Residence and Portability screens 106-06020020

Australian residence is part of the qualification requirements for almost all Australian social security payments and concession cards. Recording residence information accurately and completely ensures payments and concessions cards are assessed correctly. This procedure describes the screens used to record residence and provides information for coding these screens.

The residence screens are accessible in all payments systems (for example, PEN, NSS, FAO, ISS) and are automatically selected during the new claim process. These screens need to be accurately coded so the system can correctly assess whether the customer is entitled to an Australian payment.

Residence screens need to be completed for all customers. The screens display residence and movement information that can be used by a Service Officer to help determine residence qualification for payments. Most importantly, the system will use the information recorded to calculate whether a customer has adequate qualifying residence periods or whether they are subject to or have served a Newly Arrived Resident's Waiting Period (NARWP).

The claim process will attempt a datalink with the Department of Home Affairs. If successful, the datalink will automatically retrieve and record a customer's visa and movement information from 1 September 1994, and grants of Australian citizenship when available.

If the datalink is unsuccessful, the residence information needs to be manually recorded. If immigration has provided the information, it will take precedence over any conflicting information provided by the customer. Once the customer’s immigration record is matched with their Centrelink record, ongoing updates to movement information and visa changes will be automatically recorded on the Centrelink record for customers, partners and dependent children.

The customer needs to provide, and verify where necessary, information about residence before 1 September 1994. Customers will also be asked to provide a passport number to help verify the immigration information.

Service Officers need to manually assess and record the decision about whether a customer is or was residing in Australia. The datalink does not provide this information.