Farm Household Allowance (FHA) customer going overseas 002-02080020

If an FHA customer leaves Australia to live in another country, the customer would cease to be an Australian resident, and would no longer qualify for FHA from the date of departure.

FHA customers (including principal carers of dependent children) who travel overseas temporarily may remain eligible for payment if they are absent for an approved reason only for a specific negotiated period but no more than 6 weeks. FHA may be portable for:

• temporary absences (of any length, but unlikely to be more than a few weeks) to attend a training camp with the Australian Defence Force Reserves
• a specific negotiated period (expected to be only a few weeks but not more than the maximum portability period) for people who are absent for:
• eligible medical treatment of a kind not available in Australia
• humanitarian reasons such as custody or adoption proceedings
• acute family crisis such as the death of a family member or visiting a family member hospitalised with a serious illness

Customers will be exempt from their mutual obligation requirements while absent for these reasons.

The allowable absence reasons are subject to very specific guidelines. FHA will be stopped if the reason for leaving Australia is not acceptable, or if acceptable proof of the absence is not provided at the interview or after the customer has returned to Australia.

The rate paid to FHA customers who are payable overseas will include add-ons (if qualified), for the period of the absence up to the maximum portability period.

Customers must provide acceptable proof of the absence to determine if they satisfy one of the approved reasons, preferably before their departure.

In an emergency, if it is accepted the customer is leaving for an approved reason they will be required to provide supporting documentation on their return. If the documentation is not acceptable or not provided, a debt will be raised.

If a customer provides evidence or supporting documentation to a service centre that relates to a previous temporary absence which was not for an approved reason at the time, there is no need to run the 'Review officer' script as a decision on their portability has not yet been made. Refer the case to Centrelink International Services (CIS) for assessment.

If an FHA customer contacts, transfer them to the Farmer Assistance hotline. Farmer Assistance hotline staff are responsible for handling the portability interview and any departure coding.

If a customer has indicated their overseas travel meets the initial criteria for an approved reason, refer the case to Centrelink International Services (CIS) to assess entitlement.

Only CIS can approve payment for the absence.

Once CIS have recorded their decision, the Farmer Assistance hotline Service Officer undertakes remaining coding.

The Portability Script - Departures and Returns cannot be used for assessing portability entitlement for Farm Household Allowance (FHA).

A person's portability period starts on the day they leave Australia. For portability purposes, a customer is not considered to be inside Australia for any part of the day they departed Australia, regardless of the time of departure. If the customer is travelling outside Australia on a cruise, the date of departure is the date the ship leaves the last Australian port.

The day a person returns to Australia is not included as part of their absence as they are considered to be inside Australia on that day (regardless of the time of return) and therefore no longer affected by portability. If they leave and return on the same day (for example, airline crew) this is not considered a departure from Australia for portability purposes.

Customer advises change to departure or return dates

If a customer travelling for an approved reason departs Australia more than 3 days before or more than 3 days after the advised date, any specific negotiated period of portability approved for the original date of departure will cease to apply. The customer's approved reason for travel outside Australia may no longer be valid. It is essential a customer advise any change in their departure details before travel.

If unable to return to Australia at the end of the specific negotiated period, the customer must contact Centrelink International Services (CIS) or their payment will stop. If more time overseas is required, this can be discussed and any approved absence possibly extended. However, if they are unable to return to Australia for a reason other than an approved reason (for example, they are hospitalised), or they are still required overseas at the end of the maximum portability period, Centrelink has the discretion to extend the period of portability under certain circumstances. In both situations, refer the customer to CIS for assessment. CIS are responsible for making and recording the decision. The Farmer Assistance hotline Service Officer is responsible for completing the activity and ensuring correct payment is made.

Customers with an active immigration datalink, will generally have their departure or return date to Australia automatically recorded.

Customers without an active immigration datalink, will need to have the datalink manually triggered to record the departure or return date to Australia.

The departure and return dates are not automatically used in assessments for FHA customers.

Services Australia uses the date of departure or arrival provided by the Immigration Datalink. If adversely affected, the customer can provide evidence of alternative dates. Services Australia must consider applying the alternative dates if it is reasonable and results in a beneficial outcome for the customer.

In most cases, customers can notify of their departure from Australia via the Travelling outside of Australia service within their Centrelink online account. If a customer's circumstances are more complex, they must contact Services Australia.

The Services Australia website lists situations when customers must advise they are leaving Australia. The Resources page has a link.

Suspension for a portability reason only applies to the person who leaves Australia. When the farmer is overseas but their partner receives FHA and remains in Australia, FHA continues to pay. That is until it is determined the farmer no longer meets the qualification criteria.

If a farmer advises they are leaving Australia to live in another country, FHA for the farmer will stop from the departure date. The partner’s FHA may also be stopped from the departure date or be reassessed to determine eligibility as a farmer in their own right. This is dependent on whether the partner stays in Australia and adopts the responsibilities of the farming enterprise.

If the last dependent child of an FHA customer leaves Australia to live in another country, the customer will cease to be eligible for a 'with child' rate of payment immediately on the child's departure. Any payment to the customer or concession for the care for the child will cease on the departure date.

If a child leaves Australia temporarily or was born outside Australia, the customer is generally still eligible for a 'with child' rate, even if the customer remains in Australia.