Restoration of Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC) 102-10040040

If an applicant queries their AIC cancellation or suspension, match the cancellation or suspension reason on the Benefit Status line with the reason found in Codes for Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC) cancellation, suspension and rejection.

Can the payment be restored?

• Yes, go to Step 2
• No, procedure ends here

Tell the applicant the information that is required for restoration of payment. Depending on what is required, the applicant can provide the details:

• verbally
• in a written statement, or
• by uploading the required documents

If required, send a request for the documentation:

• where the appropriate option is available on the letters sub-site, issue a Q760 AIC - Request for information - incomplete claim
• otherwise, see Requesting information (CLK)

Record a DOC:

• use Fast Note - select Auto text, use Students, ABSTUDY and Apprentices > AIC > AIC update action required > Confirm
• place the open Fast Note on hold for 14 days plus additional time provided for mail delivery
• on the Activity List (AL) screen, select the Fast Note
• select (H) and select Continue
• Resubmit Date: key '+' and the number of days needed. For example, +37
• select Continue

Has the applicant provided all the information required for restoration to occur?

• Yes, and the Service Officer:
• does not have the skills required to restore the customer, send an AIC Res/Can/Sus Required Fast Note to the AIC Smart Centre Processing team for action:
  Use Fast Note - select Auto text, use Students, ABSTUDY & Apprentices > AIC > AIC Res/Can/Sus Required > Confirm
  Procedure ends here
• has the skills required to restore the customer, go to Step 3
• No, tell the applicant what information is required to restore the AIC payment. Record details on a DOC. Procedure ends here

Make sure the applicant and student are eligible for AIC payments and the decision to restore payment is correct. See Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC) eligibility.

Are both the student and applicant eligible for AIC?

• Yes, and the status is:
• AIC/CAN, go to Step 4
• AIC/SUS, go to Step 5
• No, record all relevant details on a DOC. Procedure ends here

If AIC is cancelled and eligibility is re-established within 15 weeks, the payment can be restored. Where cancellation occurred more than 15 weeks in the past, the payment needs to be restored by indexing a new claim activity.

The Education Allowance (EPAH) screen can be used to determine the cancellation date.

Was the cancellation more than 15 weeks in the past?

• Yes, and the Service Officer:
• does not have the skills required to index and process the new claim, send an AIC Res/Can/Sus Required Fast Note to the AIC Smart Centre Processing team for action:
  Use Fast Note - select Auto text, use Students, ABSTUDY & Apprentices > AIC > AIC Res/Can/Sus Required > Confirm
  Procedure ends here
• has the skills required to index and process the new claim, go to Step 6
• No, go to Step 5

To restore the AIC payment:

• In the student's record, key 'SVAIC' in the Nxt field, key 'ISS' in the System field and press [Enter]
• Go to the Benefit Action (BA) screen and update the following:
• Svc Rsn field, key 'EIC'
• Action field, key 'RES'
• Source and DOR fields
• Press [Enter]
• Effect Date should default to the date of suspension or cancellation
• Press [Enter]
• Go to the Assessment Results (AR) screen
• Before finalising the activity, check any arrears/negative adjustments

Has a payment been generated as part of the AIC restoration process?

• Yes, go to Step 7
• No, finalise the activity. Go to Step 12

Customers with a payment cancellation period of 15 weeks or more who have a confirmed continuous entitlement to payment, must be restored through a new claim (re-grant) activity. See Indexing, re-indexing, and cancelling claim activities.

Service Officers must:

• index a new claim activity
• assess the claim activity
• determine the correct date of restoration. Care must be taken to use the correct date as this is not always date paid to plus one (DPT+1)
• confirm any arrears paid are correct

For the steps to code the indexed claim, see Assessing and coding claims for Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC).

Go to Step 7.

Where an overpayment occurred in a prior activity for the same period that is being restored, the arrears being released may need to be adjusted on the AR screen.

Check the Debt Explanation (ADEX) to view previously raised overpayments.

Has an overpayment prior to suspension or cancellation been identified?

• Yes, go to Step 8
• No, finalise the activity. Go to Step 12

Determine if any adjustments are needed to ensure the correct entitlement is received. See the Resources page for an adjustment example.

If the overpayment is:

• equal to the arrears amount, no arrears should be paid to the applicant. The debt will need to be Finalised No Debt - PSR (Payment restored)
• more than the arrears amount, no arrears should be paid to the applicant, and a debt shell will remain (as there is residual excess payment). The debt will need to be adjusted
• less than the arrears amount, the remaining arrears (minus the overpayment amount) will be paid to the applicant. The debt will need to be adjusted

Is an adjustment of the arrears required?

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

Manually adjust the arrears using the:

• One Off Payment (OOP) screen in Customer First, for term instalment payments
• Rate Components (RAC) screen in Customer Record, for fortnightly payments

Select the appropriate option below:

To manually reduce arrears on the AR screen:

• select Assistance for Isolated Children from the left hand menu
• select One Off Payments (OOP)
• locate the relevant period on the OOP screen
• reduce each payment period displayed

Once the adjustments have been made, go to Go to Step 10.

For AIC, use the RAC screen in Customer Record. Do not use the RAC screen in any other system.

To manually reduce arrears on the AR screen:

• key 'S' in the field next to the arrears that need to be adjusted
• key 'RATS' in the Nxt field
• press [Enter]
• on the Daily Rates Summary (RATS) screen find the arrears that need to be adjusted
• key 'R' in the field next to the arrears that need to be adjusted
• key the correct rate in the Manual Adj $ field
• key 'ADJ' in the ADJ Rsn field
• press [Enter]

Once the adjustments have been made, go to Step 10.

Is an adjustment of the debt required?

• Yes, and the Service Officer is:
• trained in actioning debts, see Cancellation and debt raising of Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC) Scheme payments. Once complete, go to Step 12
• not trained in actioning debts, go to Step 11
• No, finalise the activity. Go to Step 12

Staff who are not trained to process debts can leave a note within the debt shell activity to advise of the change needed to the debt amount.

• Go to the Activity List (AL) screen:
• Select (V) View activity details on AY screen
• Select Continue
• Select for Notes
• In the debt shell notes, include:
  'Arrears in AMRXXX used to offset debt. See AIC Payment Restored DOC DOR XX.XX.XX for further information.'
• Select Continue

Go to Step 12.

Record an AIC Payment Restored Fast Note:

• Use Fast Note - select Auto text, use Students, ABSTUDY & Apprentices > AIC > AIC Payment Restored
• Select Confirm

Are there additional students in the applicant's care that require AIC payments to be restored?

• Yes, repeat the process for the additional students
• No, procedure ends here