Processing proof of rent for the Verification field on the Accommodation Details (AC) screen 108-18092631

Item

Scenario

1

Verification returned in 2 parts on different dates

Matilda provides a completed Rent Declaration (SU336M) on Tuesday 18 September 2023. The supporting evidence is not included.

On Thursday 20 September 2023, the supporting evidence is provided.

As the supporting evidence are needed as part of the verification, the date of receipt of the verification is the date it was all available, Thursday 20 September 2023.

In all cases, the date of receipt of verification is the date all documents needed to verify the rent have been provided.

2

Address manually changed on Rent Certificate (SU523HD)

Sally returns a SU523HD. The address on the customer record is 6 Smith Street. Sally changes the address on the SU523HD to 62 Smith Street.

The landlord has signed the Rent Certificate. There is no formal rental agreement. There have been no changes to the rent amount, the date or the sharer details. The changed address has no impact on the customer's eligibility for Rent Assistance (RA) or the amount of RA to be paid.

It is reasonable to believe there has been an error in the recording of the address.

The verification is accepted and updated VEC - Verified (Rent Certificate). In the same activity, the address is corrected from the original date of event.

3

Rent Certificate (SU523HD) information is different from accompanying formal rental agreement

Ted provides a SU523HD and a formal rental agreement. The SU523HD lists the rent amount as $220 per week. This is the amount Ted advised over the phone when the change of address was first notified. There are no changes to the SU523HD, however the formal rental agreement has the rent amount as $250 per week.

Both amounts would result in the maximum rate of RA.

As the formal rental agreement is a legal document, the amount of $250 per week is accepted and updated as verified VEF - Verified (Formal).

4

Date of Receipt (DOR) when a customer provides manual changes

When a customer provides new accommodation information (manual changes) as part of the rent verification process, different to what they provided when they first notified the change in circumstance, then the date of receipt (DOR) to be used to update the new information will be determined based on whether the application of this new information will result in a favourable or unfavourable outcome.

When a customer is providing new information on a different date, the effect the new information will have on their RA entitlement (favourable/no change/ unfavourable) must be determined in order to decide the most appropriate DOR.

When the application of the new information will result in:

• a favourable outcome (RA rate increase), then the DOR is the date the new rate increasing information was received. This is either the date the:
• rent verification document was received, or
• verbal changes were advised by the customer
• no change to entitlement or an unfavourable outcome (RA rate decrease), then the DOR is the date the rent verification document was received

Note: when rent verification documentation is received in parts, the date the last piece is provided will be the DOR.

5

ACS code is NVE following UPL coding

Betty updates their accommodation circumstances online. The rent verification code is updated to UPL - RA Paying - Rent Verification to be uploaded, and formal verification is requested. Betty is not required to supply a rent certificate (SU523HD) with formal verification.

If Betty fails to supply formal verification, ACS coding will change to NVE - Not Verified, on day 29.

If Betty then supplies formal verification (an acceptable formal rental agreement), ACS is updated as VEF - Verified Formal.

6

Date of Receipt (DOR) when a customer provide a verification document

Katie has updated their accommodation circumstances on 01.12.2022 and was issued a rent certificate (SU523HD) for verification.

Katie lodges an acceptable rent certificate SU523HD on 25.01.2023.

The correct DOR for processing verification is 25.01.2023.

7

Date of Receipt (DOR) when a customer provides multiple verification documents

Joey has updated their accommodation circumstances on 22.06.2023 and was issued a rent certificate (SU523HD) for verification.

Joey lodges a formal rental agreement on 01.07.2023, however as a rent certificate is required, another SU523HD is issued.

Joey lodges a rent certificate SU523HD on 01.08.2023.

The correct DOR for processing verification is 01.08.2023.

Note: For Rent Assistance where the customer has already notified of the change and has now provided the verification document, the DOR will be the date all documents needed to verify the rent have been provided.

Where multiple documents have been provided over multiple dates, the DOR is the date the last of the required document was provided.