Mobility Allowance (MOB) customer going overseas 008-05060000

The Portability Script - Departures and Returns will prompt the Service Officer to ask the customer relevant questions, such as destination, date of departure, expected date of return, who is going and reason for absence, and will produce the required documentation.

Note: customers receiving other payments cannot be transferred into CIS (Environment I) if MOB has a status of current (CUR) or period of grace (POG), suspended (SUS), assessed (ASS) or cancel next pay (CNP). Leave them in their own environment until MOB ceases.

The customer may contact after using the Travelling outside of Australia service within their Centrelink online account. If the online service has already coded the absence, details are recorded in a DOC. The online service may refer the customer to contact to:

• have their absence coded, or
• explore further portability for their situation

In either case the Service Officer is to run the script.

Is the script working?

• Yes, see Coding departures and returns for customers leaving Australia
• No, and the interview cannot be delayed, go to Step 2
• No, and the interview can be delayed
• Book an appointment to be completed by the customer's local service centre
• Ensure customer contact details are correct
• Record details on a DOC
• Procedure ends here

Ask the customer if they are leaving Australia temporarily or to live in another country.

See Assessing if a customer is an Australian resident (CLK) to determine this in more complex cases.

• If leaving to live in another country, go to Step 3
• If leaving temporarily, see Step 1 in Table 2

Note: if the customer is leaving to live in another country, the portability interview must be completed by the Service Officer without the need to refer the customer to International Services (CIS).

The customer's payment must be stopped from the date of departure as they no longer meet the residence criteria.

Ask the customer:

• the date of departure, and
• the country to which they are travelling
• Explain the decision to the customer and advise them of the requirement to reclaim if they should return to Australia to live
• Advise the customer if they have a benefit status of period of grace (POG) before departure that MOB will cease from the day after departure. For detailed information about the period of grace, see Cancellation and Period of Grace for Mobility Allowance (MOB)
• If MOB is current, the customer is payable for 14 days after departure (that is, one further payment)
• Eligibility for a MOB Health Care Card ceases immediately on departure as they no longer meet the qualification criteria
• If the customer returns to Australia to live after living overseas, the customer will need to re-claim
• Record details of the decision on a DOC
• If the customer was being paid any add-ons such as Rent Assistance (RA), they will also cease on departure from Australia
• Ask the customer if they have any further questions. If not, the interview can be terminated
• Issue the customer with a Pre Departure Interview - Portability Decision (XOB101) letter if requested

• Record the change of address on Address Details (AD) screen if the customer has provided new address details. Note: it is not mandatory for the customer to provide an address outside Australia
• Update the Customer Advised Travel Details (RSCD) screen
• Update the Country of Residence (CRES) screen with the destination country
• Go to the Assessment Result (AR) screen and ensure that payment will cease from date of departure (or within 14 days) for a residence related reason
• Do not inhibit the advice

Procedure ends here.

Has the customer contacted a Smart Centre to report their travel details?

• Yes, go to Step 2
• No, go to Step 3

Stop running the script. Advise the customer that an interview is required at their local service centre. Book an appointment as the service centre will follow up ongoing eligibility.

Procedure ends here.

The customer must be continuing to be involved in an activity and have a need to travel for this activity.

Consider the following:

• Is the customer on leave? What is the reason for travel? Is it travel during breaks or vacations? Is it travel for study requirements? Is it travel for employment, or to attend a conference? Is it travel for their voluntary work?
• Is the customer intending to return to their activity?
• If the customer is paid JobSeeker Payment (JSP), Youth Allowance (YA) or Austudy, are they portable for these payments?
• If the customer is on Disability Support Pension (DSP) and receiving the higher rate of MOB, do they still qualify for higher rate MOB? If not, they may still qualify for the standard rate of MOB

For assistance, see Qualification for Mobility Allowance (MOB) and rates and the Social Security Guide, section 3.6.6.90 (Continuation of MOB during leave from Employment & Training). A link to this Guide reference is on the References page.

Does the customer remain qualified?

• Yes, go to Step 5
• No, go to Step 4

The customer loses qualification for MOB from the date of departure from Australia. MOB is not payable for the absence.

Note: MOB must be manually cancelled from the date of departure - refer the case to the Helpdesk via the Level 2 Policy Helpdesk webform.

• Explain the decision to the customer - their MOB is not portable. If benefit status is in a period of grace (POG) MOB will cancel on day of departure. If MOB is current they will receive one further pay.
• Record the details of the decision on a DOC indicating reason for cancellation
• Determine if the customer has to contact when they have returned to Australia and discuss this before the customer's departure to correctly assess their future entitlements
• Advise the customer of requirements to reclaim on their return to Australia
• Go to Step 7

The customer has continuing qualification for MOB and the payment is portable for a temporary absence.

Note: if the customer's qualification is for less than the maximum portability period (for example, their portability for their JSP is limited to 2 weeks then MOB is restricted to that period of time), MOB must be manually suspended from the correct date - refer the case to the Helpdesk via the Level 2 Policy Helpdesk webform.

• If the customer is paid MOB at the higher rate, then the higher rate is payable during the portability period:
• Advise the customer of the decision
• Record the details of the decision on a DOC
• Determine if the customer has to contact when they have returned to Australia and discuss this before the customer's departure
• Advise the customer about the continuation of payment on their return to Australia and also advise the customer they should contact if they are delayed overseas due to circumstances beyond their control
• Refer the customer to the Services Australia website for the international phone numbers for CIS
• Advise the customer they must make arrangements to deal with any mail, especially if mail is sent to an Australian address
• Issue a Pre Departure Interview - Portability Decision (XOB101) letter if requested

If a medical review (MER) was due any time within the period of absence the system will automatically reset its due date to expected date of return + 14 days or date of departure + 197 days.

Note: medical reviews are only for temporary medical conditions and not everyone will have temporary medical conditions.

• Employment and Training Reviews (ETR)

There are no changes to review processing. Reviews will be sent to address requested by customer. Advise customer when to expect mail in regard to this review.

• Verification action (VER)

There are no changes to review processing.

To update the record:

• Record the change of address on Address Details (AD) screen if the customer has provided new address details. Note: it is not mandatory for the customer to provide an address outside Australia
• Record any overseas telephone number and/or email address if provided
• Update the RSCD screen
• Go to the AR screen and check the results are as expected. Note: the actual reassessment will not occur until the customer actually leaves Australia
• Do not suppress the auto advice
• If correct, finalise the activity