Claiming and re-claiming Age Pension 065-03010000

Check the customer or nominee has a Centrelink online account linked to myGov. Organisation nominees must be registered for nominee organisation online services. Organisation nominees must log into Provider Digital Access (PRODA) to access nominee services. Nominees must select the person they wish to act for.

Advise the customer how they can create a myGov account and link Centrelink to it. This will also enable them to receive Centrelink mail online through the myGov Inbox.

If the customer is partnered, consider if the partner may also be eligible for Age Pension or another service offer. If the customer has permission to enquire on their partner’s behalf or their partner is present, discuss whether they would also like to lodge a claim.

Service centre staff can help customers with their online claim through self service terminals.

Customers can access the Payment and Service Finder on the website to check if Age Pension is an appropriate payment for them, and to start their claim.

Record the claim contact in a DOC and tell the customer:

• to start and submit a claim as soon as possible to be paid from the earliest possible date, and
• if they are having difficulty submitting the claim to contact Services Australia for help

Note: for customers in vulnerable circumstances, see Intent to claim and vulnerable customers.

Once the customer has a Centrelink online account linked to myGov, they must:

• sign into myGov and access their linked Centrelink online account
• from the menu, select My details > Personal and contact details > My profile to make updates:
• My profile page shows information from their Centrelink record
• select Update (relevant service name) in the sections such as Relationship or Interpreter details that need updating. Note: accommodation details are covered within the claim questions

Electronic Messaging

Customers who provide a mobile phone number or email address are advised they are automatically subscribed to Electronic Messaging (EM) services, unless they have previously declined EM. They are asked to nominate a preferred contact method (SMS or email) for electronic messages.

They are automatically subscribed to receive their Centrelink mail online in their myGov Inbox.

They can opt out of these services at any time.

To start a new claim:

• from the home page, select MENU > Payments and Claims > Claims > Make a claim
• in the Older Australians category, select Get started > Apply for Age Pension
• answer the pre-claim questions on the Eligibility Check page to check their eligibility for Age Pension, including details of circumstances to help the customer determine if they are in a crisis situation. The online claim will advise why they may not be eligible and refer them to the Payment and Service Finder or to contact Services Australia to discuss a more suitable payment. They can select Back to return to Make a claim page to begin another claim type
• after completing the streaming questions, select Continue

Customers must provide all required documents and verify their identity (if there is no Identify Confirmation (ICI) recorded) to submit their claim. Exceptions will be made for some vulnerable customers.

The Claim navigation page shows the sections of the claim the customer must complete. They must complete each section in order before they can start the next.

They select Start to access sections.

Each section contains modules with relevant questions. On each question page, the customer can select Previous to go back to the previous question.

Customers can select Launch the Digital Assistant for help with the questions on the current page.

After completing each section, the customer returns to the Claim navigation page to select the next section. They have the option to select Edit to correct answers to a previous section. They can then return to the Claim navigation page by selecting the arrow under the last dot on the side navigation and Continue.

Customers can use the dots on the side navigation of each page to go between pages in the online claim. If they answer a question incorrectly, a red cross will appear in the dots on the right of the page. They can select the red cross to go to the page with the error.

They do not need to complete the claim in one session. Customers can leave the Claim navigation page at any time and the responses will save for them to continue later.

All compulsory questions must be answered before the claim can be submitted.

Expired claims

An online claim will expire after 13 weeks if it has not been submitted. The customer must then submit a new claim. In some cases, the claim can be assessed from the original start date. For more information, see Circumstance Change Monitor. If further assistance is required refer to the Retirements Helpdesk.

To access their online claim, customers must:

• sign in to myGov and access their linked Centrelink online account
• select Payments and claims > Claims > My online claims from the menu

A list of all online claims started by the customer will display.

If the status of the claim is incomplete, the customer can choose to either:

• continue claim to display the next question set for completion, or
• cancel claim - page will display for them to confirm they want to do this. Once cancelled, the customer cannot view or continue the online claim. No claim information is recorded. The customer can start a new online claim at any time

Question sets include:

• Personal details - Identity, Address, Contact details, Relationship
• Contact Requirements - Permit to Enquire, Nominee
• Basic details about your Age Pension. Questions include:
• How often do you wish to receive the minimum pension supplement amount?
• Do you want to claim Age Pension as someone who is classified as permanently blind?
• Australian Residence
• Accommodation circumstances

This section allows the customer to supply or confirm information about their income and assets. The module includes questions about:

• payment instructions
• tax file number
• tax deductions
• savings
• investments including:
• superannuation
• income streams
• shares
• managed investments
• funeral bonds
• home equity conversion loans
• gifting
• business, trusts and companies, real estate
• other assets
• income including:
• employment income
• other government payments
• compensation
• foreign pensions, income and assets
• scholarships
• other income

Existing income and asset information is displayed for the customer to update or confirm.

Employment details may be pre-filled through Single Touch Payroll (STP) in the online claim for the customer to confirm. This includes the employer name and ABN. Staff can recognise a STP employer has been presented if the question “Do you work for (employer)” is displayed in the claim slider. Further details can be seen on the STP Employer Update (EMCF) screen.

If a customer confirms the STP employer, STP pre-filled income may also present on the STP Employer Wage Items (EMGI) screen. Staff can accept the STP data on EMGI if the pay event date is after the customer grant date. Staff must contact the customer to confirm the amounts prior to accepting the STP data.

If a customer has previously confirmed an employer and advises they do not work for the employer anymore, the employer will still remain as confirmed on the EMCF screen.

A customer will automatically be placed on reporting if STP data is presented to the customer within the claim, regardless of the employer status.

Some question sets require additional paper forms to be completed. If required, these will be included at Next steps:

• Private Trust (MOD PT)
• Special Disability Trust (MOD SDT)
• Private Company (MOD PC)
• Business details (MOD F)

Customers can upload their supporting documents for income and assets by using the Upload document service.

Note: if the customer indicates at any question they are unable to provide details, this will be identified at Review and Confirm and must be provided before the claim can be submitted.

If the customer is eligible, they will be presented with an option to claim 'just for myself' or 'for both myself and (their partner’s name)' as an Age Pension combined partner claim.

The option to submit a combined partner online claim will only appear where the following criteria is met:

• claim is being submitted by the customer, not a Nominee (Correspondence or Third Party Organisation)
• customer does not indicate they are in crisis (domestic violence, humanitarian visa entrant, natural disaster and recent prison release) in the claim
• partner is already linked in the system before starting the claim
• customer does not change current relationship status within the claim. The customer must not be single or in a relationship where they are unable to live together.
• both customer and partner are subscribed to electronic messaging before starting the claim
• partner is eligible to lodge a claim for Age Pension
• partner is not already receiving an Income Support Payment
• the customer has answered yes to the question 'Can you provide accurate information regarding your partner's circumstances to support your claim?'
• customer and partner are not applying as Age Pension Blind claimants
• neither customer or partner are registered for Pension Bonus Scheme (PDB/REG)
• partner has a payment destination account in their name either jointly or solely
• partner does not have a draft Age Pension claim.

The customer must not try to submit a claim more than 12 weeks after starting the claim. There needs to be enough time for partner to complete the partner tasks before the claim will automatically cancel online due to time lapse. If eligible for a combined partner claim, the partner must complete and confirm the claim task within 3 days of being notified, otherwise the claim will revert to an individual Age Pension claim for the customer only.

Outstanding items

This section will display if the customer has selected 'Provide details later' in any of the previous sections of the claim. The items can be selected, and the customer will go back to the relevant section of the claim to make the update.

Confirm details

A summary of all the information provided by the customer is displayed so they can check what they have entered is correct.

If changes are required, the customer can select the Update button relevant to the answers requiring change. This will take them back to the relevant section of the claim to review/update the particular claim questions and responses.

Declaration

Once all information is correct, the customer must accept the declaration by ticking the box. Completing the declaration means a signed claim form is not required.

Acknowledgement

The customer must accept the acknowledgement by ticking the box. Completing the acknowledgement means the customer understands and agrees to the terms of their claim.

Confirm Information

The customer must select the Confirm Information button to save all the information provided in the claim. Answers in the claim cannot be changed once this button is selected.

The partner will receive a notification via either SMS or email to advise that the customer would like to submit a claim on behalf of both customer and partner.

The partner will need to:

• sign into myGov and access their linked Centrelink online account
• select Task for Age Pension combined partner claim on the homepage
• give permission for their partner to claim on their behalf
• answer questions about their payment destination and tax deduction preferences
• review the claim answers that the customer completed on the partner’s behalf (no changes can be made)
• confirm, accept and declare the information to be true and correct

Note: the partner task must be completed and confirmed within 3 days of being notified of the task, or it will disappear and the claim will revert to an individual Age Pension claim for the customer only. If partner still wants to claim, they will need to submit their own claim within 14 days to ensure the same start date of payment if eligible.

The Next steps page advises the customer of any further information or documentation required for them to submit their claim.

Customers must provide all required documents and verify their identity (when a Confirmed Identify status has not been achieved) to submit their claim. Exceptions will be made for some vulnerable customers.

To be assessed from the earliest possible date, customers need to provide all required information and supporting documents and submit the claim as soon as possible. The date the claim has been submitted will generally determine the claim start date. Customers can access their saved claim for 13 weeks. After 13 weeks the claim will expire.

Customers can access their started online claim using their Centrelink online account or the Express Plus Centrelink mobile app to upload the required documents to submit their claim.

In the Next steps section, there is an Upload button next to most listed tasks, that will launch the Upload documents service and change the Task status to ‘Done’ once documents have been provided or actions completed.

If necessary, Service Officers can scan the documents and submit the claim for the customer:

• scan the documents
• run the Request and Manage Customer Tasks guided procedure in Customer First to submit the claim, or
• task can be marked as ‘provided’ by accessing the Tasks icon in Process Direct. See the Process Direct - managing tasks table for more information

If the customer uploaded or provided documents before starting the online claim the document displays as Required on the Next steps section. The customer can either:

• re-upload the document on the Next steps section
• contact by phone or in person to have the Request and Manage Customer Tasks guided procedure run to change the document status from Required to Provided

To submit their claim, customers must:

• answer all mandatory questions
• provide all their required documents
• verify their identity (when a confirmed Identity Confirmation status has not been achieved)

Exceptions may apply for vulnerable customers to submit their claim without providing all documents.

The claim cannot be submitted if the Required tasks are not completed.

Once the relevant tasks are completed, the Submit button will become available so the customer can submit their claim.

Claims not submitted within 13 weeks will expire. See the Online claim or ACC expired after 13 weeks table for more information.

Note: the customer must not try to submit a combined partner claim more than 12 weeks after starting the claim. There needs to be enough time for partner to complete the partner tasks before the claim will automatically cancel online due to time lapse.

'Channel hopping' allows:

• the customer to start a claim online and have it continued by a Service Officer, or
• a Service Officer to help a customer with starting a claim, which would then be completed by the customer online (a Centrelink online account linked to myGov is required)

Online claims and ACCs can also be started and submitted by customers or their nominees.

Note: nominees acting on behalf of their principals cannot submit an Age Pension combined partner online claim.

For more information, see Assisted Customer Claim (ACC) table in the Assisted tab.

If a customer or their nominee contacts to claim Age Pension, an online claim must be offered first.

For information about eligibility, see Qualification for Age Pension.

Claims can be lodged up to 13 weeks before the person's qualification date, for example the date they reach Age Pension age.

Correspondence nominees can lodge an individual Age Pension claim on behalf of their principal/s.

If the customer is partnered, consider if the partner may also be eligible for Age Pension or another service offer. If the customer has permission to enquire on their partner’s behalf or their partner is present, discuss whether they would also like to lodge a claim.

Is the customer currently receiving an income support payment (ISP), or was their ISP cancelled due to reaching Age Pension age and they are within 13 weeks of the cancellation date?

• Yes, see Transfer to Age Pension. Procedure ends here
• No, go to Step 3

Is the customer re-claiming Age Pension within 13 weeks of cancellation or rejection of their claim?

• Yes, see Table 5 Re-claiming Age Pension when it has been rejected or cancelled
• No, go to Step 4

Note: where a customer has withdrawn a claim, they must lodge a new claim.

Is it more than 13 weeks before the customer’s qualification date, for example the date they reach Age Pension age?

• Yes, tell the customer Age Pension cannot be claimed more than 13 weeks before the qualification date (for example the date they reach Age Pension age). Customers and staff can access the Payment and Service Finder on the website to check if an alternative payment is appropriate for them. Procedure ends here
• No, go to Step 5

If the customer is overseas and does not have a Centrelink online account, they must be issued the appropriate claim form.

Correspondence nominees can submit an online claim on behalf of their principal, provided the nominee is registered with an active Centrelink account or the organisation nominee is registered to conduct business on behalf of their principals via Business Hub.

Note: nominees acting on behalf of their principals cannot submit an Age Pension combined partner online claim.

Is the customer willing and able to complete the claim online?

• Yes, ensure they have a Centrelink online account linked to myGov and help them to complete their claim online. See Self service tab.
• No, go to Step 6

Service Officers use ACC when a customer or correspondence nominee is unable or unwilling to claim online. If a customer is unable to be assisted via ACC, staff are to run First Contact Service Offer (FCSO) workflow.

ACC will identify all documents required from the customer before the claim can be submitted. The Service Officer, nominee or customer can upload any required documents. See Upload documents service.

If the required documents include a form, the customer can print it from the Services Australia website, or the Service Officer can issue it.

If using ACC to claim Age Pension and Pension Bonus, Service Officers must recommend to the customer that they contact a Financial Information Service (FIS) Officer before submitting their claim.

For help completing ACC, see Table 2.

Income and assets details are not required if only claiming the basic rate of pension. However, if claiming Rent Assistance or if their partner is claiming or receiving a means tested income support payment, all income and assets details for blind customers must be supplied.

Full details are required if the customer or their partner is receiving or claiming any of the following:

• Compensation
• New Enterprise Incentive Scheme (NEIS) Allowance/Self-Employment Allowance
• Payments under an International Social Security Agreement
• A New Zealand Government payment
• A payment from the Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA)

If their partner is receiving a means tested income support payment, the customer's income and assets will affect the partner's entitlement.

• Issue a Request for Ophthalmologist/Optometrist Report (SA013)
• Check with the customer if they would like to appoint a nominee

For more information, see Contact in relation to an intended claim (CLK).

No supporting documents are required unless the customer wishes to supply extra medical reports to support their case.

Age Pension (Blind) customers can choose to receive their letters in an accessible format.

A claim started using ACC will expire after 13 weeks if not submitted. The customer must then start a new claim. In some cases the claim can be assessed from the original start date, see Circumstance Change Monitor. If further assistance is required refer to the Retirements Helpdesk.

Check the Document List (DL) screen for any DOCs relevant to a claim for Age Pension.

Update the customer's personal details via the Change in Contact Details workflow including interpreter details, as ACC does not ask for them. Do not update accommodation details using the Change in Contact Details workflow, as they will be updated in ACC.

Note: improved messaging now shows in the Centrelink online and Assisted Customer Claim (ACC) when an update is required to the OCD screen.

If ACC was started before the updates were made, the claim can be exited, and the updates made outside the claim before submitting it. The updates will appear on the Review page in ACC.

Electronic Messaging

Customers who provide a mobile phone number or email address are advised they are automatically subscribed to Electronic Messaging (EM) services, unless they have previously declined EM. They are asked to nominate a preferred contact method (SMS or email) for electronic messages.

They are automatically subscribed to receive their Centrelink mail online in their myGov Inbox.

They can opt out of these services at any time.

If the customer has a partner and the partner is eligible, clarify the partner’s intent. See Table 4 for more information. If specific criteria are met, an Age Pension combined partner online claim can be completed. Alternatively, and if partner is:

• available, a separate ACC can be started with the partner
• unavailable, use the FCSO workflow to issue the appropriate claim for Age Pension form to the partner

Staff can access ACC via the ACC desktop icon.

The My online claims page will display any current and historical claims.

• select Make a claim > Get started under the Older Australians category
• information about Age Pension and the Pension Bonus will display. Select Apply for Age Pension
• on the Eligibility check page, read the privacy message in full to the customer and select the customer's response. Answer the pre-claim questions to check their eligibility for the payment. Update Source and Date of Receipt fields if necessary
• select Claim now

Introduction text advises the customer about collecting and confirming information before the claim can be submitted.

• Select Begin, customer is advised of the following:
• submit their claim as soon as possible to be paid from the earliest date
• what to expect during their claim process and the steps they must take
• information that may need to be supplied to complete the claim
• Select Continue

The Claim navigation page displays the sections of the claim that must be completed. The sections must be completed in order. The next section cannot be started until the previous section is complete.

This page displays:

• Claim status
• Claim sections
• Advice to submit the claim as soon as possible to be paid from the earliest date

The claim does not have to be completed in one session. Service Officers can select Claim navigation section at any time and their responses will save automatically, enabling them or the customer to continue with the claim later.

In order for eligible customers to receive Age Pension from the earliest possible date they must submit a complete claim with all required supporting documentation.

Note: different processes apply for customers in vulnerable circumstances; see Intent to claim and vulnerable customers.

If the customer also wants to claim the Pension Bonus, document clearly that they accepted or rejected a FIS appointment.

Question sets include:

• Personal details - Identity, Address, Contact details, Relationship
• Contact Requirements - Permit to Enquire, Nominee
• Basic details about your Age Pension. Questions include:
• How often do you wish to receive the minimum pension supplement amount?
• Do you want to claim Age Pension as someone who is classified as permanently blind?
• Australian Residence
• Accommodation circumstances

This section allows the customer to supply or confirm information about their income and assets. The module includes questions about:

• payment instructions
• tax file number
• tax deductions
• savings
• investments including:
• superannuation
• income streams
• shares
• managed investments
• funeral bonds
• home equity conversion loans
• gifting
• business, trusts and companies, real estate
• other assets
• income including:
• employment income
• other government payments
• compensation
• foreign pensions, income and assets
• scholarships
• other income

Existing income and asset information is displayed for the customer to update or confirm.

Employment details may be pre-filled through Single Touch Payroll (STP) in the online claim for the customer to confirm. This includes the employer name and ABN.

Some question sets require additional paper forms to be completed, if required these will be included at Next steps:

• Private Trust (MOD PT)
• Special Disability Trust (MOD SDT)
• Private Company (MOD PC)
• Business details (MOD F)

Customers can upload their supporting documents for income and assets by using the Upload document service.

Note: if the customer indicates at any question they are unable to provide details, this will be identified at Review and Confirm and must be provided before the claim can be submitted.

If the customer is eligible, they will be presented with an option to claim 'just for myself' or 'for both myself and (their partner’s name)' as an Age Pension combined partner claim.

The option to submit a combined partner online claim will only appear where the following criteria is met:

• Claim is not being submitted by a Nominee (Correspondence or Third Party Organisation)
• Customer does not indicate they are in crisis (domestic violence, humanitarian visa entrant, natural disaster and recent prison release) in the claim
• Partner is already linked in the system before starting the claim
• Customer does not change current relationship status within the claim. The customer must not be single or in a relationship where they are unable to live together
• Both customer and partner are subscribed to electronic messaging before starting the claim
• Partner is eligible to lodge a claim for Age Pension
• Partner is not already receiving an Income Support Payment
• The customer has answered yes to the question 'Can you provide accurate information regarding your partner's circumstances to support your claim?'
• Customer and partner are not applying as Age Pension Blind claimants
• Neither customer or partner are registered for Pension Bonus Scheme (PDB/REG)
• Partner has a payment destination account in their name either jointly or solely
• Partner does not have a draft Age Pension claim

If eligible for a combined partner claim, the partner must complete and confirm the claim task within 3 days of being notified. Otherwise, the claim will revert back to an individual Age Pension claim for the customer only.

Check all information is correct on the Review your claim page.

• If mandatory information is missing, a red Update required message will display
• Confirm the customer's contact details are correct:
• if update is needed exit ACC and use the Change in Contact Details workflow
• if contact or interpreter details need to be updated, go to the Other Contact Details (OCD) screen in Customer First to update

When ACC is used to support the claim process, encourage the customer to submit the claim using their Centrelink online account or the Express Plus Centrelink mobile app so that the customer can monitor the progress of their claim through the Claim Tracker.

Service Officers can run ACC with the customer or correspondence nominee to obtain and record the claim information. ACC can also be used for an Age Pension combined partner claim where both members of the couple are eligible and specific criteria is met.

ACC is only able to be used with a nominee for an Age Pension combined partner claim where specific criteria is met, including the nominee is appointed for both members of the couple, however the nominee cannot submit the ACC Age Pension combined partner claim online.

Outstanding items

This section will display if the customer has advised they will 'Provide details later' in any of the previous sections of the claim. Select the item to go back to the relevant section of the claim to make the update.

Confirm details

A summary of all the information provided by the customer is displayed so they can check what they have entered is correct. The information displays in sections, for example, Your financial details.

A summary of My profile information also displays. Ensure all information is correct.

If changes are required, select the Update button relevant to the answers requiring change. This displays the relevant section of the claim to review/update the particular claim questions and responses.

To correct My profile information and personal details, exit ACC and update using the Change in Contact Details workflow.

Declaration

Once all information is correct, the declaration must be read to the customer and accepted by ticking the box. Completing the declaration means a Customer Declaration Form (CDF) is not required.

Once the verbal declaration is accepted and ACC submitted a DOC containing this information will be displayed in:

• Process Direct notes
• Customer First Super Case
• the Customer Claim Summary

For more information about the customer declaration or when a customer declines a verbal declaration go to Table 3.

Acknowledgement

The acknowledgement must be read to the customer and accepted by ticking the box.

Confirm Information

The Confirmation Information button must be selected to save all the information provided in the claim. Answers in the claim cannot be changed once this button is selected.

Encourage customers to access their Centrelink online account or the Express Plus Centrelink mobile app to complete tasks and submit their claim.

Some tasks may have an information pop-up message with help text to explain what type of documentation is required and considered valid for this task. Access this by selecting a specific word, underlined in the task. Selecting the specific word again will close the pop-up message.

If the customer uploaded or provided documents before starting ACC and the document displays as Required on the Next steps section. The customer can either:

• re-upload the document from the Next steps section
• contact by phone or in person to have the Request and Manage Customer Tasks guided procedure run to change the document status from Required to Provided

Service Officers can help the customer upload the documents and submit their claim online.

If necessary, face to face Service Officers can scan the documents and run the Request and Manage Customer Tasks guided procedure to submit the ACC for the customer.

Note: if a Service Officer does this, the customer will not have access to the Claim Tracker or notification.

Staff can access ACC and load partner’s record to view the ‘started’ Age claim and complete the required tasks to submit the claim as an Age Pension combined partner claim only if the partner is available to confirm the information.

The My Online Claims page will display any current and historical claims.

• select Task for Age Pension combined partner claim
• read the permission for the customer to claim on the partner’s behalf statement and record their consent
• answer questions about their payment destination and tax deduction preferences
• review the answers supplied by the customer in the claim with the partner
• read the privacy/acceptance and record their consent

Note: if the partner is not available to confirm the information, tell the customer their partner has an online task they must action and confirm within 3 days to continue the Age Pension combined partner online claim. If the task is not completed within the required time frame, it will disappear and the claim will revert to an individual Age Pension claim for the customer only. If the partner still wants to claim, they will need to submit their own claim within 14 days to ensure the same start date of payment if eligible.

Customers can access their started claim using their Centrelink online account (or the Express Plus Centrelink mobile app) to upload the required documents to submit their claim.

In the Next steps section, there is an Upload button to upload documents next to each listed task.

Help the customer upload the documents and submit their claim online if required.

If necessary, Service Officers can scan the documents and submit the claim for the customer:

• scan the documents
• run the Request and Manage Customer Tasks guided procedure to submit the claim

Task can be marked as ‘provided’ by accessing the Tasks icon in Process Direct. See the Process Direct - managing tasks table for more information.

If the customer uploaded or provided documents before starting the Assisted Customer Claim (ACC), the document displays as Required on the Next steps section. The customer can either:

• re-upload the document on the Next steps section
• contact by phone or in person to have the Request and Manage Customer Tasks guided procedure run to change the document status from Required to Provided

To submit the claim via ACC, all mandatory questions must be answered, and all required documents must be provided, including verbal declaration or CDF signed by the customer (where applicable) and identity documents where a confirmed Identity Confirmation status has not been achieved. Exceptions will be made for some vulnerable customers.

Once all Required tasks are completed, or the claim can be submitted under a claim submission exception, the Submit button is displayed so the claim can be submitted.

The Claim submission details page will display:

• Submitted date
• Claim ID
• Estimated Completion Date Range (ECDR), a date range that can be given to the customer
• A 'view claim history' button
• A 'view claim answers' button
• Tabs that link to Claim history and Claim answers

Check the Notes in Process Direct or Super Case (notes) in Customer First for the automatic DOC confirming customer acceptance of the verbal declaration.

Has a verbal declaration been accepted and recorded?

• Yes, the claim can be assessed and processed:
• See Processing claims for Age Pension and Pension Bonus
• No, go to Step 2

If there is no DOC to confirm the customer has accepted the verbal declaration, make 2 attempts to contact the customer via phone to obtain acceptance and record the verbal declaration. The Resources page contains a paper CDF which contains the required declaration which can be read to the customer.

The outcome of this discussion must be clearly documented on the customer’s record including the date, time and reason for contact.

Has the verbal declaration been made and accepted?

• Yes, the claim can be assessed and processed:
• see Processing claims for Age Pension and Pension Bonus
• No, go to Step 3

If a verbal declaration is unable to be confirmed or contact is unable to be made with the customer via phone, a CDF must be sent to the customer:

• print a CDF using the template in the Resources page
• the claim must not be submitted without the CDF being completed and signed
• send a Q004 to customer with the printed CDF from the Resources page
• as this cannot be added as a required document on Next steps, record a detailed note on the customer’s record stating the Q004 and CDF was issued. Include the expected due date
• this must be signed and returned before the claim is assessed

Has the customer signed and returned the CDF within 14 days?

• Yes, the claim can be assessed and processed. See Processing claims for Age Pension and Pension Bonus
• No, the claim is to be rejected 'FRC'. Clearly document the decision and action taken on the customer's record

Customers who are unable or unwilling to claim Age Pension via the online claim or ACC can submit a paper claim. The paper claim can be either:

• Claim for Age Pension and Pension Bonus (SA002), or
• Claim for Age Pension (SA412)

Claims, modules and supporting documentation must be scanned onto the customer’s record on Day 1. Do not select Scan to Store as the automatic creation of an AGE new claim Social Online Application (SOA) and work item are required for Workload Management (WLM) allocation.

If customers have lodged a paper claim for Age Pension and Pension Bonus, Service Officers must check if the customer has already attended a FIS appointment or has one booked. If not, contact must be made with the customer to recommend they contact a Financial Information Service (FIS) Officer regarding their claim for Age Pension and Pension Bonus.

Note: for customers in vulnerable circumstances, see Intent to claim and vulnerable customers.

If an SA002 or SA412 has been lodged with the details for the customer and their partner (who is also eligible for Age Pension within the early claim period), check the following question responses in the claim form:

• Do you have a partner?
• Is your partner also claiming Age Pension?
• Indicate if your partner is using this form or a separate form for a claim or to provide their details

if the SA002 or SA412 has been lodged for both customer and partner and both wish to claim Age Pension, record a DOC on the partner’s record.

If the partner’s intent is unclear, check the following:

• If the partner wishes to claim but has not signed the form, follow the process as outlined in Claims received that are incomplete or incorrect
• If claim is lodged by one member of the couple and it is obvious that their partner would also be eligible, attempt to contact to clarify the intent
• If partner is unavailable, issue a Q164 and DOC their record that if they contact, they should be invited to complete an online claim or have ACC run with them

If only the customer is claiming, record this information on their record.

Ensure the following documentation is provided for both customer and partner (if applicable):

• identity confirmation is required for Age Pension. Documents to verify their identity if a confirmed Identity Confirmation status has not been achieved.
• proof of age
• other supporting documentation, for example verification of income and assets, Rent Certificate (SU523HD) or rent verification by way of lease agreement or investment documents

Ensure Identity confirmation and proof of age is also provided for the partner if they are claiming Age Pension on the same claim form.

If required, code the customer's and partner's identity details using the Identity Confirmation Dashboard in Process Direct. For more information, see Coding identity documents.

Check that all forms issued via FCSO and relevant supporting documents have been lodged. If customer is lodging an Age Pension combined partner claim, check partner’s record for any relevant documents required.

If there are discrepancies between the documentation supplied and the record, confirmation is required to verify documents via the Document Verification Service (DVS).

When an Age Pension paper claim or documents for a submitted claim are received:

• scan the paper claim and/or supporting documents to the customer’s record. Do not select Scan to Store as the automatic creation of an AGE new claim Social Online Application (SOA) and work item are required for Workload Management (WLM) allocation
• documentation provided separately, for example, after an online claim or ACC has been submitted:
• run the Request and Manage Customer Task guided procedure in Customer First. For an online claim or ACC, the Summary page will display Tasks (documents) requested at Next steps. Mark the corresponding Task as 'Provided' or
• task can be marked as ‘provided’ by accessing the Task Icon in Process Direct.
• scan to the customer’s record
• select appropriate unstructured (UNS) form type if required

Note: if the customer provided the documentation for their online claim in person, the Service Officer should advise the customer to submit the claim, or do it for them.

Is the customer disputing a rejection or cancellation decision?

• Rejection, go to Step 2
• Cancellation, go to Step 6

Was the Age Pension claim rejected for reason NIA (not in Australia) or NAU (not an Australian resident)?

• Yes, go to Step 3
• No, go to Step 4

Where the customer's claim was rejected because the customer was not in Australia (reason NIA) or not an Australian resident (NAU) when they lodged their claim, they must lodge a new claim as their previous claim is taken not to have been made.

Does the customer disagree with the decision to reject their claim?

• Yes, see Request for an explanation or application for a formal review
• No, go to Step 7

Is the customer disputing a rejection decision because it was incorrect based on their circumstances at the time they lodged the claim?

• Yes, see Request for an explanation or application for a formal review
• No, go to Step 5

If the customer's circumstances have changed within 13 weeks of the date they lodged their claim, the customer should lodge any supporting documentation they have to support the change in circumstances.

If a favourable determination is subsequently made to grant Age Pension, payment will start from the date the person was both qualified and payable. The date that qualification and payability are both satisfied may be different to the date of effect of the original claim determination.

Has the customer experienced a change in circumstances within 13 weeks of the date they lodged their claim for Age Pension?

• Yes, the customer can request to have their claim reassessed. See Request for an explanation or application for a formal review
• No, go to Step 7

Is the customer disputing a cancellation decision because it was incorrect based on their circumstances at the time of the cancellation?

• Yes, see Request for an explanation or application for a formal review
• No, if the customer’s Age Pension has been correctly cancelled and their circumstances have changed since cancellation, a new claim is required regardless of the length of time that has passed. go to Step 7

Advise the person they can re-claim by completing a claim for Age Pension. For information about qualification for Age Pension, see Qualification for Age Pension.

The following options are available:

• Online claim, see the Making an Age Pension online claim table
• Assisted Customer Claim, see the Assisted Customer Claim (ACC) table
• First Contact Service Offer (FCSO) workflow or paper claim (SA002)