Social workers' role in debt, payment assurance and compensation 003-12070000

Before transferring a call to a Services Australia social worker, staff must complete:

• a full authentication check, and
• the POI field in the Services Australia Workspace Case Information

Remember a person affected by family and domestic violence (FDV) may have the perpetrator attempt to use identity fraud tactics to gain access to their record. Check for an FDV Display on Access (DOA) DOC, or other indicators. For more information, see Family and domestic violence.

Note: customers who are at risk of suicide or self-harm must not be referred via the Social Work guided procedure.

To transfer the referral to the social work team use the guided procedure, and:

• Select Social Work Referral (guided procedure) from Workspace
• Select Next
• Select Referral Reason - Payments and Integrity Social Worker
• Select Referral Details, choose the appropriate referral details
• Add additional information if required in the text box
• Select Next
• Select Finish

Staff should make sure the customers phone number is correct and tell the customer:

• a social worker will contact them from a private number, and
• the social worker will send them a text before they call, if the customer is registered for per-call SMS

This referral is for unsupported customers who cannot be referred to a community service and need specialist intervention. Otherwise, see Referral to external support services.

Note: multiple and complex needs refers to individuals or families experiencing a combination of vulnerabilities. This may include agency debt issues, mental health, personal crisis, homelessness, disability and complex caring issues. Inappropriate referrals will be returned to the Service Officer.

Staff should:

• access office locator
• review team information and check if a social worker at the service centre is available, to see if they can connect the customer immediately

Note: face-to-face general appointments must only be booked by social workers

Use the Services Australia Workspace to call the Social Work Line. Warm transfer the customer to the social worker, staff should have the:

• Customer name
• Customer Reference Number (CRN)
• Payment type
• Reason for referral. If the customer does not want to say, tell the social worker this before putting the call through

Confirm the customer's phone number in case the call drops out during transfer.

Service Officers can decide not to stay on the line with the customer, especially if there is a long wait. If not staying on the line they must complete a Note/DOC on the customer's record with details of the reason for referral.

If there is no social worker available, arrange a social work phone appointment. To do this:

• use the Centrelink Appointment System (SWO callback)
• follow the social work information tab in Office Locator

If there is no availability create a referral for:

• Process Direct, Select > Referrals, or
• Customer First > Social Worker Referral Guided Procedure to refer the customer through Workload Manager (WLM)

Tell the customer:

• a social worker will contact them from a private number, and
• the social worker will send them a text before they call, if the customer is registered for per-call SMS

Note this is separate to the procedure for Customers talking about self-harm or suicide.

Before completing the assessment the social worker should:

• review the waiver provisions
• complete a file assessment, and
• research the debt

A debt may be waived

• if either the customer, or another person did not:
• knowingly make a false statement
• make false representation, or
• knowingly failing or omitting to comply with the relevant Act
• special circumstances (other than financial hardship alone) make it desirable to waive, and
• it is more appropriate to waive the debt than to write it off - (Otherwise, see Step 10 for further information)

The term 'knowingly' should imply actual knowledge. It is not merely knowledge that they are supposed to know or could have found out. If the debtor behaved in a recklessly indifferent manner, they may also be considered to have acted knowingly in respect of their conduct or representations.

Go to Step 2.

Review the file, this should include:

• Secure notes
• JCA and ESAt reports
• SWIS notes
• Medical conditions screen, and
• Document tools and Document list including debt raising and/or compliance activity details
• Check if an Authorised Review Officer (ARO) has already made a decision regarding a debt waiver. If so a review of an ARO decision requires approval from the Review of Decision Helpdesk. If the helpdesk gives approval, a delegated officer can complete the review. See Secretary initiated review of decision

In Process Direct:

• Open the Debt summary. This shows an overview of debt information
• See Debt screens in Process Direct

In Customer First:

• search the term Debt information. This screen shows the customers history of debts and current outstanding debts
• click on the debt ID number it will show the Debt information details of each individual debt

For more information, in Customer First or Customer Record, access the Debt Management and Information System (DMIS) using the following screens:

• OPDL: Debt List (select the relevant Debt ID)
• OPGI: General Information
• OPRH: Repayment History
• OPWO: Write-off screen
• OPAS: Debt Action Summary
• OPAL: Payment Arrangement List

Do not tell the customer that the report will be successful in waiving the debt. Social workers are not the decision maker.

For additional information on the debt screens, see:

• General Centrelink debt recovery information, and
• Debt Management and Information System (DMIS) screens

Note: Service Officers should contact the referring officer or the team, which raised the debt if they require more information about the debt. If the customer is seeking an explanation of the debt, see Request for an explanation or application for a formal review.

Go to Step 3

The social worker should consider a customer's circumstances at the time the debt was accrued and in the period following.

Staff should only apply special circumstances in unusual, uncommon or out of the ordinary circumstances. It may include:

• health
• mental health
• gambling
• domestic violence
• homelessness
• financial hardship or other vulnerabilities

Is there third party verification?

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

There is no requirement for third party verification; however, it is strongly encouraged if it is available.

Service Officers should ask for supporting third party information if the information/verification is relevant to the debt period. For example a letter from their doctor or psychologist which can detail the impact of their circumstances at the time, may help to influence and inform the decision maker

Service Officers should base the special circumstance debt waiver on a social worker's recommendation.

Go to Step 5

Staff should ask the customer if they can include all information in the special circumstances report. Tell the customer that the report:

• will be stored in SWIS, and
• will be shared with the delegate/decision maker

After completion of the template, cut and paste the sections of the report into the General SWIS report or use the SWRA.

If an Authorised Review Officer (ARO), Service Officer or Debt Officer initiated the recommendation, consider consulting with them about why they referred to social work and what special circumstances they have identified.

Does the customer qualify for the special circumstance debt waiver recommendation?

• Yes, go to Step 6
• No, go to Step 9

Social workers are not the delegate for the decision. They must determine how to get the recommendation to the delegate for their action.

• If a Debt Officer or ARO initiates the debt waiver, go to Step 7
• If social work initiates the debt waiver recommendation, go to Step 8

For recommendations initiated by an ARO/Services Officer/Debt Officer, discuss where to send report to have it actioned. It will often be back to the referring Officer.

Social work should:

• save the final SWIS report as a PDF, and
• send via email to the ARO/Services Officer/Debt Officer who made the original referral to social work. They may be waiting for our report to complete their review

If social work are unable to contact the Debt Review Officer or ARO, go to Step 8.

Complete a Fast Note to the relevant debt team.

For FTB and CCS Reconciliation or Non-Lodgement Debts:

• Use Fast Note, select Auto text use Debts > Enquiry > FAO Reco Spec and Unusual Circs waiver
• The staff member who picks up the Fast Note activity may not have delegation to action the waiver request. In this instance, they will refer to an APS5 or APS6 using the Direct Referral to SSO webform, or to EL1 using local channels

For all other debt types:

• Create a Fast Note on the customer’s record to refer the case to the relevant Debt Team. See Debt ownership

Note: do not include sensitive details in the Fast Note as the circumstances are outlined in the social work report. Clearly state in the Fast Note that a special circumstances debt waiver report has been completed and this report can be provided to support the delegate’s decision-making.

Tell the customer:

• that the debt does not need to be repaid in full in one payment
• that they can request a repayment plan (to be renegotiated every 3 months)

Consider recommending a temporary write off. This puts the debt recovery on hold, therefore delaying repayments, see Step 10

For more information see:

• Debt recovery for Centrelink
• Temporary write off of Centrelink debts
• Standard withholdings for debt recovery
• Negotiation of debt repayments with customers
• Refunding debt repayments
• Appeal options - Request for an explanation or application for a formal review

A social worker can recommend a temporary write-off by:

• Fast Note Select Auto text: use Debt Recovery> Debt Recovery>Debt Recovery Referrals> Debt Recovery Action Required, or
• calling Debt Recovery

A temporary write-off can be based on the social work assessment with no supporting evidence. Staff can record sensitive information in SWIS case notes and the Fast Note should indicate this is where information is held.

Before completing the assessment, the social worker should conduct a file assessment. This should include:

• Secure Notes
• Compensation Management Summary
• Medical Conditions screen
• JCA and ESAt reports
• SWIS notes
• Document tools, and Document list

Do not tell the customer that your report will be successful in reducing the compensation preclusion period. Social workers are not the decision maker

Go to Step 2.

The assessment should address the following criteria:

Financial Hardship

• Describe how the customer is in extreme hardship
• Does the customer have sufficient liquid assets or reliable asset/s to support themselves and their family for the duration of the preclusion period?

Special Circumstances

• Consider:
• health
• mental health
• gambling
• domestic violence
• homelessness
• decision making capacity
• substance use issues, or
• incorrect or insufficient legal advice
• Other considerations include:
• expenditure of compensation funds due to fraud by another person
• reduced life expectance, or
• excessive legal costs involved in the settling of a claim for compensation

Third Party Verification

• There is no requirement for third party verification; however, it is encouraged if it is available.
• Service Officers should ask for supporting third party information if the information/verification is relevant to the debt period. For example a letter from their doctor or psychologist that can detail the impact of their circumstances at the time. This may help to influence and inform the decision maker
• Service Officers should base the special circumstance debt waiver on a social workers recommendation

After collecting the information required and any evidence (if provided), the social workers should document the assessment in a general social work report, go to Step 3.

Ask the customer if all of the information provided can be included in a special circumstances report.

After the template is complete, the social worker will:

• cut and paste the sections of the report into the General SWIS report
• save the final SWIS report as a PDF

Note: social workers are not the delegate for the decision. They must provide the recommendation to the delegate for their action.

Go to Step 4.

• Consult with the compensation team to confirm if the customer needs to complete the SS484 Compensation Recovery Statement of Financial Circumstances
• Refer the report to the compensation team/ delegate who made the referral by email for their review

Note: social workers can ring the Compensation Recovery technical support line for support regarding compensation matters. See Technical Peer Support (TPS) in Compensation Recovery.