Special Benefit (SpB) customer going overseas 003-08070040

The Portability Script - Departures and Returns will prompt the Service Officer to ask relevant questions of the customer, such as:

• destination
• date of departure
• expected date of return
• who is going and reason for absence

The script will determine if the customer is to be referred to specialist staff.

The customer may contact after using the Travelling outside of Australia service within their Centrelink online account. If the online service has already coded the absence, the system records the details in a DOC. The online service may refer the customer to contact to:

• have their absence coded, or
• explore further portability for their situation

In either case, the Service Officer is to run the script.

Is the portability script working?

• Yes, see Coding departures and returns for customers leaving Australia. Procedure ends here
• No, go to Step 2

Can the interview be delayed?

• Yes:
• book an appointment to be completed by the customer's local service centre
• make sure customer contact details are correct
• record details on a DOC
• procedure ends here
• No, go to Step 3

Go to the Legal Residence Details (RSLEG) screen and check the Visa (Sub) Class Code field.

For more information, see Temporary Protection, Humanitarian, Safe Haven and Return Pending Visas. Most of these visas are cancelled when the holder departs Australia and therefore the customer loses qualification for SpB.

Is the customer currently in Australia a holder of a certain temporary visas that qualify customers for some payments (excluding visa subclass 785 granted on or after 16 December 2014, or visa subclass 790)?

• Yes, customer's payment will stop from the date they leave Australia as residence qualification stops for these visa types on departure from Australia. As residence qualification stops, the customer is no longer qualified for SpB. Go to Step 5
• No, go to Step 4

Is the customer leaving Australia to live in another country?

• Yes, go to Step 5
• No, go to Step 7

If the customer is leaving Australia to live in another country or they hold a Certain temporary visas that qualify customers for some payments, the portability interview must be completed by the Service Officer and not referred to Centrelink International Services (CIS).

The customer's payment must stop from date of departure. The customer will also lose entitlement to any add-ons or family assistance payments if received.

Explain the decision to the customer:

• record all details of the discussion in a DOC including any contact address or phone number. Determine if the customer has to contact when they have returned to Australia, and discuss this before the customer's departure to correctly assess their ongoing entitlements
• check if the customer has employment income or is a 2WE reporter. If yes, see Recording and correcting employment income details
• tell the customer of the requirement to reclaim if they ever decide to return to Australia:
• if the customer was granted SpB before 1 January 2012 because they were a Partner Provisional Visa (PPV) and were exempt from the Newly Arrived Residents' Waiting Period (NARWP) because they were a family member of an Australian citizen or long term resident, they cannot be re-granted SpB upon return to Australia using the same exemption
• they must reapply for SpB and satisfy the NARWP or be exempt from the NARWP for other reasons (for example, can demonstrate they have had a substantial change in circumstances beyond their control)
• give the customer the Centrelink International Services (CIS) - contact details for customers

Check if the customer has any further queries and, if not, complete the interview.

Issue a Pre Departure Interview - Portability Decision (XOB101) letter if requested by the customer.

Action the following:

• record the change of address on Address Details (AD) screen, if the customer has provided new address details. Note: it is not mandatory for the customer to provide an address outside Australia
• record any overseas telephone number and/or email address if provided
• go to the Customer Advised Travel Details (RSCD) screen and record the departure on the Country of Residence (CRES) screen if leaving to live in another country
• go to the Assessment Results (AR) screen and check that the payment will stop from the date of departure for a residence related reason
• do not suppress the auto advice
• finalise the activity

Procedure ends here.

Ask the customer the reason they are travelling overseas and establish if it is for an approved reason.

For help with this decision, see:

• Overseas absences for eligible medical reasons
• Overseas absences for humanitarian reasons
• Overseas absences for acute family crisis, or
• Overseas absences for Australian Defence Force Reserves

If a customer has indicated their travel overseas meets the initial criteria for an approved reason, refer the case to Centrelink International Services (CIS) for assessment.

If approved by CIS, payments may continue for a specific negotiated period - this will usually be 2 to 3 weeks. It would be an unusual circumstance requiring a customer's attendance overseas for the maximum portability period, this length of portability is rarely granted.

Is there an approved reason for the overseas absence?

• Yes, go to Step 8
• No, go to Step 9

Tell the customer they may meet the requirement for payment overseas but they must speak to Centrelink International Services (CIS) for a decision on their ongoing portability.

Determine if the customer on return has to contact when they have returned to Australia and discuss this before the customer's departure to correctly assess their ongoing entitlements.

Contact CIS with the customer's details and explain the customer's circumstances. The CIS officer will take over and complete the portability interview with the customer. DOC the record outlining:

• the customer has been referred to CIS
• the action has been taken including dates of their travel, and the reason
• If the customer has provided documents in person verifying their approved departure reason, scan the documents onto the customer's record. Customers advising of their departure by phone should be encouraged to upload their supporting documents immediately using their Centrelink online account. Procedure ends here

If it is not possible to transfer the customer immediately to CIS, create a referral:

Process Direct

• Select > Referral
• Referral type: International Services (CIS)
• Referral reason: Portability
• Referral detail: Restricted Portability
• Check Payment type is SPL - Special Benefit
• Select Next
• Referral details display. Update the following as required:
• Vulnerable or suspended customer
• Call customer required
• Translation required
• Appeal request
• Add additional information, ensuring to record the travel details including dates and reason for travel and confirm current telephone contact details
• Select Next
• Select Finish

Customer First

• Create a Fast Note. Select Auto text > Centrelink International Services > Portability > CIS Restricted Portability Referral
• Record the travel details including dates, reason for travel and current telephone contact details

Check if the customer has employment income or is a 2WE reporter. If yes, see Recording and correcting employment income details

Stimulus reporters will be re-profiled to a notification reporter from their entitlement period start date (EPSD) on departure. Lodge any outstanding reports. The system will issue any entitlements. Reporters on variable lodgement (4 or 12 weekly reporting) must be placed on 2WE lodgement and have any outstanding reports actioned on the Report Results (RR) screen before departure.

Tell the customer an officer from CIS will contact them as soon as possible.

Procedure ends here.

If the absence was not for an approved reason:

• the customer's payment must stop from date of departure. If the customer was being paid any add-ons including Rent Assistance (RA), they will also stop from the date of departure
• tell the customer about continuation of payment on their return to Australia
• SpB customers must contact Services Australia on their return if their payment stopped while they were overseas and has not restored. They must complete a Special Benefit Review (BC048). The SpB Processing Team (AOS) must investigate these cases and restore payment if appropriate

If the customer's payment stops for more than 13 weeks, they will have to reclaim SpB when they return to Australia. Note: PPV holders originally granted SpB before 1 January 2012 based on being exempt from the NARWP as the family member of an Australian citizen or long term resident will not be able to utilise the same exemption reason if they have to re-claim SpB on their return to Australia. To qualify again for SpB, the customer must either satisfy the NARWP or satisfy another exemption from the NARWP.

Check if the customer has employment income is or a stimulus customer:

• check if the customer has employment income or is a 2WE reporter. If yes, Recording and correcting employment income details
• a stimulus reporter will have their payment suspended and re-profiled to a notification reporter from their entitlement period start date (EPSD) on departure. The system will issue any entitlement calculated for the prior period
• if the customer is on variable lodgement (4 or 12 weekly reporting) they must be placed on 2WE lodgement and have any outstanding reports actioned on the Report Results (RR) screen before departure

Finalise interview

• record details of the decision on a DOC
• determine if the customer has to contact when they have returned to Australia, and discuss this before the customer's departure to correctly assess their ongoing entitlements
• give the customer the contact details for CIS so they can contact Services Australia while overseas, see Centrelink International Services (CIS) - contact details for customers
• check if the customer has any further queries and, if not, end the interview
• issue the customer with a Pre Departure Interview - Portability Decision (XOB101) letter if requested

To code the overseas absence:

• record the change of address on Address Details (AD) screen if the customer has provided new address details. Note: it is not mandatory for the customer to provide an address outside Australia
• if provided, record the overseas telephone number and/or email address if provided by the customer
• update the Customer Advised Travel Details (RSCD) screen
• go to the Assessment Results (AR) screen and finalise the activity. Note: the reassessment will not occur until the customer actually leaves Australia