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

Customers will automatically receive reminders and important information via SMS to their mobile phone. See Centrelink letters online and Electronic Messaging.

If new telephone details are received through the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) check the actions on Customer Overview in Services Australia Workspace. See Answering calls in Centrelink.

Note: job seekers are able to give their employment services provider their new telephone details. This information will be automatically updated on the customer's Centrelink record.

• If providing new telephone details and/or an update to subscriber details and the customer is:
• residing in Norfolk Island, go to Step 3
• otherwise, go to Step 2
• If current telephone details have been incorrectly recorded, go to Step 4
• If the customer is advising telephone service has ended, go to Step 5
• If updating or correcting internet details, go to Step 6
• If the customer is requesting arrears of TAL, see How to pay Telephone Allowance (TAL) arrears. Procedure ends here.

To update the telephone details and/or the subscriber details, run the Change in Contact Details workflow.

If the workflow is unavailable, go to the Telecommunication Details (!TCD) screen in Customer First.

Note: if unsure of the appropriate codes/responses, use help (?) field for more details.

• Identify and select the type of telephone number to update
• Note: update any Alternative phone number listed within a claim under Contact (CON)
• Start Date: field, code the date the customer notified the agency. Note: if the customer advises of a future start date, code the date advised by the customer. A date up to 14 days in the future can be coded
• End Date: field, code only if ceasing the phone number and no new phone number is provided
• Number: field, code the number provided including the Australian area code: field if applicable
• Subscriber: field, select applicable response
• Silent: field, select applicable response
• Ptnr Same: field, select applicable response
• Source: field
• Receipt Date: field, date of contact
• Confirm the new telephone or subscriber details recorded on the provisional data line
• Select Continue

See Telephone Allowance (TAL) to confirm eligibility of TAL and to find out the next TAL payment date if the customer is eligible. Advise customer of their eligibility.

Is the customer also advising of new, a change or a correction to home internet service details?

• Yes, go to Step 6
• No, if completing the Change in Contact Details workflow, finalise the workflow, otherwise:
• Key 'FIN' in the Next: field and Press [Enter]
• Procedure ends here

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

To update new telephone details and/or update subscriber details, run the Change in Contact Details workflow.

If the workflow is unavailable, go to the Telecommunication Details (!TCD) screen in Customer First.

Note: if unsure of the appropriate codes/responses, use help (?) field for more details.

• Identify and select the type of telephone number to update
• Note: update any Alternative phone number listed within a claim under Contact (CON)
• Start Date: field, code the date the customer notified the agency. Note: if the customer advises of a future start date, code the date advised by the customer. A date up to 14 days in the future can be coded
• End Date: field, code only if ceasing the phone number and no new phone number is provided
• Number: field:
• Do not code the Australian Area Code: field
• landlines – code the country code plus the 5 digit telephone number for example 67232####
• mobile telephones - code the country code plus the 5 digit mobile number for example 67235####
• Comments: field add notes: Norfolk Island. Dial 0011 6723 plus the 5 digit number
• Subscriber: field, select applicable response
• Silent: field, select applicable response
• Ptnr Same: field, select applicable response
• Source: field
• Receipt Date: field, date of contact
• Confirm the new telephone or subscriber details recorded on the provisional data line
• Select Continue

See Telephone Allowance (TAL) to confirm eligibility of TAL and to find out the next TAL payment date if the customer is eligible. Advise customer of their eligibility.

Is the customer also advising of new, a change or a correction to home internet service details?

• Yes, go to Step 5
• No, if completing the Change in Contact Details workflow, finalise the workflow, otherwise:
• Key 'FIN' in the Next: field and Press [Enter]
• Procedure ends here

To correct the telephone details, run the Change in Contact Details workflow.

If the workflow is unavailable, go to the Telecommunications Details (!TCD) screen in Customer First.

• Identify and select the type of telephone number to update
• Note: update any Alternative phone number listed within a claim under Contact (CON)
• Update the applicable fields as required
• Source: field
• Receipt Date: field, date of contact
• Confirm the updated telephone details recorded on the provisional data line
• Select Continue

If completing the Change in Contact Details workflow, finalise the workflow, otherwise:

• Key ‘FIN’ in the Next: field and Press [Enter]
• Procedure ends here

To end the Telephone Service, run the Change in Contact Details workflow.

If the workflow is unavailable, go to the Telecommunications Details (!TCD) screen in Customer First.

• Identify and select the type of telephone number to end
• Note: update any Alternative phone number listed within a claim under Contact (CON)
• End Date: field, code the date the telephone service ended
• Source: field
• Receipt Date: field, date of contact
• Confirm the updated telephone service details recorded on the provisional data line
• Select Continue

If completing the Change in Contact Details workflow, finalise the workflow, otherwise:

• Key 'FIN' in the Next: field and Press [Enter]
• If a debt for TAL exists, see Telephone Allowance (TAL) debts
• Procedure ends here

Note: the higher rate of Telephone Allowance is only applicable to the following payments.

Disability Support Pension (DSP) customers, under 21 with no dependent children, are eligible for the higher rate of TAL if they have a current home internet connection in their name and are eligible for basic rate of TAL.

Farm Household Allowance (FHA) customers are eligible for the higher rate of TAL if they have a current home internet connection in their or their partner's name and are eligible for basic rate of TAL.

A customer's telephone and internet services do not have to be with the same service provider for them to qualify for the higher rate of TAL.

Pre-paid internet services do not qualify a customer for the higher rate TAL. This is because they do not provide certainty that a customer will maintain such a service.

For details of the higher rate, see Rates and thresholds.

• The customer advises they have a home internet service (and they are eligible for the higher rate) or their home internet details have changed
• Run the Change in Contact Details workflow or code the Internet Connection Details on the !TCD page in Customer First or the Internet Connection Details (ICD) screen in Customer First>Customer Record, with:
• Internet subscriber (Y/N)
• Name of Internet Service Provider
• Start Date (date of notification)
• Make partner the same (Y/N)
• If the customer advises of a future start date, code the date advised by the customer. A date up to 14 days in the future can be coded
• Source: field
• Receipt Date: field, with date of contact
• Confirm the home internet service details recorded on the provisional data line
• To finalise the activity key 'FIN' in the Next: field and Press [Enter]
• Procedure ends here

• Code the Internet Connection Details on the !TCD page or the ICD screen in Customer First, with:
• Internet subscriber (N)
• End Date
• Make partner the same (Y/N)
• Source: field
• Receipt Date: field, with date of contact
• Confirm the home internet service details recorded on the provisional data line
• Finalise the activity key 'FIN' in the Next: field and Press [Enter]
• Procedure ends here

• Overstrike the previously recorded details with the correct home internet details on the !TCD page in Customer First or the ICD screen in Customer First > Customer Record
• Complete the footer details, including 'C' in the Action: field
• Source: field
• Receipt Date: field, with date of contact
• Confirm the internet details recorded on the provisional data line
• To finalise the activity key 'FIN' in the Next: field and press [Enter]
• Procedure ends here