Disability Support Pension (DSP) Service Offer Interview (SOI) 008-20013032

The SOI helps customers understand their DSP claim outcome. It makes sure Services Australia explains the claim decision and offers other support options.

Staff must attempt an SOI in every instance, unless valid reasons apply. The SOI must explain why the customer’s DSP claim was not granted . In some cases, an SOI is required for DSP grants.

To help the customer understand the claim outcome, the following points are to be covered:

• tell the customer what the claim outcome is, see Eligibility for Disability Support Pension (DSP)
• clearly explain why the decision was made
• if rejected for medical reasons, explain why
• offer additional help including:
• other income support payments, such as JobSeeker Payment (JSP)
• employment services referrals, such as Disability Employment Services (DES)
• explain reduced/temporary work capacity (if applicable), and
• how participation in employment services and exemptions may affect Program of Support rules, should they claim DSP again
• tell the customer about their review and appeal rights
• advise them that a copy of the medical eligibility assessments (for example, MAT, JCA and DMA reports) can be provided, either at the time of the SOI or in the future. Exception: If the author of the report has indicated the report is not to be released, the customer needs to request it through a Freedom of Information request. The report may:
• provide the customer with a better understanding of why their DSP wasn’t granted
• reduce the requests for an appeal, or
• show the customer what additional information they might need to provide if they choose to appeal

SOIs are needed when:

• there is a correspondence nominee or executor arrangement. Note: any nominee SOI contact is to be with the correspondence nominee only. A payment nominee can only be given details about the payment itself such as the rate or bank account details
• DSP is rejected including rejection reasons OTH, IME, FRC, FME, GCD and DIA
• DSP is granted and Family Tax Benefit needs updating
• DSP is granted and the customer (or partner) has earnings, unless the following is met:
• Pension Monthly Exception Rule
• 1WE or 2WE exception

An SOI is not needed when:

• the customer is:
• deceased
• in prison
• in psychiatric confinement
• subject to restricted servicing and contact is deemed inappropriate
• there is no contact number on record
• it is not appropriate, for example, the customer is overseas
• the MAT has attempted an SOI for an Insufficient Medical Evidence (IME) outcome, even if the attempt has not been successful

Note: complete an SOI if a correspondence nominee or executor is in place for any of the above.

If a Managed Service Plan (MSP) exists, contact the:

• One Main Contact (OMC)
• Back up Contact, or
• Personalised Services Service Officer (PSSO)

This is to discuss how to do the SOI.

Within usual business hours: Staff must make 2 phone contact attempts to the correspondence nominee or customer. This includes trying:

• the correspondence nominee first (if appliable). If unsuccessful, trying the customer
• all numbers recorded for the correspondence nominee / customer. For example, home, mobile or contact
• at different times of the day. For example, try calling in the morning and afternoon

To make sure the correspondence nominee / customer answers, staff must:

• send a pre-call Short Message Service (SMS) (for registered correspondence nominees/customers), and
• wait 5 minutes before calling

Sending the pre-call SMS reduces the risk of an unsuccessful SOI contact.

Note: the Service Officer who did the first contact attempt, should do the second attempt. If this cannot be done (for example, the Service Officer is on leave or not scheduled for processing), the Service Officer must ask their Team Leader to manage the SOI work item.

Within overtime: Staff are only required to make one genuine attempt to contact the correspondence nominee or customer when a DSP claim is finalised during overtime. After the first contact attempt, the SOI outcome is recorded as either Successful or Unsuccessful.

If the claim is to be rejected for Insufficient Medical Evidence(IME) the Medical Assessment Team (MAT) Assessor:

• tries twice to contact the correspondence nominee or customer before finalising the MAT report (SA479) and
• if successful, may give the customer more time (usually 5 days) to provide new medical evidence. This is done through the AssessServ Contact Completed Fast Note

Where the MAT outcome is IME, Disability Processing Service Officers do not need to do an SOI, even if the Assessor contact was not successful.

Quality Management Officers (QMO) must complete the SOI for DSP claims selected for Quality Management Application (QMA).

QMA aims to improve efficiencies by finalising work items and customer outcomes in a single process.

The QMO finds and fixes errors (if required) in real time and does not refer the work back to the submitting Service Officer to fix.

As the QMO completes the DSP claim activity, they also deliver the SOI.

Exceptions to this include where the DSP claim is finalised by:

• Service Officers who are undertaking consolidation training for Disability claim processing, or
• Customer Critical Response Team (CCRT) or
• MAT Assessor recommends DSP rejection Insufficient Medical Evidence (IME)

Staff undertaking consolidation training:

• Conducts the SOI after the QMA has been completed
• Checks the QMA feedback tile in Process Direct

Staff from CCRT:

• conducts the SOI before finalising the claim, and
• runs the SOI Workflow after the QMA check is finalised

Where the outcome is to reject DSP due to IME, the MAT Assessor:

• attempts to contact the customer to deliver the SOI
• records the SOI outcome using the relevant SOI Fast Notes

If the DSP claim has been done in Customer First (CF) and goes to QOL (Quality On Line) the Service Officer does the SOI once it has been passed.

From 1 April 2023, a new version of The Impairment Tables was introduced. The new tables are used to assess a customer's medical eligibility for all DSP claims lodged on or after this date.