Processing Special Benefit (SpB) claims 003-08060000

Proactive conversations

Letter template

Table 1

Item

Description

SpB rejection due to full time study

Use the following free text when creating a Q134 letter to explain the decision to reject SpB payment due to full time study:

You have advised you are studying full time and currently undertaking a (insert degree/course name) with (insert university/institution) and you have (insert the duration, e.g. four years, two semesters etc.) until you complete the course.

Special Benefit is not intended as a payment for full time students. Special Benefit recipients can only undertake full time study if the duration of the course is less than 12 months and has been approved by a job provider.

Full time tertiary studies such as bachelor degrees can only be approved if the individual only has one semester remaining to complete a tertiary degree.

Should your circumstances change you can retest your eligibility for Special Benefit.

Under 16 years (USY) turning 16 years within the next 13 weeks

Use the following free text when creating a Q888 letter to explain their SpB will stop when they turn 16 and they need to claim YA or ABSTUDY

[Delete as appropriate]

Your Special Benefit will be paid until (16th birthday minus 1 day).

When you turn 16 years of age on DD/MM/YYYY you may be eligible for Youth Allowance/ABSTUDY {Delete inappropriate payment type}, or you may test your eligibility for Disability Support Pension, if applicable.

Special Benefit can only be paid when a person is not eligible for any other payment.

What you need to do

You can apply for Youth Allowance/ABSTUDY 13 weeks before you turn 16 years. You can submit the claim online now, or contact Services Australia for help submitting the claim now, to avoid a delay when you turn 16 years.

You can check the appropriate payments you may be eligible for on Payment Finder. Go to the Services Australia website and search for 'Payment Finder'.

If you turn 16 and your Special Benefit stops before you are granted another payment, you can contact us for help.

Process Direct resources

See the Resources page of Work Optimiser for staff for user guides, information about process status definitions and troubleshooting common issues in Process Direct, and navigation shortcuts.

Common screens for SpB

Table 2

Screen	Navigation via	When to check
Telephone Summary (TDS)	Super Key	Always
Address (ADH)	Customer Details Task Selector	Always
Accommodation (ACS)	Customer Details Task Selector	Always Note: if claim is for Australian Citizen Child: The youngest/only child can receive Rent Assistance If the non-resident parent is receiving Rent Assistance as part of their SRSS payment, Rent Assistance should not be paid to the SpB Australian Citizen child/ren. Note: a Display on Access (DOA) DOC to alert staff if ACS screen is updated to NVE rent not verified after SpB is granted, the SpB ACC will no longer be eligible for Rent Assistance, RCO screen VRP must be end dated using the EPED end date to cancel rent assistance. See Special Benefit (SpB) reviews. Special Benefit (SpB) for Australian Citizen Child (ACC) and Australian permanent resident children
Marital Status (MS)	Task Selector / Super Key	Always
Relationship icon	Icon	Always
Sharing Details (SDQ)	Super Key	If the customer is sharing accommodation.
Earnings (EANS)	NSS Task Selector	If the customer or partner has earnings. If assessing Australian Citizen Child the Parental income above the JSP maximum rate is to be coded on OIN screen.
Other Income Summary (OINS)	Super Key	If claim is for Australian Citizen Child, the Parental income above the JSP maximum rate is to be coded on OIN screen.
Residence Details (RSLEG)	NSS Task Selector	Always
Country of Residence (CRES)	RETS Task Selector	Always
Immigration Advised Movements (RSIM)	RETS Task Selector	Always
Immigration Enquiry (RSIMME)	RETS Task Selector	Always Refresh Immigration datalink to update visa details if the customer has a SpB temporary visa 060, 070, 309, 820, 449, 785, 786, 790 holder; or, If the customer is an Australian Citizen Child (ACC), navigate to the custodial parent record and refresh Immigration datalink.
Periods of AU Presence while AU Resident (RSPAP)	Super Key	If the customer is a permanent visa holder.
Savings Bank Accounts (SVP/SVS)	NSS Task Selector	Always
Foreign Income/Assets/Pension Summary (FIPS)	NSS Task Selector	If the customer has foreign income or assets.
Payment Destination (PAS)	Super Key	Always
Real Estate Business Details (REBS)	Task Selector	If the customer has real estate/business or is self-employed
Tax File Number (TFN)	Super Key	Always
SPL Other Details (NSOD)	NSOD Task Selector	Always
SPL Start Date Calculator (NSL)	NSL Task Selector	Always
Principal Carer (PCCD)	Super Key	If the customer is a principal carer.
Child Claim Override (CHOC)	Super Key	If the customer has a dependent child in their care.
Maintenance Groups (MNGS)	Super Key	If assessing Australian Citizen Child (ACC), maintenance/child support must be pursued by the custodial parent, unless granted an exemption. Child support must be coded on the SpB ACC record OINS screen. Note: if the custodial parent is affected by domestic and family violence, or other sensitive circumstances, check if a social work referral is needed for a maintenance exemption assessment.
Rate Component Override (RCO)	Super Key from ELD	Manual Rate details for Australian Citizen Child (ACC) and Temporary Protection Visa Not of workforce age (TPA) customers. Youngest/only child receive JSP rate, older/subsequent child/ren receive YA rate, if custodial parent receiving SRSS child/ren receive FTB rate. Rent Assistance should not be included if the non-resident parent is receiving Rent Assistance as part of her SRSS payment. If a manual rate of SpB is determined for a customer, a Display on Access (DOA) DOC must be placed on the customer's record, outlining the reasons why a manual rate has been determined and coded.
Assuree Arrival Details (AOAE)	Super Key	If the customer has an Assurance of Support (AOE/ACC or AOE/CUR status), see Assuree makes a claim for an Assurance of Support (AoS) recoverable payment
Entitlement Screen (ELD)	Displays after selecting Assess (if no errors)	Always
Payment Summary (PS)	Super Key from ELD	Always to confirm payment from the correct date.

Substantial change in circumstances

Table 3: the following table provides examples of circumstances that would be considered a substantial change for the purpose of qualification for SpB. The substantial change in circumstances must have occurred after the person arrived in Australia.

Change in circumstance	and …
A sponsor, partner or SpB claimant has a prolonged illness or injury	is unable to work and/or there are significant medical costs being incurred by the SpB claimant or the partner.
Sponsor or partner loses job through no fault of their own after arrival in Australia	the job was organised or started after arrival of the SpB claimant.
After starting work, SpB claimant loses job through no fault of their own	in the case of a visa granted onshore, the claimant had started the job before grant of the visa and in the case of a visa granted off shore the job was arranged before arrival in Australia.
Sponsor or partner dies	the SpB claimant has no means of support.
Partner and SpB claimant separate (not living under same roof)	the SpB claimant was the victim of domestic/family violence.
SpB claimant disclosed they are affected by family and domestic violence	has no other means of support.
SpB claimant who has been granted permanent residency resulting in their Australian citizen child no longer being eligible for SpB	has no other means of support.
Dependent child develops a severe medical condition, disability or sustains a serious injury	the SpB claimant is unable to work and/or there are significant medical costs being incurred by the SpB claimant or the partner.
Sponsor or partner has been notified as a missing person or has abandoned the SpB claimant	the SpB claimant has no other means of support.
Sponsor or partner becomes a long term prisoner, or is confined long term to a hospital, psychiatric institution or nursing home	the SpB claimant has no means of support.

Changed circumstances that are not substantial for the purposes of SpB

The following examples are not considered a substantial change in circumstances for the purpose of qualification for SpB - where no other extenuating circumstances are involved:

Claimant and partner are separated, but living under one roof
Partner and the visa holder separate due to breakdown of the relationship and there is no domestic violence involved
Partner misrepresents their circumstances (financial, physical, material) and the partnered provisional visa holder chooses to leave because of this
Partner leaves work to study or train, engages in an unprofitable business, resorts to excessive gambling or makes another lifestyle choice that impacts on the couple financially

Qualifying Residence Exemption (QRE) and Newly Arrived Residents Waiting Period (NARWP) exemptions scenarios where a more appropriate payment may apply

Refugee, former refugees, or family member of a refugee when arrived in Australia, have a qualifying residence exemption and NARWP exemption for all payment types
Australian citizen is exempt from NARWP for all payment types. Except Age Pension and Disability Support Pension (DSP) may still be required to serve the 10-year qualifying residence period, and Parenting Payment to serve the 2-year qualifying residence period
An age pension age woman whose partner has died may be eligible for Age Pension if the customer and partner were an Australian resident and have lived in Australia for 2 years
Principal carer who became a lone parent after they became an Australian resident may be eligible for Parenting Payment, JSP or YA-JSK
New Zealand non-protected SCV holders who have lived in Australia for 10 years may be eligible for JSP or YA for 6 months
Holders of a visa 116 or 836 are residentially qualified for Carer Payment
Referred Stay visa subclass 852 have a qualifying residence exemption and NARWP exemption for all payment types, except SpB, Age and DSP

Operational Information