Social work service referral 003-12010000

Name

Contact details

Lifeline - 24 hours/7 days a week

Phone: 131 114

Internet: https://www.lifeline.org.au/

Men's Line - 24 hours/7 days a week

Phone: 1300 78 99 78

Kid's Helpline (for customers up to the age of 25) 24 hours/7 days a week

Phone: 1800 551 800

Customer scenario

Possible action/s to consider

They need a phone number for an external service. For example:

• a housing service
• food
• respite

See Referral to external support services

UTLAH assessments for customers over the age of 18

See Assessing unreasonable to live at home (UTLAH) for customers claiming or receiving Youth Allowance (YA), Disability Support Pension (DSP), Special Benefit (SpB) or Tertiary Access Payment (TAP)

They are experiencing vulnerability, and waiting for an income support claim to be determined

See:

• Referral to external support services (Housing and emergency relief referral)
• Payment and Service Finder (Housing and emergency relief referral options)
• Eligibility for Crisis Payment (CrP)
• Supporting customers experiencing vulnerability to claim Disability Support Pension (DSP)
• Immediate new claim and non-new claim priority processing

A customer (whether on income support or not) is experiencing difficult circumstances, and is in need of additional support

See Specialist officers and other internal supports for customers

They are in financial hardship

Check the customer's payment is current and correct

Check if there are other payments that may suit their situation better:

• Urgent Payments due to exceptional and unforeseen or extraordinary circumstances
• Weekly payments
• Additional Child Care Subsidy (ACCS) (temporary financial hardship) eligibility and applications

Offer a referral to a local or other welfare agency. See Referral to external support services

They are having trouble meeting their mutual obligations

See:

• Mutual obligation requirements exemptions
• Re-engaging job seekers - Targeted Compliance Framework

They disagree with an urgent payment decision

See Customer disagrees with an urgent payment decision

They need help to start an income support claim

Assess the customer's digital capability

Offer support/advice as needed

See Claiming income support payments from Centrelink

They are dissatisfied with the service provided by Services Australia

See Managing complaints and feedback

Current customer is experiencing hardship with Centrelink debt repayments, consider:

Options:

• adjusting withholdings
• referral to debt recovery for temporary write off due to short term hardship

See:

• Withholdings
• Temporary write off of Centrelink debts

They want to appeal a decision

See Request for an explanation or application for a formal review