Updating telephone details and/or paying Telephone Allowance (TAL) 108-08100010

TAL is payable to each telephone/internet subscriber who is eligible. Depending on the rate of TAL they receive, TAL recipients are required to tell Services Australia if they have a phone connected in their name, or if their phone number or internet subscriber details change. Service Officers are to check when updating contact details if a customer is a subscriber and indicate this on the customer's record.

Generally telephone details and internet details where applicable, including a customer's status as subscriber, are recorded when processing a new claim. If a customer is a subscriber and their telephone and internet details are recorded correctly, TAL is automatically payable to eligible customers from the next TAL payment date after the date of notification of subscriber status.

If the customer advises, TAL may be coded as a future date. If a customer is no longer a subscriber, TAL is not payable from the date of change in status.

Norfolk Island has its own Island/Country Code which is +6723. All Norfolk Island telephone numbers are a five digit number:

• all landlines start with 2#### for example 21234
• all mobile telephones start with 5#### for example 51234

Where international calling is enabled the full number to be dialled will be 0011–6723-(plus the 5 digit landline or mobile) for example 0011–6723-21234.

A higher rate of TAL is payable to Farm Household Allowance (FHA) and Disability Support Pension (DSP) customers, (under 21 with no dependent children), who are current home internet subscribers. To qualify for the higher rate, customers must be eligible for basic TAL and have a home internet connection recorded in their (or their partners) name.

Note: members of a couple may be eligible for different rates of TAL.

Tell customers they can complete the transaction using self service (online, Express Plus Student App or phone self service).

If a customer who is not registered for self service contacts about a change in their contact details offer the option to register to complete the update unless:

• self service channels are currently unavailable (confirmed by NNU, Newsflash and Bulletins), or
• self service is not considered suitable