Immediate payment by payment method New Payments Platform (NPP) 003-18092746

Delivery of an immediate payment via a priority direct credit method (NPP or RTGS) should be considered if the customer is unable to wait for the payment to be available on the next working day, or in 2 working days (depending on the payment type).

When considering a payment by NPP, remember:

• Immediate payments cannot be issued if the customer's record is in the I (International) environment
• Urgent payments cannot be issued if the customer's payment type is an ineligible payment. These payments include Family Tax Benefit (FTB) only, Pension Bonus Scheme and Advance payments. See Urgent payments due to exceptional and unforeseen or extraordinary circumstances for a list of ineligible payments
• The customer must have already been approved for an urgent payment (the service officer must have already determined the customer is eligible for the urgent payment)
• Only emergency, crisis, anticipated release, immediate, and one-off Income Management payments in ISIS can be delivered through the NPP. Farm Household Allowance (FHA) payments and Status Resolution Support Services (SRSS) payments cannot be delivered via NPP. See Immediate payment by payment method Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS)

An account also cannot be used for NPP if:

• the bank account is not reachable via the NPP (option will not display)
• an NPP payment made to that account on the same day was not successful (option will not display)
• it is closed (payment will reject)
• it is a new payment destination (warning message will display to staff)

If the customer is requesting an urgent payment in a self-service channel, their payment will deliver via NPP if it is available if they select the Priority Direct Credit option.

• For emergency payments, see Table 2
• For Crisis payments, see Table 3
• For all other payments, the Immediate Payment requests script should be used to issue the payment if it is available. Go to Step 2
• If the Immediate Payment requests script is not available, see Table 3

Is NPP displayed as a payment option in the script?

NPP will not display as a payment option if the destination account is:

• a passbook account
• not enabled to utilise the NPP

If the customer advises the account is overdrawn, it is the customer's choice as to whether the payment is made to the account.

The customer should be advised that:

• the financial institution may retain some or all of the overdrawn amount; and
• it will take longer for the payment to be available as manual processing may be required by the financial institution

An account also cannot be used for NPP if:

• an NPP payment made to that account on the same day was not successful (option will not display)
• it is closed (payment will reject)
• it is a new payment destination (error message will display)

Is NPP an appropriate method of payment?

• Yes, go to Step 3
• No, the account is not NPP-reachable:
• RTGS will be presented as the next preferred payment option
• IF RTGS is not appropriate, consider issuing the payment by Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card
• Procedure ends here

Do not use the Immediate Payment script for Crisis Payments. (See Step 1 in Table 3, Manually Coding an NPP payment).

The Immediate Payment requests script will pause on the Issue Future Payment (IFP) screen to allow insertion of the correct reason

• Reason: for urgent payment and immediate payment grants use field help '?' to change the reason to:
• DEP - Centrelink/Departmental Delay
• ECI - Extraordinary Circumstances
• EXC - Exceptional and Unforeseen
• FNL - Funeral Expenses
• For any payment reason that falls outside of the above, choose the most appropriate reason from the list available in the field help. More details about the appropriate code reasons is available on the Resources page
• Once the reason code has been input, press [Enter], then select OK on the script. The script will complete the activity and record a DOC including:
• Outcome and reason for the immediate payment request
• Documentation or verifiable evidence provided by the customer (where requested)
• Amount and method of payment. Note: urgent payments are limited to $200 for an urgent payment due to exceptional and unforeseen extraordinary circumstances (this is early payment of fortnightly entitlement), and $1,000 for an urgent payment due to Centrelink delay
• Any other assistance offered or referrals made
• Note: a reference to SSAA 1999 Section 55 (payment into bank account etc.) can be included, but as payment delivery is not the significant decision, it is not compulsory
• Go to Step 4

If the customer's account is reachable via the NPP, the payment will deliver to the customer's account immediately, regardless of the time or day of request. If an account is NPP reachable, but the payment fails to deliver, it will automatically re-issue via RTGS if available, or via direct credit. Check the Payment Summary (PS) screen to confirm delivery.

Advise the customer:

• For an urgent payment from the customer's next entitlement, the amount issued will be deducted in full from the customer's next payday
• For an urgent payment due to Centrelink delay or error, the remaining amount will be issued to their financial institution. Advise the customer when their next regular payment will be
• The payment should be available from the payment destination immediately, but may take up to 30 minutes

Note: if the customer has not received the payment in their account within 30 minutes, and the payment shows as successfully delivered via NPP on the PS screen, it may have timed out from being delivered. In these instances an automatic notification will have been sent to the ICT Service Desk, who will reissue the payment to the customer as soon as possible.

Procedure ends here.

See Current emergency management events for a list of emergency payments and further information on how to assess eligibility

Note: while there is no payment limit for emergency payments, payments made via priority direct credit (NPP and RTGS) are limited to a maximum of $3,000

Go to the FSP system (code 'SVAAA' in the Next field and ensure system is ISS)

If:

• the customer has already been granted an emergency payment to be paid via direct credit, but requires an immediate payment, go to Step 2
• the emergency payment is a Disaster Recovery Allowance (DRA) or NZ DRA claim, and has not yet been granted, go to Step 2
• the emergency payment is an Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment (AGDRP) or NZ DRP claim, and it has not yet been granted:
• run the Disaster Recovery workflow. See Processing AGDRP and NZ DRP claims in Customer First
• on the Claim Decision screen of the workflow, choose Yes and Priority Direct Credit under 'Immediate Payments Options'. Enter the amount to be delivered immediately
• if the customer is not current on any other payment, enter in the bank details in the Immediate and Non-Immediate options
• the system will automatically issue the payment via NPP if the account is NPP reachable, once the claim is finalised

If the payment fails to deliver via NPP, or the account is not NPP reachable, it will automatically issue via RTGS. Check the Payment Summary (PS) screen to confirm the method of delivery.

Procedure ends here.

If the emergency payment is a DRA or NZ DRA claim, and has not yet been granted, run the Disaster Recovery workflow, see Processing New Zealand Disaster Recovery Allowance (NZ DRA) claims in Customer First.

After an emergency payment has been granted, run the Issue Emergency Payment workflow accessed via Customer First - Workspace.

• Select the emergency payment. NPP will display as a payment method option if the customer's account is NPP reachable
• Enter the amount to be issued as an immediate payment
• The payment will be reissued via NPP on completion of the workflow

If the Issue Emergency Payment workflow is not available, manually reissue the emergency payment via an immediate payment method:

• Go to the Payment Summary (PS) screen
• Select the emergency payment by keying 'R' next to the payment line and press [Enter]
• The Issue Payment Select (IPPRE) screen will display
• On the IPPRE screen:
• The system will automatically 'S'elect the Early Payment from current Pay Period field (or the most appropriate option) and the Default Destination will be direct credit
• Update the Default Destination field to 'New Payments Platform (NPP)' and select Continue
• The Issue Future Payment (IFP) screen will display
• The system will automatically 'S'elect the Immediate/Arrears Payment field
• The Default Destination field must be changed to the payment method needed
• Press [Enter]
• The IFP screen will display
• Complete the following fields:
• Issue Amt: - this will be the amount of the payment
• Reason: - DEP (Departmental Delay)
• Notes: - (why payment is being issued)
• Source: - (method the customer has used to contact)
• DOR: - (Date of Receipt)
• Finished (Y/Q/N):

If the payment fails to deliver via NPP, or the account is not NPP reachable, it will automatically issue via RTGS. Check the Payment Summary (PS) screen to confirm the method of delivery.

Procedure ends here.

When a Crisis Payment (CrP) has been granted or the Immediate Payment requests script is not available.

Make sure payments are only made for eligible payments (for example, Urgent Payments should not be paid for FTB) and that the payment is processed in the correct system.

CrP claims selected for QMA must be checked before undertaking the following steps. (Noting the QMO will need to complete the additional steps to issue the payment via NPP).

• Go to Customer First
• Go to the Payment Summary (PS) screen
• Select the payment that has not been received by keying 'R' next to the payment line and press [Enter]
• The Issue Payment Select (IPPRE) screen will display
• On the IPPRE screen:
• the system will automatically 'S'elect the most appropriate type of issue payment (i.e., 'Early Payment from current Pay Period' and the Default Destination will be direct credit
• Update the Default Destination field to 'New Payments Platform (NPP)' and select Continue
• The Issue Future Payment (IFP) screen will display
• For Crisis Payment, go to Step 2
• If the Immediate Payment requests script is unavailable, go to Step 3

Code the following fields on the Issue future Payment (IFP) screen:

• Issue amount: add the full amount of the payment to be delivered
• Reason: for Crisis Payment grants use field help '?' to change the reason to:
• CRI - Crisis Payment
• Finished (Y/Q/N): 'Y'
• Notes: the reason for issue, for example, 'pay Crisis Payment via NPP'
• Source: and DOR: fields

This will create a zero amount in the original Crisis Payment entry on the PS screen, as well as a new 'NPP' line of the full amount to be delivered immediately to the customer via the NPP.

Note: when a payment is issued via NPP, a DOC will be generated including the 'reason for issue' entered on the IFP screen. As granting the Crisis Payment is the significant decision, not the method in which the payment is delivered, this DOC is sufficient.

A reference to SSAA 1999 Section 55 (payment into bank account etc.) can be included, but it is not compulsory.

Procedure ends here.

For an urgent payment, code the following fields on the IFP screen:

• Issue amount: the amount of the payment to be delivered
• Reason: for urgent payment grants use field help '?' to change the reason to:
• DEP - Departmental Delay
• ECI - Extraordinary Circumstances
• EXC - Exceptional and Unforeseen
• FNL - Funeral Expenses
• For any payment reason that falls outside of the above, choose the most appropriate reason from the list available in the field help. More details about the appropriate code reasons is available on the Resources page
• Finished (Y/Q/N): 'Y'
• Notes: the reason for issue
• Source: and DOR: fields

Select Continue to complete the activity.

Record details of immediate payment on a DOC.

Include the following DOC text if it is not automatically generated:

• To be paid Urgent payment of $ {amount}
• Method of payment: {payment method}
• The customer is in financial hardship as a result of an (urgent payment reason)
• Alternative assistance to alleviate this hardship was deemed unsuitable and an Urgent Payment has been approved, as per 8.4.2.10 of the Guide to the Social Security Act and Section 55 of the Social Security Administration Act

Procedure ends here.

If an account is NPP reachable, but the payment fails to deliver, it will automatically re-issue via RTGS if available, or via direct credit. Check the Payment Summary (PS) screen to confirm how the payment has been processed and issued.

Has the payment been processed and issued to the account on the customer's record?

• Yes, go to Step 2
• No, process the activity that will issue the payment (for example, this may be a reporting activity, restoration from suspension or cancellation). Procedure ends here

Has the payment been issued to the customer's account and is not showing as returned or rejected?

• Yes, see Replacing direct credit, NPP or RTGS payments at a customer's request. Procedure ends here
• No, go to Step 3

Has the payment been returned from the financial institution?

Check the PS screen. A returned payment is labelled as RTN (returned).

• Yes, see Replacing direct credit, NPP or RTGS payments returned from financial institution. Procedure ends here
• No, go to Step 4

Has the NPP payment been rejected by the financial institution?

Check the PS screen. A rejected NPP payment will show on the PS screen, with:

• Type field either being New Payments Platform or NPP
• Sent to field will display Rejected Payment rather than Financial Institution account details

Check the customer's account details are correct. If incorrect, see Changing Payment Destination.

A rejected NPP payment must first be reissued via Direct Credit, and then if the customer needs the funds urgently, the payment can be issued via RTGS or EBT card.

To reissue the payment via Direct Credit:

• Go to the system that applies to the payment to be reissued:
• PEN - Age Pension, Disability Support Pension, Carer Payment, Parenting Payment Single
• NSS - JobSeeker Payment, Youth Allowance
• FAO - Family Tax Benefit (FTB)
• ISS - Pensioner Education Supplement (PES) - (code 'SVPES' in the Next field to access the PS screen)
• PGA - Parenting Payment Partnered
• Access the PS screen
• Select the payment that has been rejected by keying 'R' next to the payment line and press [Enter]
• The Issue Payment Select (IPPRE) screen will display

On the IPPRE screen:

• The system will automatically 'S'elect the Re-deliver Rejected Payment: field
• The Default Destination: field will be Direct Credit
• Press [Enter]
• The Re-Deliver Returned Payment (RDRP) screen will display

On the RDRP screen code the following:

• Using the next and back buttons, locate the page that has the Reissue All field
• Key 'Y' in the Reissue All (Y/N): field
• Finish the activity

Payment will now display on the PS screen as Immediate and will be paid by direct credit.

To issue the payment via NPP, RTGS or EBT card:

• Access the PS screen
• Select the payment that shows as Immediate in the Delivery Date field, by keying 'R' next to the payment line and press [Enter]
• The IPPRE screen will display

On the IPPRE screen:

• The system will automatically 'S'elect the Immediate/Arrears Payment: field
• The Default Destination: field must be changed to the payment method needed
• Press [Enter]
• The Issue Future Payment (IFP) screen will display
• Complete the following fields
• Issue Amt: - this will be the amount of the payment
• Reason: - REJ
• Notes: - (why payment is being issued)
• Source: - (method the customer has used to contact)
• DOR: - (Date of Receipt)
• Finished (Y/Q/N):

DOC the record to advising payment has been reissued.