Determining and recording eligibility for Income Management and enhanced Income Management as a Vulnerable Welfare Payment Recipient (VWPR) by a social worker 103-01180020

This process is not relevant for customers who are auto triggered for the VWPR Youth measure.

An assessment of vulnerability should be completed at a face-to-face interview. If this is not possible, the interview can be conducted by telephone.

If neither of these options are available, a determination can be made through a file assessment.

Where a reasonable effort has been made and the delegate is unable to contact a person, the delegate can make an assessment of the customer's circumstances using relevant documents and information in the delegate's possession.

Relevant documents and information could include:

• IM allocations
• enhanced IM account history
• immediate payments
• payday changes
• prison incarceration
• carer information
• whether the person has, or is, a nominee
• previous social worker case notes
• participation compliance notes
• medical information

• Financial hardship
• A person is defined as experiencing financial hardship where they are unable to purchase goods, access services or engage in activities to meet their priority needs, due to a lack of financial resources. The receipt of income support is not, by itself, sufficient evidence that a person is experiencing financial hardship. There must be some additional consideration such as lack of skills or an inability to manage limited resources, which are contributing to a person's financial difficulties
• Financial exploitation
• Financial exploitation occurs when a person is subject to undue pressure, harassment, family and domestic violence, deception or exploitation for financial resources by another person or people, including other family members and community members
• Failure to undertake reasonable self-care
• A failure to undertake reasonable self-care applies if a person is engaged in conduct that threatens their physical or mental wellbeing and the social worker is satisfied the person has not taken sufficient steps to address the conduct. This conduct may include for example, substance abuse issues or problem gambling
• Homelessness or risk of homelessness
• A person may be considered to be homeless or at risk of homelessness where the person does not have, or is at risk of not having access to safe, secure and adequate housing. Examples of these circumstances include:
• where the person is at risk of eviction from accommodation
• where a person is sleeping outdoors (sleeping rough) or is sleeping in an abandoned or untenanted building (squatting)
• where a person lives in, or moves between, temporary accommodation with friends or family, or temporary accommodation provided by a charitable organisation
• where the person's accommodation damages, or is likely to damage their health
• where the person's accommodation threatens or is likely to threaten their safety, and
• where the person's accommodation does not provide the person with access to a reasonable level of personal amenities

Is the customer experiencing one of these indicators of vulnerability?

• Yes, go to Step 3
• No, enhanced IM under the Vulnerable Welfare Payment Recipient (VWPR) measure is not appropriate.
• Offer alternative assistance. See Recording Vulnerable Welfare Payment Recipient (VWPR) assessments for Income Management or enhanced IM - social work

Is the customer meeting their essential needs and the essential needs of their partner and/or children or other dependents?

Explore and document what supports are already in place for the customer and the services the customer is engaged with.

Third parties may be contacted if required, preferably with the customer's consent.

If customer has a payment nominee who is not welfare quarantined, then they are excluded from being eligible for enhanced IM, however consider if this arrangement is still suitable and in the best interest of the customer.

• Yes, enhanced IM under the VWPR measure is not appropriate. Consider other interventions as appropriate
• Complete Social Work Information System (SWIS) case notes and DOC determination. See Recording Vulnerable Welfare Payment Recipient (VWPR) assessments for Income Management or enhanced IM - social work
• Note: the 'IM Vulnerability not applied' does not require completion
• If a well-being review/follow up is required, go to Step 6 otherwise, procedure ends here
• No, go to Step 4

Would enhanced IM be an appropriate support for the customer to meet their responsibilities, to build and maintain self-care and to manage their money?

Examples of other services and mechanisms available include: weekly payments; Rent Deduction Scheme; Centrepay; Nominee Arrangements; Guardianship; financial counselling, etc.

At this point of the assessment, Voluntary enhanced IM is not permitted to be an alternative option under the policy.

If a customer meets the eligibility for enhanced IM under the VWPR measure, then this is the only form of welfare quarantining able to be implemented under the hierarchy of measures.

• Yes, the customer can be considered for enhanced IM under the VWPR measure. Go to Step 5
• No, consider other interventions as appropriate. Complete a SWIS IM 'Vulnerability not applied' report and DOC. See Recording Vulnerable Welfare Payment Recipient (VWPR) assessments for Income Management or enhanced IM - social work. APS5/6 social workers seek delegation from EL1 social worker (via the QDM process).
• If a well-being review/follow up is required, go to Step 7
• If no follow up is required, procedure ends here

Set a ‘Switch on’ MFU to start the customer on the VWPR Notice measure.

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

• Service Reason: JSP (regardless of which payment the customer is getting)
• Review Reason: INC (General Income Review Required)
• Due Date: next business day
• Source: INT
• Date of Receipt: today's date
• Notes: 'Customer meets the eligibility criteria for enhanced IM under the VWPR Notice measure for <insert dates> period.'
• Keywords: PQNVWELG and EIMVLN
• 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.

Go to Step 6.

The assessment outcome must be recorded as follows:

• Complete SWIS IM 'Vulnerability apply decision' report and DOC. See Recording Vulnerable Welfare Payment Recipient (VWPR) assessments for Income Management or enhanced IM - social work. APS5/6 social workers seek delegation from EL1 social workers (via the QDM process)
• Tell the customer the outcome and discuss possible pathways out of enhanced IM, including offers of referral to Financial Information Service and other support services
• Tell the customer they have a right to apply for a formal review of the determination. If unable to contact the customer to advise of their review rights, ensure an outcome letter is sent or place a Display on Access DOC on the customer’s record requesting the customer is referred to the assessing social worker at next contact

APS5/6 social workers - Is a well-being review/follow up required?

• Yes, go to Step 7
• No, procedure ends here

Delegated social workers

• can finalise the 'IM Vulnerability' SWIS report

Consider whether the customer may benefit from further follow up following the assessment. This may be particularly useful for those who are to be welfare quarantined for the first time.

A Manual Follow Up review can be scheduled within the 'IM Vulnerability Applied' and 'IM Vulnerability Not Applied' SWIS reports.

Entering a date in the 'wellbeing review' field will schedule an activity that will appear on the Activity List (AL) on the date requested, to follow up with the customer.

The keyword for this activity is SWSVWPR and it will go to the Region Office of the social worker who finalised the report.