Helping customers in crisis or financial hardship claim family assistance 003-06010020

Claims include:

• Parental Leave Pay (PPL)
• Dad and Partner Pay (DAP)
• Instalment or lump sum claims for Family Tax Benefit (FTB) and
• Combined FTB/ PPL claims

For information about Child Care Subsidy (CCS) claim progress in Process Direct, see Claiming CCS and Additional Child Care Subsidy (ACCS). Note: where a CCS and Families (FTB and/or PPL) claim have been submitted on the same date, the Families claim/s must be processed first. See below process.

Is the customer contacting to have a family assistance claim expedited?

• Yes, go to Step 2
• No, this procedure is not relevant. For:
• Priority processing requests for other claim types, (such as Parenting Payment), see Immediate new claim and non-new claim priority processing
• Families progress of claim enquiries, see Progress of claim - Families claims. Procedure ends here

Does the customer have an existing debt on the Debt List (OPDL) screen?

• Yes, FTB top-ups, supplements, lump sum claim amounts and instalment arrears can be used to recover any family assistance, social security, student assistance and Paid Parental Leave scheme payment debts. This will occur even if the customer has a current payment arrangement
• To view a summary of all FTB debt offsetting that has occurred for the customer, check the FTB Debt Offset Summary (FTBDOS) screen
• Temporary exclusion from debt offsetting may be considered where special circumstances apply
• To continue with expediting the claim, return to this procedure
• No, go to Step 3

Does the customer meet the definition of a family in crisis, or a family experiencing financial hardship?

• Yes:
• for a family experiencing financial hardship, go to Step 4
• for a family in crisis, go to Step 5
• for a child bereavement related circumstance, go to Step 8
• No, see Progress of claim - Families claims. Procedure ends here

To check that the claim is actionable and for any outstanding information or documents needed to assess the claim, see Progress of claim - Families claims

Procedure ends here

Has the customer lodged a claim for family assistance that needs urgent processing?

• Yes, go to Step 6
• No, and the customer is having difficulty understanding or complying with claim lodgement requirements go to Step 9

Certain staff can advocate on behalf of families in crisis:

• Grandparent, Foster and Kinship Carer Advisers
• Community Liaison Unit officers or Community Engagement Officers
• F2F Incarcerated customer Service Officers
• Multicultural Service Officers
• Indigenous Service Officers
• Service Centre Managers, Team Leaders or Service Support Officers
• Case Co-ordinators (affected sites only)

Note: if a customer is at risk of suicide or self-harm, experiencing family and domestic violence, has multiple and complex issues or is a young person without adequate support, consider a referral to Social Work Services for further assistance.

Go to Step 7.

Advocates listed at Step 6 and Social Workers can submit a Fast Note to request the urgent allocation of a claim for processing for a family in crisis. Use Fast Note – select Auto Text, use Families > Claims > Family in Crisis Claim Escalation to send a request for urgent processing. Ensure the correct Service Reason is selected. The Fast Note automatically adds the required keywords for priority allocation.

Staff are to refer to the most appropriate advocate listed in Step 6 to request urgent allocation of claim processing unless one of the below exists.

For activities where both parties have indicated a disagreement over care arrangements:

• A request for urgent activity finalisation for disagreement over care arrangements cannot be made before the request for evidence due date
• Use Fast Note - select Auto text, use Families > Enquiry > Disagree Care Urgent Esc
• Note: the 'Disagree Care Urgent Esc' auto text, automatically adds the required keywords. Do not manually add keywords

For activities where disputed care provisions apply:

• A request for urgent activity finalisation for disputed care arrangements cannot be made before the request for evidence due date
• Use Fast Note - select Auto Text, use Families > Enquiry > Disputed Care Urgent Esc.
• Note: the 'Disputed Care Urgent Esc' auto text, automatically adds the required keywords. Do not manually add keywords

Tell the customer:

'Your claim has been referred for urgent processing. Once your claim has been finalised, we will send you a letter advising the outcome'.

Procedure ends here.

For a family experiencing a child bereavement related circumstance create an open work item using Fast Note - select Auto Text, use Families > Claims > Child Bereavement Claim Escalation.

Note: do not change the existing DOCs or add keywords to claims.

For activities where both parties have indicated a disagreement over care arrangements:

• A request for urgent activity finalisation for disagreement over care arrangements cannot be made before the request for evidence due date
• Use Fast Note - select Auto Text, use Families > Enquiry > Disagree Care Urgent Esc
• Note: the 'Disagree Care Urgent Esc' auto text, automatically adds the required keywords. Do not manually add keywords

For activities where disputed care provisions apply:

• A request for urgent activity finalisation for disputed care arrangements cannot be made before the request for evidence due date
• Use Fast Note - select Auto Text, use Families > Enquiry > Disputed Care Urgent Esc
• Note: the 'Disputed Care Urgent Esc' auto text, automatically adds the required keywords. Do not manually add keywords

Tell the customer:

'Your claim has been referred for urgent processing. Once your claim has been finalised, we will send you a letter advising the outcome'.

If Assisted Customer Claim (ACC) has been started, make sure the Fast Note has full details of action taken, the information still needed and if a Family Declaration Form (FDF) has been issued to the customer - go to Step 9.

For complex enquiries about child bereavement, see Bereavement/Double Orphan Pension Helpdesk.

Procedure ends here.

ACC can be run with families in crisis if they are having trouble in understanding or complying with claim requirements and/or they need a speedy outcome to meet immediate financial needs.

Confirm with the customer which payment(s) they are claiming.

If needed, before starting ACC, use the Change in Contact Details Workflow to update the customer's:

• name
• address
• telephone, fax and email
• preferred contact method
• personal details

Launch ACC and:

• read each question to the customer, entering their responses as they are provided
• make sure that the customer has read and accepts the declaration

Does the customer have internet access and can they submit their online claim electronically themselves?

• Yes, tell the customer how to submit their claim
• No, a verbal signature declaration or signed Family Declaration Form (FDF) is needed. See Review and submitting the claim ACC table in Online or Assisted Customer Claim (ACC) for family assistance, Parental Leave Pay (PPL) and Dad and Partner Pay (DAP)