Identifying and assisting income managed customers 103-01020010

To identify if a customer is income managed, the benefit status line on a customer's record will display 'INM' immediately before their payment type. Details regarding qualification for IM, account details and priority needs can be found on the Income Management Summary screen.

Note: if ‘EIM’ displays on the benefit status line, the customer is on Enhanced Income Management (enhanced IM).

When an income managed customer contacts Services Australia, Service Officers must conduct all necessary business, ensuring any messaging within scripts or workflows are relayed to the customer, prior to referring them to a specialised Service Officer. The exception to this is a request for an urgent payment, as these requests must be referred to a specialised IM Service Officer for assessment.

If a Service Officer initiates an assessment result (AR) process on an income managed customer, or a potential income managed customer, and further action is required, one of the following will display:

• the Income Management Summary screen (workflow), or
• the Income Management Warning and Error (IMWE) screen (manual coding)

These screens will display a message or Work Item that could impact IM and this must be addressed as part of the contact. An un-actioned Work Item will also create an INM/ACT activity on the Activity List (AL) screen.

When a Work Item or INM/ACT is generated, the following process should be followed:

Access Services Service Officers:

• Utilise current procedures to assist in actioning the Income Management and BasicsCard Work Items
• Seek assistance from a specialised Service Officer (if available) or Service Support Officer (SSO), or
• Contact the Access Services Support Line (select Income Management option 7). Specialised staff will assist Service Officers to be able to complete the customer's enquiry or update

Smart Centre Telephony Service Officers are to transfer the customer to:

• the Income Management Line
• the Indigenous Services queue (if appropriate), or
• Multilingual Call (if appropriate)

All appropriate discussions and updates must be completed whilst the customer is present.

In addition to their normal business, income managed customers may contact the agency because they:

• are requesting to make Changes to Income Management priority needs including requests for a one-off payment
• have been advised or become aware IM is due to end or has ended
• would like to request an exemption or exclusion from IM
• would like to discuss moving to enhanced IM

In all instances, Access Services Service Officers should assist customers with their IM enquiries utilising the resources available.