Customer makes a complaint or provides feedback about Centrepay 103-09030080

Customers with Centrepay deductions may make a complaint or provide feedback about issues, such as:

• deduction amounts and frequency
• their consent for deductions to occur
• difficulties with managing their finances
• actions and decisions of the agency
• concerns about a Centrepay registered business, including allegations of misconduct

Centrepay complaints may be complex. The customer may need further help and support, such as assistance with:

• a Centrepay business
• financial capability
• budgeting, or
• counselling

Complaints or feedback that:

• are less complex, such as a deduction amount not coded correctly should be managed using first contact resolution principles
• meet a complaint escalation reason must be escalated to level 2 complaints
• are about a Centrepay registered business, must be recorded in the Customer Feedback Tool (CFT) so the specialist Centrepay Business Complaints team can investigate the complaint or feedback

Customers can make a complaint or provide feedback via:

• their myGov account
• the online form on the agency’s website
• the Centrepay IVR option on the 1800 132 468 complaint line
• their main business line number
• visiting a Service Centre

When responding to a Centrepay complaint there are some initial actions that must be taken, including:

• listen to the customer. Ask targeted questions to ensure we understand their complaint about Centrepay and how we can support them
• help the customer. Staff must follow Operational Blueprint and use First Contact Resolution principles to support the customer
• does the complaint or feedback involve a Centrepay business? The agency will investigate any issues relating to business non-compliance or misconduct
• getting consent. Discuss and obtain the customer’s consent for the agency to contact the Centrepay business on their behalf
• gather details. To help investigations we need to get as much detail as possible about the allegations or concerns (this can be anonymous if the customer doesn’t want to provide consent)

Complaints and feedback help us to improve and strengthen the integrity of Centrepay to protect customers and support businesses.

Some things to consider when speaking to our customers:

• Customer being charged a transaction fee from the Centrepay business for example 99 cents per transaction. This must not be passed on to customers
• Centrepay business did not obtain the customer's consent before making a change to a deduction or restarting a deduction
• Customer advises they have made an overpayment
• Customer has a complaint about another matter that may be listed in Resources tab

See Resources for FAQs and examples of complaints or feedback about Centrepay

Staff must not refer customers back to a Centrepay business to try and resolve their concerns.

Any complaints or feedback about a Centrepay business must be recorded in the CFT. These complaints are referred to a specialist Centrepay Business Complaints Team for investigation.

The team will engage the customer and/or business and investigate the concerns. This is to ensure the business is meeting its obligations and customers are not placed at financial risk. If the business is not doing the right thing they may be removed from Centrepay.

The customer may ask to remain anonymous. This can limit the agency’s ability to assist. The agency must respect the customer’s choice, but the complaint or feedback must still be recorded.

Where a customer:

• provides their express consent for the agency to disclose their details to a business, the agency will directly investigate the customer’s concerns. If contact with a business is required, the complaint must be referred to the specialist Centrepay Business Complaints team
• does not provide consent, the agency still needs to carefully consider the concerns raised about the business, including whether the conduct is likely to impact more than one customer. Where this is likely:
• the feedback should be recorded anonymously, and
• an action request must be sent to the Centrepay business area. Consideration will be given to starting an assurance check and/or compliance review of the business. The customer’s details will remain anonymous

Third parties, including authorised representatives and nominees, can lodge feedback on behalf of a customer. The feedback must be recorded on the customer’s record, not the nominee’s record.

Before actioning the feedback, check the third party has permission to act on the customer’s behalf.

See Disclosing information to third parties

Customers experiencing vulnerability may need further support to resolve their concerns.

For more details, see Identifying customer vulnerability and risk issues.

A referral to an agency social worker may help customers experiencing vulnerability. Customers may also benefit from a referral to external support services, such as community or welfare agencies or local or state government services. See Specialist officers and other internal supports for customers.

If the customer needs help to manage debt and control their money:

• the National Debt Helpline provides a free, confidential and independent service
• Mob Strong Debt Help provide free legal and financial advice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples

See the Resources page for links.

Customers may raise complaints or feedback about Centrepay that can be resolved using First Contact Resolution principles, such as setting up, cancelling or varying a deduction, online access issues or issuing a Centrepay deduction statement. Staff can manage this by following Operational Blueprint.

Where it is clear there are no concerns about a Centrepay business, these queries should be resolved without the need for a complaint or feedback to be recorded. In these cases, where staff cannot resolve a query, staff should access Technical Support Model

Where the customer does not accept the outcome provided or remains dissatisfied with the First Contact Resolution, the complaint or feedback must be recorded in the Customer Feedback Tool (CFT).

Where staff assess a complaint meets an escalation reason, they must follow the process to escalate the complaint to level 2.

All level 1 and level 2 complaints or feedback about a Centrepay business will be investigated by the specialist Centrepay Business Complaints Team. This may include circumstances where:

• contact with a Centrepay business is required
• staff have identified concerns about a Centrepay business

Agency staff are required to obtain specific information when recording complaints or feedback about Centrepay businesses to support the Centrepay Business Complaints Team.

For further information, see Level 1 - Manage complaints and feedback and Complaints and feedback index > Centrepay

The specialist Centrepay Business Complaints Team investigates and resolves all complaints and feedback about Centrepay businesses.

The team provides support and assistance in complex cases, connects customers with the services they need, actions all complaints about businesses, undertakes assurance activities and makes compliance referrals.

The specialists are responsible for:

• managing any Level 1 complaint when received directly (for example, when lodged via online services or the agency’s website)
• assisting to investigate Level 2 complaints or feedback involving a Centrepay business
• engaging the customer and/or business to manage the complaint or feedback
• taking action where a business will not or cannot comply with their obligations
• referring the complaint, feedback or outcome to other agency teams or to external authorities or regulatory bodies

Customers may be able to claim compensation if they believe the agency has made a mistake that has caused them financial loss or other detriment.

See Customer compensation and act of grace payments.

The agency’s Customer Complaints and Feedback Policy specifies:

• the agency aims to finalise and respond to complaints within 10 business days
• more complex complaints that require significant investigation may take longer to finalise