Rejecting a Parenting Payment (PP) claim 106-07130220

When making an unfavourable decision, a Decision Maker (DM) must give the customer:

• an explanation of the decision
• an opportunity to provide further information, or evidence relevant to the decision, and
• their review and appeal rights, see Request for an explanation, quality check or review
• discuss possible eligibility to an alternative Centrelink payment and advise the customer to access the Payment Finder on the Services Australia website

If a DM is not speaking with a customer at the time of making an unfavourable decision, the DM needs to make 2 genuine attempts to contact the customer before finalising the activity. Note: contact is not needed for some streamline reject decisions where the customer is not vulnerable or at risk customer, or prior contact made to request required information verbally or in writing go to Step 4.

Note: if the customer is getting a Disability payment from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, do not reject their claim based on income before checking whether they may be entitled to receive Defence Force Income Support Allowance (DFISA). If correctly coded, the system can identify these customers, including DVA Disability payment details.

For vulnerable recipients, go to the Family and domestic violence procedure to conduct risk identification and offer suitable referrals, such as a referral to a social worker.

Where the customer indicates that they and/or their children are at risk of family and domestic violence, their relationship status and address may be updated immediately and verification requested (if required). See Process Table 4, Step 1 Unlink the customer from their former partner of Change in relationship status from partnered to single.

• If the claim is to be rejected due to being a member of a couple, go to Step 3
• For all other circumstances, go to Step 4

If it is determined, that the customer is a member of a couple and originally lodged a claim for Parenting Payment Single (PPS), assess whether the customer is eligible for Parenting Payment Partnered (PPP).

If the customer is:

• eligible for PPP, see Processing Parenting Payment (PP) claims noting the Change Benefit tab may be used to change the claim from PPS to PPP. Procedure ends here
• not eligible for PPP, reject the claim based on the reason they are not eligible e.g. C06 or INC. Go to Step 4

Streamlined rejections: Full claim coding is not required if the claim is to be streamline rejected. Streamline rejection codes for PP are:

• FSD - Failed to supply documents
• NDE - No Dependents eligible
• C06 - Youngest child over 6 (PPP)
• C14 - Youngest child over 14 (PPS)

Automatic rejections: Most claims will automatically reject when all details from the claim are coded. An automatic rejection is preferred to ensure:

• the correct letter is issued and
• all claim details are available should the customer ask for a review

Manual rejections: In some cases, a claim will need to be manually rejected e.g. the person has failed to provide documents. See Request to reassess a rejected claim.

Note: Service Officers may use discretion when to apply a streamline, manual or automatic rejection. An automatic rejection is the preferred option.

If the claim:

• can be streamline rejected, go to Step 5
• requires a manual rejection, go to Step 6
• will automatically reject, finalised the claim. Go to Step 7

For streamline rejections, Service Officer must update any changes to circumstances that may impact a customer's and/or partner's current payments or benefits. Apply the updates after all actions have been completed on the Benefit Action (BA) screen. This includes updating the relationship status if verified.

To undertake a streamline rejection Service Officers must go to the Transaction Summary (TS) screen in Process Direct.

• Select Process
• Go to the BA screen via the Super Key icon
• Select to create a new entry
• Select from the dropdown menu available:
• Benefit Type Code
• Benefit Action (REJ-Reject)
• Streamline Rejection checkbox
• Reason for rejection
• Date of Effect will automatically default to the claim submission date
• Select Save. A new line will display on the BA screen, go to the Errors (SWE) screen via the Super Key icon
• Select Assess. This will navigate to the Entitlement (ELD) screen which will display rejection details
• Select Finish
• Finalise Comments will display. Add any additional information if required. Select Finalise

A message box will display with details of the rejection. Service Officers must check the content and update as required.

The decision DOC must list the documents not provided at the time of rejection if rejecting Failed to Supply Documents (FSD).

There is no need to try to contact the customer if:

• a customer is not a vulnerable or at risk customer, and
• the customer has been advised verbally or in writing of their need to give more details

Note: if the customer has applied for PPP and is FTB current on a single rate, see Family assistance customer becomes partnered for details on issuing a Q999.

Go to Step 7.

Code the claim with all information that has been supplied before rejecting the claim.

Once claim is ready to be manually rejected:

• Go to the Transaction Summary (TS) screen:
• Select Process and go to the Benefit Action (BA) screen via the Super Key icon
• Select to create new entry
• From the dropdown menu, select:
• Benefit Type Code
• Benefit Action (REJ-Reject)
• Reason for rejection
• Date of Effect will automatically default to the claim submission date
• Select Save. A new line will display on the BA screen. Navigate to the SWE screen via the Super Key icon
• Select Assess. This will navigate to the Entitlement (ELD) screen which will display rejection details
• Select Finish
• Finalise Comments will display. Add any additional information if required. Select Finalise
• A message box will display with details of the rejection. Check the content and update as required

Check if the customer needs to revise their current income estimate. This may have included expected PP as a part of their estimated taxable income estimate. Advise choices available to help reduce the chance of an overpayment during the reconciliation process. See Updating income estimates for the current financial year.