Raising Assurance of Support (AoS) debts 005-03060000

Manual AoS debts are raised in the following circumstances:

• An assuree is granted an AoS recoverable payment on a multiple record, go to Step 2
• An Expiry or Yearly Review:
  • where No data is showing, and a debt has been identified, go to Step 3
  • work item has an incorrect start and/or end date, go to Step 3
• When instructed to do so by an ARO decision, as instructed by ICT or an AoS Helpdesk, go to Step 4
• To adjust or correct an already existing manual AoS debt, go to Step 10

Note: for help assessing a customer's individual circumstances, refer to Local Peer Support (LPS). LPS will also determine if contact with the Data Quality Unit (DQU) is needed. See the Resources page for DQU contact information.

When an assuree is granted an AoS recoverable payment on a multiple record, the standard auto review or debt processes are not generated.

The reviews only generate when the recoverable payment is on the AoS record, with a Benefit Status of AOE/CUR or AOE/ACC.

Give feedback to the Service Officer who incorrectly granted payment on the multiple record if it is clear the error might have been avoided. Use the Staff Feedback Tool.

It will be clear in some cases that the Service Officer could not locate the multiple record either due to the:

• lack of options available at the time of record creation for detecting or preventing the multiple record, or
• details on the multiple record were incorrect, and standard searches would not have located the record

The Service Officer should contact the assuree and their assurer(s) to:

• tell the assurer of the AoS debt, and
• establish the assurer(s) support for ongoing eligibility under the same principles as an assuree first claiming a recoverable payment. See Assuree makes a claim for an AoS recoverable payment

An AoS Service Officer needs to manually raise a determined debt on the assurer's AoS record for all the recoverable payment(s) made on the assurer's multiple record.

Go to Step 4.

For an Expiry or Yearly Review:

• Where No data is showing, and a debt has been identified. In Process Direct:
  • incorrect review start and/or end dates are not updatable
  • override the review by zeroing out all debt amounts, so no auto debt is raised
• Raise a manual 'Determined' debt in Customer First or Customer Record on the appropriate record
• The 'AoS Bank Guarantee Release' and 'AoS Assurer Statement of Account' letters are set as Do Not Send. Email Assurance of Support to advise letters are to be marked as obsolete

There are some instances where the start and end date are blank on the Bond Details (AOBD) screen, for example:

• the Assuree Arrival Details (AOAE) screen on the assuree's record has not been updated, or
• there may be a possible multiple record

To manually enter start date on an assuree record, see to Activation, cancellation, transfer and expiry of an Assurance of Support (AoS) case.

For a commencement review, see Assurance of Support (AoS) reviews.

Note: for help assessing a customer's individual circumstances, refer to Local Peer Support (LPS). See Tier 1 technical support - Local Peer Support (LPS).

Go to Step 4.

Manual debts are raised on the assurer record in Customer First or Customer Record via the Add Debt (OPAD) screen.

In AoS cases, where there is more than one assurer, raise a multiple liability debt with the same debt ID by coding the Multiple Liability (OPML) screen. Do not raise separate debts on each assurer's record.

Note: where there is more than one assuree in an AoS case that have been in receipt of a recoverable payment, separate debts must be raised for each individual assuree. Do not combine these debts. If a bond amount is available to offset all debts to be raised, no priority of what manual debt is raised first. If the AoS debt amount is greater than the bond available, priority is to raise the primary assuree debt first.

If there are any concerns regarding family and domestic violence if contact is made with the assurer, refer to Table 1 > Step 4 before attempting any contact.

AoS Service Officers must:

• make genuine attempts to contact the assurer(s) to advise of the debt to be raised, when:
  • the assurer was not contacted when the assuree claimed the recoverable payment
  • no previous AoS debts have been raised
  • quarterly reviews not actioned or returned
• record details on a DOC. Include:
  • each contact attempt
  • outcome
  • time and date of call, and
  • if a pre-call SMS was sent

On the primary assurer record in Customer First or Customer Record, go to the Add Debt (OPAD) screen, code the fields:

• Benefit Type: the recoverable payment type the assuree received
• Reason: ASO - Assurance of Support recovery (old)
• Section of Act: 1227 - Assurance of Support
• Date of Event: the date of event that caused the debt. This can be the same as the start date
• Start Date: start date of AoS debt is the:
  • commencement date the recoverable payment was first paid from, or
  • date last debt raised to plus one day
• End Date: end date of AoS debt, is the date paid to (not delivery date)
• Calculated Amount: total AoS debt amount
• Addtnl Reference No.: assuree payment record CRN (primary record)

Note: if a customer has a debt that covers multiple social security payments:

• only one debt can be raised for the total value of all recoverable payments, and
• the Benefit type will be the largest value social security payment the assuree received

Press [Enter] to go to the Component Amount (OPCA) screen.

Code the fields:

• Component Type: basic payment or the recoverable supplementary payment type. For payments where the entitlement falls within one financial year but is paid in the following financial year. Code the Component Amount (OPCA) screen using the tax year (financial year) dates in which the payment was paid
• Ben: the code for the recoverable payment type the assuree received
• Start Date and End Date: as relevant to the AoS debt
• Calc Amt $: total calculation of the basic payment or recoverable supplementary type

If an error 'E171DB - Component period cannot span two financial years' presents, change the dates to match the Entitlement Period End (EPED) dates.

For assistance coding the OPCA screen, refer to Local Peer Support (LPS)

Note: some components of payments received may be on the second page of the OPCA screen.

Press [Enter] to go to the Assessment Finalisation screen. Enter Y in the Finished? field.

Add any notes in Activity Comments field.

Is this a multiple liability debt?

• Yes, go to Step 8
• No, go to Step 9

Do not raise separate debts for each assurer.

If there are joint assurers, raise a multiple liability debt with the same debt ID:

• Go to the Multiple Liability (OPML) screen
• Select the debt of the primary assurers record from the OPDL screen
• Code OPML in the next screen
• For each joint assurer, complete the:
  • Co-Debtor CRN field with the CRN of the secondary assurer
  • Enter the full debt amount in Liability field
  • Press [Enter] to go to the Assessment Finalisation (OPAF) screen
  • Enter Y in the Finished? field
  • Add any notes in Activity Comments field

Go to Step 9.

To adjust a manually raised AoS debt as the 'Determined' debt calculation is incorrect, or needs to be adjusted to comply with a review of a decision, or Authorised Review Officer (ARO) determination:

• Select the relevant manual AoS debt from the Debt List (OPDL) screen
• Go to the Debt Amount (OPDA) screen:
  • Select the correct Debt ID
  • Select the relevant option from the Reason Changed field, for example incorrect coding - COD
  • Correct the Calculated Amount $ field to adjusted amount or to zero, as applicable
• Go to the Component Amounts (OPCA) screen and adjust all component fields as required
• If there are multiple assurers, the Multiple Liability (OPML) screen will also require adjustment to the new updated amount for each assurer

Note: if debt is adjusted, a manual letter to the Assurer(s) ‘Statement of Account’ Q084 is to be created with the revised debt amount.

See Changing account details on debts raised in the Debt Management and Information System (DMIS).

The 'AoS Bank Guarantee Release' and 'AoS Assurer Statement of Account' letters are set as Do Not Send. The AoS Yearly and Expiry Reviews completed in Process Direct will automatically create the debt letter when activity is finalised.

Although the ‘AoS Ended Assurer Letter’ is not set as Do Not Send, staff must confirm that any bond amount remaining is correct and funds are being released correctly to either the CBA and/or the assurer.

Staff need to:

• view the letters, see Viewing or reissuing a letter or electronic message
• check the letter content is correct
• email Assurance of Support to advise letters are to be released or marked as obsolete

If an incorrect letter was generated, create the required manual letter(s) in Process Direct. Use:

• Q084 AoS Assurer Statement of Account letter (for assurer), and
• Q271 AoS Bank Guarantee Release letter (for CBA)
• Q386 End of Assurance letter issued to the Assurer(s), only when the AoS period has expired or cancelled and there is no debt

Note: if the debt is a multiple liability debt, send a Q084 to each assurer.

No manual 'AoS Ended Assurer Letter' currently available if an AoS debt has been raised. If letter is incorrect, email Assurance of Support to request a manual Q999 letter be issued. The email must include the following information:

• Subject heading: Q999 replacement letter for AoS Ended Assurer
• Body:
  • AoS Case ID -
  • Assurer(s) CRN(s) -
  • Full names of all Assurees -
  • Bond amount -
  • Debt amount -
  • Remaining bond balance -

See Creating a manual letter or Online Advice (OLA).

When creating the manual Q084, Q271 or Q386, see Resources for AoS Manual letter options in Process Direct for the correct selections under rules and Variables.

In Process Direct update the bond balance for the AoS case via the Bond Details (AOBD) screen, for future debt recovery or release.

AoS period has not expired

• Select Add
• Enter start date (date the debt was raised)
• Select appropriate Bond Action Reason
  • Bond Manually Recovered to Centrelink
  • Partial Bond Manually Recovered to Centrelink
• Update Bond Account Balance field (Note: due to system limitation, $0 cannot be coded, instead code $0.01)
• Update Debt ID. Add the Debt ID for the debt raised

AoS period expired

• Select Add
• Enter start date (date the debt was raised)
• Select appropriate Bond Action Reason
  • Bond Manually Recovered to Centrelink
  • Partial Bond Manually Recovered to Centrelink
  • Bond Manually Recovered to assurer
• Update Bond Account Balance field
• Update Debt ID. Add the Debt ID for the debt raised

Create a manual Bond Review to follow up return of bond to Services Australia

In Customer First, create a manual review on the Review Registration (RVR) screen. Complete the fields as follows:

• Service Reason: AOS
• Review Reason: FSB (Failed to Supply Proof of Bond Lodgement) Note: this is the only manual reason code able to be used
• Due Date: 42 days from date debt raised
• Source: INT
• Date of Receipt: today's date
• Notes: 'Manual letter issued <insert date issued> to CBA requesting return of bond amount <insert bond amount> to recover AoS debt ID <insert debt ID number located on the Debt List (OPDL) screen>.'
• Keywords: MANREV
• Workgroup: leave blank
• Position: leave blank
• Transfer to Region: leave blank

The review will mature on the Due Date coded in the RVR activity. Workload Management will allocate the review for manual action.

Open the AoS Debt Proforma on the Resources page.

Complete the Fast Note section of the pro forma.

Use Fast Note - select Auto text > use Assurance of Support > AoS Debt > AoS Debt Action.

For customer fields use:

• Who contacted: CSO
• Service reason: AOS
• Date or receipt: date debt was raised
• Channel: INT
• Source: INT

For enquiry details use:

• Summary line: ENQ
• Transaction type: Specialist

Paste the completed proforma section into the Fast Note text.

If there are multiple assurers, document each assurer record for cross referencing.

When AoS debt raised and debt balance equal to or greater than $10,000 once any available bond has been deducted, a Debt Recovery Fast Note is required. AoS Debt Processing staff must use Fast Note select Auto text > use Debt Recovery > Debt Recovery Referrals > Recovery Referral - Large Debt

Upload the completed AoS Debt Proforma and PS Tool calculation to all relevant records using Form Type as DBTCAL. See Attaching electronic documents to a Centrelink customer's record.