Status Resolution Support Services (SRSS) customer eligibility for Rental Assistance Allowance 005-06010010

The Department of Home Affairs will advise Services Australia if a customer is living in Service Provider leased accommodation (either short-term accommodation provided by the service provider or emergency accommodation) and paying a Temporary Accommodation Contribution.

Confirm the housing type with Department of Home Affairs when:

• a customer contacts to advise they are in privately leased accommodation, and
• the SRSS information screen indicates they are in Service Provider leased accommodation

To do this, refer to the SRSS Level 1 Helpdesk.

If the customer has asked for a review of the RAA, go to Step 11.

Is the customer living in Service Provider leased accommodation or emergency accommodation provided by their Department of Home Affairs contracted service provider?

• Yes, they are not eligible for RAA. Procedure ends here
• No, go to Step 2

Is the customer single?

• Yes, go to Step 3
• No, go to Step 5

Does the customer have dependent children?

• Yes, the customer will be paid single with child Rental Assistance Allowance rate. Go to Step 7
• No, go to Step 4

To be classified as a sharer for RAA, the customer must:

• be single
• without dependent children
• not living in exempt accommodation, and
• have a legal right to share a major area of their accommodation with others

Is the customer a sharer?

• Yes, the customer will be eligible for the sharer's rate of Rental Assistance Allowance. Go to Step 7
• No, the customer will be eligible for the single RAA amount. Go to Step 7

Does the partner receive any payments (including SRSS, Social Security, family assistance, or Veterans' Affairs income support)?

• Yes, and the partner is receiving:
• The SRSS payment, go to Step 6
• An Income Support payment or Family Tax Benefit with Rent Assistance (RA), the SRSS customer will not be entitled to any RAA. The partner will receive RA on behalf of the couple. Procedure ends here
• No, the SRSS customer will receive the partnered rate of RAA. Go to Step 7

Do the customers have any dependent children?

• Yes, the primary parent will be paid the partnered rate of Rental Assistance Allowance on behalf of the couple and children. Go to Step 7
• No, each customer will receive half of the partnered rate of RAA. Go to Step 7

Determine the appropriate code for the Type of Rent: field. For example, 'PRI' (Private Rent), 'NRT' (Net Rent Assessed) or 'OHO' (Other Housing organisation).

If the customer is a sharer, ensure the net rent rules are applied as appropriate.

The customer will be eligible for RAA if the rent code is:

• PRI, BOA, DEF, LOD, MNT, MOO, NRT, OHO, OTH, SIT and customer is BAND 4/5/6 and paying more than the Minimum rent thresholds

All other rent codes do not attract RAA.

Go to Step 8.

Update the following:

• Event Date: the event date will depend on the type of change:
• For an increase in rent liability within the 14 day notification period, the 'event date' will be the date the customer's rent liability changed
• For an increase in rent liability outside of the 14 day notification period, the 'event date' will be the date the customer notified Services Australia of the change in rent liability. This will prevent the customer receiving arrears as they failed to notify Services Australia of a change in their circumstances within 14 days. Record the following in a DOC: 'As the customer has advised of a change of rent outside of the 14 day notification period, the customer is not entitled to Rental Assistance Allowance arrears'
• For any decrease in rent liability, the 'event date' will always be the date the customer's rent liability changed
  
  Note: if a customer has previously advised Services Australia of a change in their rent details and these were not coded or coded incorrectly at the time, escalate to the SRSS Level 1 Helpdesk to liaise with the Department of Home Affairs to determine the date to be applied by Services Australia
• Home Ownership: Y/N - the type of ownership the customer has over the accommodation
• Type of Rent: code the appropriate code in the Type of Rent: field
• Sharer Status: code the appropriate code in the Sharer Status: field. Ensure customers who are 18-24 years of age and Living with Parents, are coded as LWP
• Gross/Total Household Rent: and Freq: Record the total rent charged for the property here
• Net Rent Amount: and Freq: If the customer is living with someone other than their partner and dependent child(ren) the net rent rules are applied, record the amount of the customer's share of the rent here
• Rent verification: customers will be required to verify their rent details unless they are exempt under SRSS rent verification rules. It will usually be 'COA', unless:
• The customer has provided acceptable verification, staff should manually apply either Verified VEC (Rent Certificate) or Verified VEF (Formal)
• The customer is living in an accommodation type that is exempt from the requirement to verify - use 'EXB', 'EXV', 'EXC' or 'EXR') or,
• The customer is currently receiving RAA and is advising a change in rent liability (first or second time updated in 12 months without providing verification) only, and the change is reasonable and results in RAA arrears of less than $100 - code 'VED' and DOC the record, and include 'accepted verbal rent declaration'
• Govt Sub-tenant:
• Reason Home Vacated: (if applicable)
• Date Home Vacated: (if applicable)
• Source: and DOR:
• Action: 'I' to insert

If verification is not provided, then RAA will cancel on day 28. If the customer contacts within 13 weeks of RAA being cancelled, do not pay arrears of RAA, see Step 3 in Table 2.

If the customer is exempt from the requirement to provide verification because they live in an exempt accommodation type, code the Rent Verification: field with the appropriate exemption code:

• 'EXB' (Customer in Boarding Style accommodation)
• 'EXV' (Customer in Retirement Village)
• 'EXC' (Customer is f/t in non-Cmwlth, or
• 'EXR' (Customer in Refuge)

RAA will be paid immediately.

RAA will not be paid or will cease if the code 'NVE' (not verified) has been used.
Note: if the verification code of 'NVE' is used, a Rent Certificate must be manually created and issued to the customer in a separate activity.

Is a Rent certificate (SU523HD) to be issued manually?

• Yes, go to Step 9
• No, go to Step 10

Manually issue a Rent Certificate SU523HD in Process Direct.

• Open Process Direct and select Customer Summary
• Under Search Criteria in the Search Customers screen, enter the Customer Reference Number (CRN)
• Select Go
• Select the row of the customer's record (do not select the CRN link)
• Go to the Correspondence (Corro) screen
• Minimise the Correspondence History twisty
• Go to Issue Correspondence
• In Correspondence Type select Rent Certificate
• Check the date is for the required timeframe (defaults to the past 2 years)
• select Search
• Select the required address in the Address table.
• In the Accommodation table, select the Printer symbol next to the entry which requires verification
• The Delivery Options screen appears
• An option to Preview the rent certificate is also available

Is the SU523HD to be printed immediately?

• Yes, select Immediate Print (local). Do not process multiple 'Immediate Print' requests for the same customer before receiving the 'Print was successful/not successful' message. Doing this will increase the volume of items queued to print and cause further delays. Go to Step 10
• No, select Send via Post. Go to Step 11

Once rent details have been coded, the system will generate a payment determined SRSS Social Service Plan. Check the entitlement items in the SSP to ensure the customer is receiving the correct entitlement and rate of payment.

Access the Social Service Plan.

Scroll down the customer's Social Service Plan to check for any further changes to the customer's:

• Eligibility
• Entitlement items, or
• Payment rate assessed

Is the SSP displaying an underpayment?

• Yes, go to Table 2
• No, if the rate is
• correct approve the Social Service Plan
• incorrect, raise an SD via my support. DOC the record

Note: it is important all activities relating to the change of circumstances are finalised before the Social Service Plan being approved.

If an SRSS customer requests a review of RAA, escalate to the SRSS Level 1 Helpdesk.

DOC the record. Use Fast Note - select Auto text, use Multicultural > SRSS Operations > Referred to SRSS Level 1 Helpdesk. Including details of the customer's request and any additional information that has been provided.

If required, the SRSS Level 1 Helpdesk will liaise with the Department of Home Affairs for a determination on action required.

Did the customer notify of the increase in rent liability within the 14 day notification period?

• Yes, go to Step 2
• No, go to Step 3

Are the arrears correct?

• Yes, the Service Officer can approve the arrears:
• Approve the SSP
• DOC the record. Include the arrears amount, dates and SSP number, reason for the arrears and any other relevant information
• No, the Service Officer must:
• Raise an incident via Roxy and add 'Update made in CF for SRSS' in the first line of the Issue Description
• place the work item on Hold (not Hold to User) for 28 days
• DOC the record

Did the customer notify of the increase in rent liability outside the 14 day notification period but within 13 weeks?

• Yes:
• Escalate to SRSS Level 1 Helpdesk to obtain approval from the Department of Home Affairs
• Place the work item on Hold (not Hold to User) for 28 days
• DOC the record
• No:
• Update the Accommodation Details (AC) screen using the date of notification as the date of event
• DOC the record