Assessing and coding weekly payments 103-05010010

If the staff member has completed the training module, go to Step 2.

Where training has not been completed, and the request is a:

• phone request - transfer the call using Services Australia Workspace:
• select the Urgent Payment option, based on the customer's current income support payment, or
• select Urgent Payment Income Management Line, if the customer is income managed
• Procedure ends here
• Workload Manager item:
• where there are no appropriately skilled staff available, Team Leaders can unassign the work item(s) using reason User Unavailable. For more details, see Work Item Unassign/Reassign Reasons in Resources in Workload Management
• See Work Optimiser for staff

If the customer:

• completed a jobseeker claim and accepted a weekly payment offer, no assessment is needed outside the claim process. Procedure ends here
• wants to start weekly payments, go to Step 3
• wants to change to fortnightly payments, go to Step 7

Consider weekly payments as part of a broader service offer. This is to help the customer manage their finances.

Discuss other options with the customer, such as:

• referrals to financial support
• referrals to specialists like social workers
• offsetting Family Tax Benefit (FTB), Double Orphan Pension (DOP) and Carer Allowance (CA)
• Centrepay deductions to help pay bills
• Rent Deduction Scheme to help pay for government housing
• Income Management. Note: Income managed customers getting weekly payments must be paid under the new model

To get weekly payments, customers must:

• get an eligible payment
• live in Australia
• be financially vulnerable
• not get a hardship advance or urgent payment in the current instalment period
• not get payments through a nominee or group payment schedule
• agree they can no longer get urgent payments

Note: to remain eligible for weekly payments under the legacy model, the customer (and their partner) must not have income that reduces their payment.

Customers cannot get weekly payments if they get the Home Equity Access Scheme payments with their income support payment.

Are weekly payments appropriate?

• Yes, go to Step 5
• No, go to Step 6

Tell the customer if they get weekly payments, they can no longer get an urgent payment.

Does the customer agree to this?

• Yes, they can get weekly payments. To record the decision to grant weekly payments in:
• Process Direct, see Table 2
• Customer First, see Table 4
• No, go to Step 6

Tell the customer:

• why they cannot get their payment weekly. They will get fortnightly payments
• they can provide further evidence to reassess the decision
• their review and appeal rights

To record the decision not to grant weekly payments in:

• Process Direct, see Table 2
• Customer First, see Table 4

Customers cannot be made to continue weekly payments. They can ask to return to fortnightly payments at any time.

Changing to fortnightly payments may have unintended results. It may put the customer under financial stress.

When weekly payments stop, customers paid under the:

• legacy model
• will get one weekly payment to last them 14 days
• may lose their grandfathered status. If they return to weekly payments, after a period of greater than 8 weeks, they will be paid under the new model
• will be paid under the new model when a new claim is granted
• new model
• will get one more weekly payment
• will get a full fortnight payment on their next regular payment delivery date

For more details, see Calculating weekly payments.

Before stopping weekly payments:

• consider why weekly payments started and the customer's situation at the time
• make sure the customer knows what will happen when weekly payments stop
• engage other services if required, for example, social work services
• make sure the customer is informed so they can decide what is best for them

Does the customer still want to change to fortnightly payments?

• Yes, bring forward and finalise the next review. To stop weekly payments in:
• Process Direct, see Table 3
• Customer First, see Table 5
• No, procedure ends here

• Key START in the Super Key field
• Select Weekly Payments from the Task Selector
• Select Start

The Weekly payments overview screen will show.

'Customer on Legacy weekly payments’ message will show for customers on the legacy model.

• Apply for weekly payments, or
• Apply for weekly payments - Legacy model if the customer is not on weekly payments but was on Legacy weekly payments in the last 8 weeks
• Select Add

Select Add to start the workflow.

Read the Customer acknowledgement to the customer.

Does the customer want to continue?

• Yes, select Accept. Go to Step 3
• No, select Cancel. DOC the record, noting why the customer will not be paid weekly payments. Procedure ends here

On the Create Weekly Payments Assessment Overview screen, select all appropriate boxes:

• Customer’s Circumstances
• Financial Hardship
• Housing Crisis
• Vulnerable
• Additional Services Offered
• Budgeting Assistance
• Centrepay/Rent Deduction Scheme
• External referral
• Internal referral
• Services not applicable
• Assessment Decision, select:
• Grant, or
• Reject, select the appropriate reason:
  ALT – Alternative Arrangement in place
  NAP – Weekly Payments not appropriate

Select Save.

From the drop down menu complete:

• Receipt date
• Channel – options are:
• Web
• Phone
• Internal
• Personal
• Mobile
• Service Reason – if the system does not select a default Service Reason, select the most relevant Service Reason for the update

Select Save.

Check all information is correct.

The system sets a review date.

Once all details are correct:

• Select Assess
• Check the Errors (SWE) screen for any errors or warnings
• Select Assess again
• From the Entitlement (ELD) screen, go to the Payment Summary (PS) screen and check payments have changed to weekly
• Select Finish
• Add any extra comments if required in the Finalise screen (whilst the field is blank, a DOC will automatically create on the customer record to advise of grant of weekly payments)
• Select Finalise
• Select OK when the confirmation message shows

For more details, see Calculating weekly payments.

• Select Customer Summary
• Key the CRN and select the customer
• Select Weekly Payments from the Task Selector
• Select Start

The Weekly Payments Overview screen will show.

• Select Add
• Update Customer’s Circumstances
• Additional Services Offered
• Review Method: select face to face, web or phone
• Review Decision – CAN – Cancel
• Decision Reason:
• ALT – Alternative Arrangement in place
• CCS – Customer circumstances now stabilised
• CLR – Customer Request
• NAT – Weekly Payments not appropriate
• Select:
• Save
• Assess
• Finalise

Record details of conversation with customer in the Finalisation Notes.

Select Workspace and search Weekly payments.

The Weekly Payments Assessment Summary screen shows.

The Weekly Payments Overview tab shows a message if the customer is paid under the Legacy Model.

From Related workflows drop down box select:

• Apply for weekly payments for the new model
• Apply for weekly payments - Legacy model if the customer received payments under the legacy model within the 8 weeks prior to weekly payments ending

Select Launch.

Complete these sections:

• why the customer needs weekly payments
• extra services put in place for the customer
• who has been involved in the decision to grant or reject weekly payments
  Note: this will auto select as Other – created by CSO

To start weekly payments, go to Step 3.

To reject weekly payments, go to Step 4.

Complete the following fields:

• Commence weekly payments? Yes. More questions will show
• How was the customer advised?
• Auto Letter if the customer asks for a letter confirming the decision
• Only Verbally if telling the customer the decision and they do not want a letter
• Do not select Manual Letter
• Weekly Payment Review Date: this date must be 11 months from weekly payment start date
• Review to be conducted by: this will auto select as Other
• Notes and information to be displayed in next review: include comments or details to help the person completing the next review

If starting weekly payments under the legacy model, record the reason:

• PRS - payment restored
• CRC - customer has reconnected
• SEI - short term employment income
• OTH - other

Select Continue.

This will start the Assessment Results (AR) workflow. Complete the coding to grant weekly payments and finalise the activity.

The workflow will record details on a DOC.

Tell the customer when they will get payments. See Calculating weekly payments.

Procedure ends here.

Complete these fields:

• Commence weekly payments? No. More questions will show
• Reason:
• Alternative Arrangements in Place if the customer was eligible but other options were more suitable, for example, referrals or Income Management
• Weekly Payments Not Appropriate if the customer was not eligible or does not agree to no urgent payments
• How was the customer advised?
• Auto Letter if the customer asks for a letter confirming the decision
• Only Verbally if telling the customer the decision and they do not want a letter
• Do not select Manual Letter

Select Continue.

This will start the Assessment Results (AR) workflow. Complete the coding to reject weekly payments and finalise the activity.

The workflow will record details on a DOC.

Procedure ends here.

Select Workspace and search Weekly Payments.

The Weekly Payments Assessment Summary screen shows.

The Weekly Payments Overview tab shows a message if the customer is paid under the Legacy Model.

Select the Weekly Payments Detail tab.

From the drop down box select:

• Review Weekly Payment, and
• Launch

Complete these fields:

• How the review was conducted:
• Continue on weekly payments? Select No
• Reason:
• Alternative Arrangement in place
• Customer circumstances now stabilised
• Customer request
• Weekly Payments not appropriate
• How was customer advised?:
• Auto Letter if the customer asks for a letter confirming the decision
• Only Verbally if telling the customer the decision and they do not want a letter
• Do not select Manual Letter

Select Continue.

This will start the Assessment Results (AR) workflow. Complete the coding to reject weekly payments and finalise the activity.

The workflow will record details on a DOC.

Procedure ends here.