New claim for Crisis Payment for humanitarian entrants newly arrived in Australia 003-07030050

A customer who is newly arrived in Australia may contact Services Australia to make a claim for CrP-HUM.

If the:

• customer is eligible for the Refugee Service Offer, go to Step 8
• customer is asking about claiming, go to Step 2
• customer asks about withdrawing their claim, go to Withdrawal of claims. Procedure ends here
• customer requests reassessment of their rejected claim, go to Reviewing and reassessing Crisis Payment (CrP). Procedure ends here
• Service Officer has been allocated a work item, go to Table 2 > Step 1

A customer must be the holder of a qualifying humanitarian visa subclasses to be eligible for CrP-HUM.

Service Officer must check the customer's residency details on the Legal Residence Details (RSLEG) screen. Confirm if:

• the customer arrived on a qualifying humanitarian visa, and
• they are contacting within 7 days of their first arrival in Australia on their humanitarian visa

Is the customer newly arrived on a qualifying humanitarian visa?

• Yes, go to Step 3
• No, go to Step 7

To be eligible for CrP-HUM, a customer must be receiving, or have claimed and be qualified (and payable) for:

• a social security benefit
• a social security pension

Is the customer receiving, or has claimed a social security pension or social security benefit?

• Yes, go to Step 5
• No, go to Step 4

Help the customer to submit a claim for:

• a social security pension or social security benefit. See Payment and Service Finder if unsure what payment should be claimed, and
• a CrP-HUM claim after submitting their social security pension or social security benefit claim

If the customer is unable or unsuitable to complete an online claim offer an Assisted Customer Claim (ACC).

Has the customer lodged a social security pension or social security benefit claim?

Yes, go to Step 5

No, and the customer does

• not wish to lodge a CrP-HUM claim, go to Step 7
• intend to lodge a CrP-HUM claim online
• Record the customer's intent to claim a CrP-HUM. Use Fast Note - select Auto text, use Emergency > Claim > CrP Intent to Claim
• Procedure ends here

Check if there is an outstanding CrP-HUM claim on the customer's record.

Does the customer have an outstanding CrP-HUM claim on the customer's record?

• Yes, if a customer has already lodged a CrP-HUM claim but the claim has not been finalised
• tell the customer that it is being assessed
• procedure ends here
• No, if there is no outstanding CrP-HUM claim on the customer's record, go to Step 6

Check if the customer has access to Centrelink Online services, or help them set up an account. Tell the customer that they can lodge a claim online by selecting:

• Payments and Claims
• Make a claim
• Crisis Payments
• Apply for Crisis Payment - Humanitarian Entrants

Is an ACC required?

• Yes,
• advise them it will take approximately 15 minutes to assist them with the claim, go to Step 8
• No,
• Tell the customer there are no review and appeal rights if a claim is not made
• Record the customer's intent to claim a CrP-HUM using Fast Note - select Auto text, use Emergency > Claim > CrP Intent to Claim
• Tell the customer that if they do want to claim for this event, they must lodge a claim within 14 days from this contact
• Procedure ends here

There are cases where the CrP-HUM cannot be claimed online or via an ACC.

Clearly explain the reason/s to the customer if they have not met the CrP-HUM eligibility.

Does the customer (in extremely limited circumstances) insist on claiming CrP-HUM after an explanation?

• Yes
• Record the customers claim using Fast Note: select Auto text, use Emergency > Claim > CrP-HUM Verbal Claim
• In Process Direct, create a SOA Shell. See Table 3 Manually index or reindex claims table in Indexing, re-indexing, and cancelling claim activities
• Tell the customer they will receive a call to discuss their claim
• Procedure ends here
• No
• Record the customer’s intent to claim using the Fast Note: select Auto text, use Emergency > Claim > CrP Intent to Claim
• Procedure ends here

Customer details may need correcting before starting an ACC.

Start ACC

• Select the Assisted Customer Claim
• Enter the Customer Reference Number (CRN) and select Go
• Select Make a claim
• Select Crisis Payment
• Select Get started
• Select Apply for Crisis Payment for Humanitarian Entrants
• Read and complete the Eligibility check questions to the customer
• Select Begin
• Select Next
• Read the Privacy Notice to the customer and ask if they want to hear the full privacy agreement. Read this to the customer if requested. The customer must agree to the privacy agreement before starting the claim
• Read the questions to the customer and select their answer

Service Officers must complete each question and must answer all mandatory questions before submitting the claim.

• Check that all information is correct on the Review your claim page. If answers need to be corrected, select the relevant Update button
• Select Next
• Select the my obligations hyperlink (bottom of review page) and read the claim declaration to the customer select Next
• Ask them if they understand and agree to the terms in the Declaration and Acknowledgement, select Next
• Select Confirm Information
• Select Submit

Is the Service Officer skilled to process the CrP-HUM claim?

• Yes, see Table 2 > Step 1
• No, tell the customer:
• a suitably skilled Service Officer will assess their claim and they may need to contact to discuss the claim. The call will come from a private number
• they will receive notifications about the progress of their claim
• they will receive a letter with the outcome of their claim in their Centrelink Online account if they have one, or by post if they do not
• Procedure ends here

Only suitably skilled Service Officers will be allocated CrP-HUM claims work items.

If a manual search is needed, in Process Direct:

• Select the Inbox tile
• Enter CRN or Claim ID
• Select Go
• Crisis Payment - Humanitarian Entrants claim should appear in the Work Items table
• Select the CrP-HUM work item

To review the claim select:

• to view the Claim Summary
• to expand the Claim Summary

Review the Claim Summary in a new window if needed. Key details include:

• Tasks
• Notes
• Relationship status
• Australian residence
• Select Documents to view documents uploaded online or scanned to the customer's record.

Check the CrP-HUM claim Status.

Has the CrP-HUM claim previously been rejected?

• Yes, and the claim outcome is:
• changing to Grant, reindex the original Claim ID. Once the claim is re-indexed, go to Step 4
• not changing to Grant, go to Step 16
• No, go to Step 4

The amount of CrP-HUM paid to a customer is based on the maximum basic rate of social security pension or social security benefit.

If the customer has lodged more than one claim for social security pension or social security benefit, Service Officer must take the following actions to make sure the correct rate of CrP-HUM is paid:

• Annotate the Disability Support Pension (DSP) or Carer Payment (CP) Progress of claim DOC with the details. Include the following details,
• 'If the DSP or CP is granted the CrP must be reassessed. See 003-21051929.'
• Determine if the customer is a principal carer for the social security payment or social security benefit updating the principle carer status if required before assessing the CrP-HUM claim

Select Process at bottom right of the claim to start processing. Do not start coding before selecting Process. This will result in errors.

The Task Selector preselects required screen/s. Select any others that require updating. Screens can also be accessed directly via Super Key

Update the flagged/selected tasks where applicable:

The Humanitarian Entrants Crisis Payment Questionnaire displays the Crisis Payment circumstances and details, including information entered in the claim.

• If the screen does not appear in the claim flow, use the Super Key to go to CRISIS_HUM screen
• Confirm the recorded details match the claim and/or evidence provided
• Select Edit to make any updates
• Select Save
• Select Next

If payment destination details are already recorded, check they match the claim.

If needed, update PAS details. See Changing payment destination

Select Next

If bank account details are already recorded, confirm they match the claim including the balance on the SVS screen.

If needed, complete any updates on SVS and SVDI. For more details, see Coding income and assets for Centrelink payments and services.

Select Next.

A customer must contact Centrelink within 7 days of the date of arrival in Australia.

After this initial contact, the customer must lodge the claim within 14 days. See Contact for the purposes of intent to claim and deemed claim provisions.

The system will assess the event date (the date the customer entered Australia) against the date the claim was lodged.

Note: the event date is considered to be day 0.

If the claim was lodged:

• between 8 and 21 days after the event date, the following warning will display:
  'SR612 - Extreme circumstance is between 8-21 days, check contact date'
• more than 21 days after the event date, the system will display a rejection of LOD - did not lodge in time on the entitlements (ELD) screen.

When did the customer lodge the claim?

• Within 7 days after event date, go to Step 9
• Between 8 and 21 days after the event date, go to Step 8
• More than 21 days after the event date, go to Step 10

Check the customer's record to confirm contact was:

• about a CrP, or seeking a payment or concession card, and
• within 7 days of the date of the extreme circumstance (event) date

If there is a record of contact, the customer satisfies the contact requirements for the CrP-HUM claim, and deemed provisions apply.

Did the customer contact within 7 days of the extreme circumstances (event) date?

• Yes:
• Go to the CRISIS HUM screen
• Select Edit
• Update the Override LOD rejection field to Yes
• Select Save
• Select Next
• Go to Step 9
• No, the customer is not eligible
• ELD will display rejection reason LOD
• Select Assess
• Select Next
• Go to Step 12

The customer must be inside Australia and living in Australia on the date of claim to be granted a CrP-HUM.

The system will check if the customer is recorded as being outside Australia or living in another country and present the following warning:
'SR598 - Customer may not be in Australia'

If the SR598 warning presents:

• Check Travel Outside Australia (TOAS) screen to see if the customer is outside Australia
• Refresh the immigration datalink if the record shows they are outside Australia, but the Service Officer believes they are in Australia. See Activating the Department of Home Affairs datalink and contingency procedures if datalink is unavailable
• Check Country of Residence (CRES) screen to see if the customer is living in Australia update if needed

Was the customer in Australia when the CrP-HUM claim was lodged?

• Yes, go to Step 10
• No, customer is not eligible, reject the claim
• Go to the CRISIS_HUM
• Select Edit and update the Manual rejection field to NIA - Not in Australia
• Go to Step 12

A customer must be the holder of one of the following qualifying humanitarian visa subclasses to be eligible for CrP-HUM.

Check RSLEG screen to see the customer's visa type.

The system will read this from the RSLEG screen and display a Yes or No in the Valid Visa Subclass indicator field.

Is the customer the holder of a qualifying visa subclass?

• Yes, go to Step 11
• No, customer is not eligible. If the Valid Visa Subclass indicator field displays:
• No, the claim will automatically reject
• Yes, update the Manual rejection field to NVV - Not a valid visa subclass
• Go to Step 12

The customer must have arrived in Australia as a humanitarian entrant for the first time. A customer is not eligible for CrP-HUM where a CrP-HUM has previously been granted.

Check Notes/DOCs or CRISIS_PS to determine if the customer has previously been paid CrP-HUM.

Is this the customer's first arrival as a Humanitarian Entrant?

• Yes, go to Step 12
• No, the customer is not eligible. If the Is this your first arrival in Australia field displays:
• No, the claim will automatically reject
• Yes, update the Manual rejection field to SSA - Second or subsequent arrival in Australia
• Go to Step 12

Review the Entitlement (ELD) screen for correct entitlements.

Once the provisional data has been checked and confirmed, check the outcome is expected, select Assess.

Note: do not Finalise

If the claim is indicating an incorrect outcome, return to CRISIS_HUM and make sure all data is entered correctly.

Clear any warnings or errors showing on the SWE screen.

If the outcome is to:

• Grant, go to Step 14
• Reject, go to Step 13

Make genuine attempts to contact the customer before rejecting the CrP-HUM claim to explain the decision and advise the customer of their review and appeal rights.

If the first contact attempt is:

• successful, tell the customer the decision, go to Step 14
• unsuccessful:
• Annotate the Claim Progress DOC with all relevant information
• Update Status to On Hold with On Hold Reason Pending - Contact with the customer and On Hold Expiry Date as today’s date
• Procedure ends here

If the second attempt is unsuccessful, go to Step 14

A decision letter will be sent unless the customer has concerns for their safety if a letter is sent.

Before inhibiting the letter, Service Officers must:

• clearly explain the outcome and their appeal rights
• document the record:
• the customer has been advised verbally of the outcome and their appeal rights
• reason for inhibiting the letter is due to safety; and
• the customer has acknowledged a letter will not be sent to them

If this has not occurred, the letter cannot be inhibited.

• From the ELD screen go to the ASC screen
• In Letter Action select Inhibit Letter
• Select Update
• Review ELD for correct outcome
• Select Finish
• Review the Claim Finalisation DOC and add any additional information if required
• Select Finalise
• Select OK

If the claim is selected for QMA:

• annotate the Progress of Claim DOC with any additional instructions required
  ‘Crisis Payment must be paid via NPP - QMO to action after grant’
  ‘QMO to inhibit letter advice to customer on ASC’
• request urgent QMA completion, see Urgent QMA process for Smart Centres, Face to Face Services and Service Delivery Partners
• procedure ends here

Use PDC to pay the customer.

Only consider an EBT card if these options are unavailable.

When the customer is not eligible for CrP-HUM, the original claim is not to be re-indexed.

Where the customer has not previously been contacted, contact is required to discuss the reassessment outcome:

• if the customer is not present make genuine attempts to contact
• tell the customer the claim cannot be re-indexed
• after discussing the decision, give the customer their internal review options

If the reassessment request has been received via a Work Item, annotate the DOC with the relevant information including the decision, and complete the Fast Note work item.

Otherwise, create a DOC with the relevant information including the decision.

If the customer needs extra help from a social worker:

• attempt a warm transfer to a social worker
• if a social worker is not available, create a Social Work Referral

Note: where the customer has provided new information that needs to be updated on their record, refer to appropriate Operational Blueprints for further instructions to update within a separate activity.

Procedure ends here.