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Suspending, cancelling and restoring Farm Household Allowance (FHA) 002-02080010



Actions and benefit types

Table 1

Actions/benefit type

Information

Rejection (REJ)

Rejections can never be restored

The reclaim process must be used.

Rejections can be automatic. For example, information coded during the claim causes the payment to reject, income recorded is above the relevant limit. Or manual, for example, a Service Officer records a rejection code.

Customers may withdraw their claims voluntarily or may have lodged an inappropriate or incorrect claim. If the claim has already been determined, reject the claim.

If the customer's claim has not been determined, do not reject the claim. Instead:

  • remove or cancel the activity from the Activity List (AL) screen, and
  • record the outcome in a DOC

A withdrawn claim is deemed never to have been made therefore a customer cannot request a formal review.

There is no requirement to attempt to contact the customer:

  • If their claim is to be registered:
    • Failed to respond to correspondence (FRC), or
    • Failed to supply documents (FSD), and
  • They have been told verbally or advised in writing of their requirement to provide further information.

Note: this does not apply to vulnerable or at risk customers.

Suspension (SUS)

Suspensions can usually be restored

Some suspensions can be manually restored where there is a gap in payment.

Customers may not be qualified for payment temporarily, or for a specific period because of changes in their circumstances.

Cancellation (CAN)

Cancelled records can sometimes be manually or automatically restored

Note: a customer's payment cannot be restored for all cancellation reasons if it is more than 13 weeks since notice of cancellation was sent or reason for cancellation.

Before cancelling a customer's payment, establish that the customer has lost entitlement for that payment.

When making an unfavourable decision, a Decision Maker (DM) must explain to the customer the decision and give them an opportunity to provide further information or evidence relevant to the decision. The DM must also tell the customer of their review and appeal rights. This includes unfavourable decisions made by Service Officers in Smart Centres.

If a DM is not speaking with a customer at the time of making a decision, they must make 2 genuine attempts to contact by phone, in their preferred timeframe where possible, before finalising an unfavourable decision.

Restoration (RES)

Restoration (RES)

Rejected records can never be restored.

Suspended records can sometimes be manually or automatically restored.

Cancelled records can sometimes be manually or automatically restored. Payments cancelled for reason IMP or PSY cannot be restored, regardless of the duration of the confinement.

Who can restore - this indicates whether the reason may be restored at a Smart Centre or only at a service centre. Always check the Document List (DL) screen for information about the suspension. In some cases it may/may not be appropriate to restore at the first point of contact.

Generally, it is not appropriate to restore a cancelled customer's payment that has mutual obligation requirements, unless:

  • the cancellation is found to be in error, and/or
  • it can be established that the customer has continued to meet their mutual obligation requirements, or
  • participation requirements during the period of cancellation

Give consideration to:

  • the length of time since the customer was last paid, and
  • how the customer has supported themselves since that time

Legend - explanation of reason codes fields

Table 2

Item

<Description>

1

Code

This is the 3 letter code for the suspension, cancellation, rejection, or restoration reason. It displays on the customer's status line and used if able to code manually.

2

Description

This is the description of the code as it appears on the Benefit Action (BA) screen.

3

Valid Action Codes

  • (SUS) - Suspension
    • Suspensions can always be restored. Some suspensions can be manually restored where there is a gap in payment
  • (CAN) - Cancellation
    • Cancelled records can sometimes be manually or automatically restored

4

Initiation

  • Manual - the reasons can be manually actioned via the Change Process
  • Auto - the reason cannot be manually actioned via the Change Process but generates because of an assessment. This may be an automatic assessment (for example, auto review action) or a manual assessment activity in which the code displays on the reassessment Social Service Plan (SSP)
  • M/A - can be manually or automatically recorded

5

Restoration

  • No - cancelled records cannot be restored
  • M - can be manually restored via the Change Process

Note: when restoring

  • Rejected records can never be restored
  • Suspended records can always be restored
  • Cancelled records can sometimes be restored

6

Who can action restorations:

FHA processing staff

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A - K codes for FHA

Table 3

Letter

Terms

A - K

see also:

L - Z

12F, 12P, 4Y1, AS2, BLA, CLR, CPP, DEA, 12F, 12P, ETB, FAI, FAU, FFA, FOL, FOO, FRC, FRP, FSA, IMP, INC, INE

A to K - list of cancellation and suspension codes

Table 4

Code

Description

Valid action codes

Initiation

Restoration (this does not apply to REJ)

Who can restore

12F

Customer's employment income precludes for 12 consecutive fortnights

CAN

Auto

No

12P

Partner's employment income precludes for 12 consecutive fortnights

CAN

Auto

No

4Y1

Already paid 4 years of FHA

CAN

Auto, Manual

No

AS2

Farm assets over limit

CAN

Auto

No

BLA

Not a farmer

CAN

Auto, Manual

No

CLR

Client request - claim withdrawn/voluntary surrender

CAN

Manual

No

CPP

Client on Precluding Payment

CAN

Auto

No

DEA

Death

CAN

Auto

No

E6F

Customer's employment income precludes for 6 consecutive fortnights

CAN

Auto

No

E6P

Partner's employment income precludes for 6 consecutive fortnights

CAN

Auto

No

ETB

Employment terminated - bad behaviour

SUS

Manual

M

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FAI

Failed to attend interview

SUS, CAN

Auto, Manual

If SUS - restore when customer has attended interview.

If CAN - customer has to reclaim.

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FAU

Failed to provide annual financial information

SUS, CAN

Manual

If SUS - restore if customer provides documents within 13 weeks of cancellation.

If CAN - customer has to reclaim.

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FFA

No Farm Financial Assessment

SUS, CAN

Auto, Manual

If SUS - restore when customer has returned FFA.

If CAN - customer has to reclaim.

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FOL

FHA assets over limit

CAN

Auto

No

FOO

Farmer opted out

Can

Auto

No

FRC

Failed to reply to correspondence

SUS, CAN

Auto, Manual

M

Only if required information is available as a digital image.

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FRP

Failed to Report

CAN

Auto

M

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\\INTERNAL.DEPT.LOCAL\Shared\NAT\SERDELEXCEL\WORKPRODIMP\Operation Blueprint Migration\RDT Release Icons\32w\icon-specialists.pngin some instances

FSA

Failed to sign Activity Agreement (FIA)

SUS, CAN

Auto, Manual

If SUS - restore when customer has returned FIA.

If CAN - customer has to reclaim.

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IMP

Imprisoned/on reman

CAN

Manual

No

INC

Income too high

CAN

Auto

No

Can be restored if the cancellation was incorrect

INE

Partner excess income

CAN

Auto

No

Can be restored if the cancellation was incorrect.

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L -Z list codes for FHA

Table 5

Letter

Terms

L - Z

See also:

A - K

NAA, NAI, NBD, NCA, NCF, NCR, NFB, NPF, NPU, NRI, NSC, NSL, NSP, O3Y, O4Y, OTH, OVS, PLA, POC, POI, PSY, PTG, PTP, RSE, TFN

L - Z - list of cancellation and suspension codes

Table 6

Code

Description

Valid action codes

Initiation

Restoration (this does not apply to REJ)

Who can restore

NAA

No Activity Agreement signed (FIA)

CAN

Manual

No

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NAI

Failed to advise income

SUS

Manual

M

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NBD

Not provided bank account details

CAN

Manual

M

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NCA

No completed FIA activities

SUS, CAN

Manual

If SUS - restore when customer has met requirements.

If CAN - customer has to reclaim.

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NCF

No completed FIA

CAN

Manual

M

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NCR

No contact for required FIA

SUS, CAN

Manual

If SUS - restore when customer has met requirements.

If CAN - customer has to reclaim.

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NFB

Business activities not defined as farming

CAN

Auto, Manual

No

NPF

Not a partner of a farmer

CAN

Auto, Manual

No

NPU

Failed to provide tax returns

CAN

Auto

M

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NRI

No right or interest in land used for farm enterprise

CAN

Auto, Manual

No

NSC

Significant capital not contributed to farm

CAN

Auto, Manual

No

NSL

Significant labour not contributed to farm

CAN

Auto, Manual

No

NSP

Farm no significant commercial purpose or character

CAN

Auto, Manual

No

O3Y

Already paid 3 years of FHA

CAN

Auto, Manual

No

O4Y

Already paid 4 years of FHA

CAN

Auto, Manual

No

OTH

Other reasons

SUS, CAN

Manual

M

OVS

Customer overseas

SUS, CAN

Manual

M

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PLA

Not a farmer partner

CAN

Auto, Manual

No

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POC

Payability overseas ceased

SUS, CAN

Manual

M

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POI

Proof of identity not provided

CAN

Auto

M

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PSY

In mental institution

CAN

Manual

No

PTG

Partner has been imprisoned

CAN

Manual

No

PTP

Partner in a mental institution

CAN

Manual

No

RSE

Did not accept suitable employment

SUS

Auto, Manual

M

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TFN

Not provided tax file number

CAN

Auto

M

Q134 Free text example

Reason

Example text

CLR

you have requested cancellation of your payment

OVS

you have been outside of Australia for 6 weeks or more

POC

your overseas payability period has ended