within the new claim, in Process Direct:

• Key 'RAC' in the Super Key field
• On the Customer Daily Rate Component (RAC) screen
• Go to the relevant date range for the debt that was generated by the rejection activity
• Key 0 in the $ Man Adj field and ADJ in the Man Adj Reason field for the relevant dates
• Select Update to save the update
• Go to the ELD screen to check the outcome

Note: this may need to be done for multiple date ranges.

The customer's arrears should be reduced by the amount of the debt that was raised.

Once the arrears have been adjusted, finalise the new claim activity. Record the details of the amount adjusted and the relevant period of adjustment in the Finalisation DOC/Notes.

Is the agency the payer for PPL?

• Yes, go to Step9
• No, go to Step 10

Refer the debt to the appropriate debt team by sending a Fast Note to have the debt team finalise the debt No Debt (FND). See local Processing Services details for: Debt Raising.

• Auto Text use Debts > Debt Raising > Debt Raising ACTion DOC Request
• Select Confirm
• Edit auto text:
• 'Customer’s PPL processed with incorrect Nominated Start Date.
• Please FND Debt ID XX for PPL $XX for period XX.
• Corrective action has been taken in AMR XX.
• Arrears have been offset against undetermined debt.'
• Select Continue
• Procedure ends here

When the agency is not the payer for PPL, the employer must be contacted by PPLEPT to provide acceptance.

In Customer First create a Fast Note select Auto Text use Families > Updates > PPL Regrant with correct NSD. This will automatically allocate a work item with the keyword 'REGRANT' to an appropriately trained member of the PPLEPT:

PPLEPT staff only - when allocated a 'PPL Re-grant with correct NSD', see Step 1 in Table 2

Is the new start date in the past?

• Yes, go to Step 2
• No, the start date is in the future, go to Step 9

Has the employer already accepted their role or provided written acceptance to provide PPL to the customer via Business Hub in the new claim?

• Yes, arrears are unable to be offset against the employer debt
• Annotate and close the Fast Note on employee’s record
• If the employer has been paid duplicate arrears, see Parental Leave Pay (PPL) debt raising, debt offsetting and recovery
• Procedure ends here
• No, go to Step 3

Use the information provided to make a genuine attempt to contact the employer to advise:

• that there has been a change in the employee's start date
• if the new start date is in the future, arrears are unable to be offset against any undetermined debt shell and the employer may have an outstanding debt
• if the employer had provided an acceptance notice for their employee’s previous claim, they only need to provide a new written acceptance to confirm:
• bank account, and
• employee pay cycle details
• if the employer had not previously provided acceptance, they can accept their role to provide PPL to the customer via Business Hub

Employers can log into PRODA to:

• access the Business Hub, and
• upload the written acceptance notice
• accept their role to provide PPL to the customer

Is the first contact with the employer successful?

• Yes, to allow adjustments to any arrears or debts manually, tell the employer not to provide online acceptance through Business Hub. They should upload written acceptance notice via Business Hub however
• On the employee's record, annotate and close the Fast Note with conversation details
• If required on employer’s record, create a Fast Note, select Auto Text - use Families > Paid Parental Leave > <PPL Claim ID> PPL Regrant. Place the Fast Note on hold for 2 business days to allow time for the employer to provide written acceptance
• Go to Step 4
• No, on the employee's record, annotate and close the Fast note. On the employer's record:
• create a Fast Note, select Auto Text - use Families > Paid Parental Leave > <PPL Claim ID> PPL Regrant. Record the first contact attempt
• hold the Fast Note until the next business day
• go to Step 5

Has the employer provided written acceptance?

• Yes, on the employer's record:
• upload the acceptance to
• annotate and close the Fast Note
• go to Step 7
• No, if 2 genuine contact attempts:
• have been made with the employer, annotate and close the Fast Note on the employer's record. An MFU will create on day 15. When the MFU is due, see Assisted dispute resolution for employer determination for Parental Leave Pay (PPL)
• have not yet been made with the employer, attempt a second contact. Go to Step 5

Attempt to phone the employer on 2 separate occasions. Use all available contact numbers recorded on the system, to advise the employer:

• that there has been a change in the employee's start date
• if the new start date is in the future, arrears are unable to be offset against any undetermined debt shell and the employer may have an outstanding debt
• if the employer had provided an acceptance notice for their employee’s previous claim, they only need to provide a new written acceptance to confirm:
• bank account, and
• employee pay cycle details
• if the employer had not previously provided acceptance, they can accept their role to provide PPL to the customer via Business Hub

Has phone contact with the employer been successful?

• Yes, to allow adjustments to any arrears or debts manually, tell the employer not to provide online acceptance through Business Hub. They should upload written acceptance notice via Business Hub however
• Annotate the Fast Note on the employer's record with conversation details
• If required, place the Fast Note on hold for 2 business days to allow time for the employer to provide written acceptance
• Go to Step 6
• No:
• Annotate the Fast Note on the employer's record, with attempt made to contact and close the Fast Note
• An MFU will create on Day 15, see Assisted dispute resolution for employer determination for Parental Leave Pay (PPL)

Has the employer provided written acceptance?

• Yes:
• Upload the acceptance to the employer's record
• Annotate and close the Fast Note
• Go to Step 7
• No, annotate and close the Fast Note. An MFU will create on day 15, see Assisted dispute resolution for employer determination for Parental Leave Pay (PPL)

Before coding manual acceptance, check and note the amount and period of the debt on the employer's record that relates to the original claim rejection. The customer's PPL arrears will need to be adjusted for the period in which a debt shell has been raised after the rejection activity was finalised.

The Paid Parental Leave Claim Summary (P1CS) will display the current PPL claim information. In Customer First enter 'N' beside the relevant claim to go to the Paid Parental Leave Employer Notified Details (P1ERD) screen to record the manual acceptance by completing the following fields:

• Employer accepts to pay customer, select Accept
• complete Source and Receipt Date
• select Continue
• on Paid Parental Leave Employer Payroll List (P1ERDL), select Continue
• on Paid Parental Leave Employer Payroll Confirmation (P1ERDC), select Yes to confirm employer determination payroll, and select Continue
• check existing information is correct. Make any necessary updates
• go to the Assessment Results (AR) screen

Is the start date in the future?

• Yes, a future start date will not generate arrears:
• Finalise the activity
• Annotate and close the Fast Note
• If a debt exists, see Parental Leave Pay (PPL) debt raising, debt offsetting and recovery
• Procedure ends here
• No, manually adjust the arrears. Go to Step 8

To reduce the arrears, in Customer First:

• within the activity go to the AR screen
• on the AR screen select Menu tab > Paid Parental Leave > Rate details (RATS)
• select the relevant period to be adjusted
• Daily Rate Component (RAC) will display. Select the period to be adjusted which will expand the RAC details
• adjust the amount in the Manual Adj field for the relevant period with a Reason of ADJ
• select Continue. Note: this may need to be done for multiple date ranges
• on the AR screen, Finalise the activity
• select Continue
• annotate and close the Fast Note

Is there a debt shell on the employer's record?

• Yes, any arrears adjusted in the manual acceptance activity on the employee's record will also require adjusting in the undetermined debt shell on the employer's record. To adjust the debt, see Parental Leave Pay (PPL) debt raising, debt offsetting and recovery
• No, procedure ends here

A future start date will not generate an immediate arrears payment. Any future awaiting payments are unable to be offset against any undetermined debt shells.

Annotate and close the Fast Note on the employer's record.

Note: the employer will need to complete the Employer Determination.

If debt exists, see Parental Leave Pay (PPL) debt raising, debt offsetting and recovery.