Farm Financial Assessment (FFA) supplement and voucher 002-02070020

Once a new claim for Farm Household Allowance (FHA) has been granted, the customer is assigned a Farm Household Case Officer (FHCO). The FHCO will generate an FFA request advising the customer they need to complete the FFA with a financial assessor by the due date. To receive FHA, customers must comply with the request to provide the completed FFA within the required time frame. Customers that experience difficulties in returning the FFA by the due date should contact their FHCO to discuss an extension.

From 27 March 2020, the FFA request and due date are determined by the FHCO based on the customer's circumstances and is not limited to the previous 28 day time frame.

The FFA request letter includes:

• information about how to complete the FFA
• the FFA due date
• FFA supplement voucher (A2554m) for up to $1,500 to meet the cost of completing the FFA, and
• a one-time access code (OTAC) for the financial assessor to access the FFA via the farm information portal on the Services Australia website

The voucher is used to claim up to $1,500 (GST inclusive) to cover the cost of preparing the FFA. If it has been lost, a new voucher can be issued to the customer. See the Resources page.

The FFA Supplement is only payable where the FFA has been completed by a financial assessor. Customers should make sure their chosen service provider meets the requirements to complete the FFA. The FFA supplement of $1500 cannot be used for FFAs not completed by a financial assessor. Customers should take their FFA request letter and the voucher to the appointment with their financial assessor. Some Rural Financial Counsellors (RFC) may meet the requirements as an assessor and provide this service free of charge.

Note: before 11 June 2020, the person completing the FFA was called a prescribed adviser. Prescribed advisers are required to give evidence of their qualification and membership to a professional institution.

See the Resources page for vouchers submitted before 11 June 2020.

The maximum amount of FFA supplement payable is $1,500 for each FFA. If a single FFA is completed for members of a couple, only one supplement of $1,500 is payable. In certain circumstances when a new FFA is required, a Farm Household Case Officer (FHCO) may authorise the payment of a second FFA supplement.

The assessment fee is set by the financial assessor. Costs above $1,500 are not covered by the supplement. Customers are advised to obtain a quote from the financial assessor before booking an appointment.

The FFA supplement can be paid to the FHA customer claiming the supplement or to the financial assessor. The claimant must advise who is to be paid. If the customer elects to be paid directly, they must have already paid the financial assessor who conducted the assessment and give evidence of the payment.

Once the assessment has been completed, the Farm Household Allowance Voucher for payment of Farm Financial Assessment Supplement (A2554m) is to be completed by the customer and the financial assessor:

• the customer completes Part A
• the financial assessor completes Part B to D

The financial assessor will provide an invoice to the customer for the cost of preparing the FFA. If the customer has not paid for the FFA, the invoice needs to be made out to Services Australia, Centrelink.

The invoice must be submitted with the completed voucher.

All documents can be sent to Services Australia, using Upload documents online, by post or in person.

Once the voucher, invoice and supporting evidence are accepted, payment is made to the customer or financial assessor or prescribed adviser.

Time limit

For the supplement to be paid, the voucher must be submitted within 2 months beginning on the day the financial assessor provides the invoice. This is the date the customer received the invoice or statement and may not match the date on the document. Where the date on the invoice or statement is outside 2 months of the day the customer lodged the voucher to claim the activity supplement, the correct process must be followed to determine payability of the activity supplement.