Youth Allowance and Austudy students and Australian Apprentices online claims and Assisted Customer Claims 010-04010060

If the customer is contacting:

• for assistance to start an online claim, see Step 1 in Table 2
• about a recently submitted online claim, go to Step 2
• about being unable to submit an online claim due to being streamed out early, go to Step 3
• about a started online claim, see Step 4 in Table 2
• about a paper claim, see Step 2 in Table 2

If a customer contacts to check the progress of their new claim the Service Officer is to view the YAL OLC Claim Progress or the AUS OLC Claim Progress DOC on the Document List (DL) screen. This DOC will provide information on the progress of the claim. Encourage customers to subscribe to Electronic Messaging in order to receive targeted messaging relating to their claim progress and advised to monitor their claim tracker in their online account or Express Plus Centrelink mobile app.

Note: following the release of Process Direct, staff can no longer view claim details via the Activity List (AL) screen.

Identifying if a claim is for a student, Australian Apprentice or Youth Allowance (YA) job seeker

Claim progress DOCs for online and Assisted Customer Claims (ACC) includes identical text for different claim types, making it difficult to identify the claim type for that customer.

For YA claims, DOCs will display in the Extra Details Summary Line, as either:

• YAL OLC Claim Progress, or
• YAL OLC Claim Progress YAAA for YAL STU with digital Activity Agreement included
• YAL ACC Claim Progress for YA (job seeker) Assisted Customer Claims (ACC), and
• AUS OLC Claim Progress for Austudy claim

To view claim details

The information provided by the customer in the online claim or ACC can be viewed by Service Officers. See Process Direct for information about how to access this.

Claim Tracker

When a customer submits a claim online, they receive an estimated date of completion. Whenever a customer accesses their Centrelink online account, if they have an outstanding student claim they can monitor its progress via a claim tracker, which is on My online claims.

Customer identified as being in hardship

If a customer advises they are in financial hardship, Service Officers must follow the process outlined in Immediate new claim and non-new claim priority processing.

Customer wishes to withdraw claim

Where the customer wishes to withdraw their online claim, encourage the customer to withdraw their own claim via online services.

To withdraw a claim on behalf of a customer, see Withdrawal of claims.

Rejected claim

When the claim is rejected, explain the decision to the customer. It is important the customer understands why their claim was rejected.

If the customer provides more information to support their claim within 13 weeks of the date they were notified of the decision to reject, the claim will be reassessed automatically. There is no need for the customer to apply for a formal review of the decision.

Note: where a claim is rejected and a customer submits a subsequent claim within 13 weeks of the initial claim rejection:

• check that the customer maintained qualification throughout, and if so:
• reassess the rejected claim
• mark the subsequent claim as Not Required

The customer may request a further explanation or apply for a formal review of the decision.

Procedure ends here.

The system presents customers who begin the Youth Allowance (Student or Apprentice) or Austudy (Student or Apprentice) claim process online with a Check your eligibility question set. This will result in the early identification of ineligibility. If a customer identifies with one of the circumstances below, they will not be able to proceed with their claim. A screen presents advising why they are ineligible and to explore alternative options via Payment and Service Finder. The types of circumstances that will be streamed out early are:

• Not a student or apprentice
• Australian school based apprentice
• Study start date greater than 13 weeks in the future (other than continuing student)
• Apprenticeship start date greater than 13 weeks in the future
• Youth Allowance customer who is currently or planning to undertake a Doctorate level course (PhD)
• Austudy customer who has previously, currently or planning to complete a Doctorate level course (PhD)

If a customer contacts regarding their streamed out claim, provide them with an explanation based on their circumstances. It is important the customer understands the reason why they were streamed out. Encourage them to explore their options via Payment and Service Finder.

If the customer:

• contacts to advise they cannot complete an online claim as self-service channels are unavailable (confirmed by NNU), the Service Officer must:
• DOC the contact
• apologise to the customer for the inconvenience, and
• ask them to attempt a claim later. Procedure ends here
• is considered to be unable or unsuitable to complete an online claim by a Service Officer, or
• indicates they cannot claim online as they are in a remote area, the Service Officer must complete Assisted Customer Claim (ACC) via the ACC Desktop icon to register a new claim for the customer

Note: issuing a paper claim form must only be considered when all other channels have been exhausted.

Is it necessary to use ACC to allow the customer to claim?

• Yes, go to Step 2
• No, the customer must claim online

Customers must have an active online account to start an online claim, see How users create a myGov account and link services.

Once registered, customers must:

• Sign into myGov and access their linked Centrelink online account
• Select the Payments and Claims > Claims > Make a Claim from the menu or select Start a new claim on the My online claims summary page

From the Make a Claim page, select Get started under the Students, Trainees and Apprentices category

• Select Apply for Youth Allowance or Austudy on the Notification window. The customer's age at the time study commences determines if claiming for YA or Austudy is more appropriate
• The Check your eligibility page will display. The customer must answer the streaming questions to ensure they are claiming the most appropriate payment based on their circumstances:
• Customers are taken through a reduced question set if their JobSeeker Payment (JSP), Parenting Payment (PP), Austudy or YA (YA only if over 22 years or with a non-reviewable independence reason) payment was cancelled up to 13 weeks ago
• Customers who were last on one of the above payments between 14 and 52 weeks ago are asked if any significant change in circumstances has occurred. Customers who indicate there have been no significant changes to their circumstances are taken through a reduced question set. If the customer indicates they have had a significant change in circumstances, they must complete a full claim
• If the payment the customer is attempting to claim is not the most appropriate payment, they are advised of the reason they are ineligible and referred to the Payment and Service Finder to explore alternative assistance
• After selecting Claim now, a message box will display reminding the customer to check My profile to review and update their details before commencing their claim. A Continue button and My profile button will be available:
• Selecting the Continue button will navigate the customer to the Claim navigation page to commence their claim
• Selecting the My profile button will navigate the customer to review and update their details. The customer can then select the Return to your claim button which will take them to the Claim navigation page to commence their claim
• The Claim Navigation page will display:
• claim type (this is determined automatically by the customer's age)
• claim status
• claim number
• date by which the claim must be submitted so the date of first contact is used as the day of claim
• sections of the claim required to be completed

The Resources page contains a link to the Services Australia website.

If the customer is present at a service centre or has contacted a Smart Centre, use Assisted Customer Claim (ACC) to register an online claim. Before starting a verbal claim using the ACC workflow, Service Officers must:

• Update the customer's personal details via the Change in Contact Details workflow and update the customer's Other Contact Details (OCD) screen in Customer First as these questions are no longer in ACC
• Load the customer's record via the ACC desktop icon
• Select Make a new claim when ready to start. If there is a started claim on the Customer Claim Summary, the claim can be continued by selecting the pencil icon under the Actions column or cancelled by selecting the trash icon under the Actions column
• If a paper claim has been provided, ensure the date of receipt (DOR) is the date the paper claim was provided to Services Australia
• Read the privacy message to the customer. The customer must agree to the privacy agreement prior to commencing the claim
• Ask the customer the Check your eligibility streaming questions and select the appropriate answers, prior to selecting Claim Now. Eligibility questions may result in the early identification of ineligibility. The types of circumstances which will be streamed out early are:
• not a student or apprentice
• Australian school based apprentice
• study start date greater than 13 weeks in the future (other than continuing student)
• Apprenticeship start date greater than 13 weeks in the future
• Youth Allowance customer who is currently or planning to undertake a Doctorate level course (PhD)
• Austudy customer who has previously, currently or planning to complete a Doctorate level course (PhD)
• Continue through the question in each section. If the customer is unable to answer mandatory questions, the claim workflow can be saved and continued at a later time

Read the verbal declaration script to customers at the end of ACC and, if accepted, tick the Declaration box on the Review your claim page. Do not print or sign a CDF where the verbal declaration is accepted.

Once a verbal declaration is completed and the ACC submitted, confirmation of the acceptance of the verbal declaration will display automatically in the following places:

• the Notes section of Process Direct
• Super Case (notes) of customer First
• the Customer Claim Summary

Verbal script to be read to customers

You declare that:

• The information provided for your claim is complete and correct and reflects your current circumstances
• You will notify Services Australia of any changes to this information within fourteen (14) days of the change(s) occurring

You understand that:

• You may be required to provide additional information to support your claim
• Giving false or misleading information is a serious offence
• Services Australia can make relevant enquiries to ensure you receive the correct entitlement
• The information you provide will be used to assess your claim
• The servicesaustralia.gov.au website contains important information about Youth Allowance and Austudy to assist you
• Your claim will not be assessed until this statement is accepted and all supporting documentation is provided to Services Australia
• Your receipt of payments may be affected if you do not do any of the above'

Verbal script to be read to customers who are required to enter into a Digital Activity Agreement:

You declare that:

• This agreement has been negotiated between the Australian Government agency, Services Australia and you
• You understand your rights and obligations in relation to this agreement
• You will notify Services Australia of any changes to this information within fourteen (14) days of any circumstance that prevent you from complying with the term of this agreement

You understand:

• If you do not keep your negotiated obligations, you may be found to have not met the terms of this agreement. This may result in your payment being reduced or stopped
• You may be asked or you may be requested to renegotiate a new agreement at anytime
• This agreement does not replace your obligation to respond to other Australian Government agency, Services Australia request or requirements

Once ACC is complete, tell the customer what documents are required and payments will only commence from the date of receipt. Customers will still be able to access their started claim for up to 13 weeks before it expires. If the customer is able to provide the required documents at point of contact, the Service Officer must use the Request and Manage Customer Tasks guided procedure to record this and submit the claim.

Workload Management will allocate the claim for assessment, once submitted, unless hardship provisions apply.

Procedure ends here.

The Claim navigation page displays the sections of the claim to be completed. The sections must be completed in order and the next section cannot be started until the previous section is completed:

• Confirm your basic details
• Tell us about your situation
• Tell us about your finances
• Review your claim and submit

The sections are accessed by selecting Get started.

Each section contains modules with relevant questions. The modules display as tabs at the top of each page. On each question page, the customer can select:

• Back to go back to the previous question or module
• Save and Exit to save the claim at the current stage
• Next to progress forward with the module questions

Customers can select Help to access help text about the questions on the current page. Help text will open in a separate window and can be printed.

When the customer has completed each module and reached the end of the section, they return to the Claim navigation page to select the next section.

Customers must answer all compulsory questions and supply all required documents before they can submit their claim. See Step 1 in Table 6.

To access their online claim, customers must:

• sign into myGov and access their linked Centrelink services
• select Payments and Claims > My online claims menu option
• if there are no claims in progress, the Make a Claim screen will display
• if there are current claims in progress, a summary of their claims will be displayed

Incomplete claims require additional information from the customer and submission before they are processed. Available Actions allow a customer to select Continue with their claim or Cancel their claim.

Submitted claims are claims waiting to be processed. The customer cannot make any edits. Customers can withdraw their claim by selecting the Withdraw link from the Available Actions table. Customers can also view their submitted claim by selecting View claim.

Cancelled claims are claims cancelled by the customer prior to submission. Before the claim is cancelled, customers are advised that:

• after it is cancelled, this claim cannot be viewed or continued
• this action cannot be undone
• if a MOD JY has been submitted as part of this claim, it will not be available to be viewed or used for any future claims

Completed claims are claims that are processed. Check the claim outcome (Granted or Rejected) in Workspace as the Online or Assisted Customer Claim workflow status will only display as 'Approved'.

Withdrawn claims are claims submitted by the customer but then withdrawn if the customer chose not to pursue the claim. Customers are advised before withdrawing their online claim that:

• after it is withdrawn, this claim cannot be reinstated
• they cannot apply for a formal review of this decision

This will cancel the claim activity and DOC the record. An MFU may be created if the claim withdrawal could not be completed. See Cancel or withdraw an online claim.

When a customer submits an online claim, the system:

• creates a DOC
• uploads customer contact details
• determines if the claim meets the criteria for straight through processing (grants or rejections) for simple claims. In these cases, the customer will receive more timely advice regarding the outcome of their claim. If the claim does not meet the criteria for straight through processing, the system will allocate it to a Service Officer for processing. Note: claims submitted through the Assisted Customer Claim (ACC) will not be completed via straight through processing

View information the customer has provided in the online claim using the Review Claim function from within the customer's online claim.

Messages and notifications

The system advises customers:

• who provide a mobile phone number or email address that they will be subscribed to the Electronic Messaging service, unless they have previously declined. They must nominate a preferred contact method (SMS or email) for notifications
• to create a myGov account to access their linked government services online, and mail from Centrelink through the myGov Inbox
• they will be subscribed to receive their Centrelink mail online. These will be delivered through the myGov Inbox if they have an account or through the Centrelink Online Letters service if they do not yet have a myGov account
• they can opt out of these services at any time

Use the Change in Contact Details workflow to update the customer's address, name, and telecommunication and accommodation details. Update the customer's interpreter and personal details via the Other Contact Details (OCD) screen in Customer First before starting Assisted Customer Claim (ACC).

The relationship status question set asks if the customer is single or partnered, and then displays further questions to determine their specific relationship status as well as relevant dates.

If the relationship status indicates the customer is independent, they will be advised they must provide verification of this to be granted independence.

If the customer is:

• single, they will select their specific relationship status and go on to the next question set
• partnered, they must select their specific relationship status and then provide their partner's details including:
• name, date of birth, gender
• start date of relationship
• other names they have been known by. See Aliases and other names (legal, preferred, sex and gender diverse customers, cultural considerations etc.)
• if the partner is also claiming/receiving a Centrelink payment
• if the customer would like to give their partner permission to enquire about their payments
• additional partner information may also be collected later in the online claim. If the customer has indicated they can provide partner details see Confirming a partnered relationship. If the information is to be collected via the appropriate paper form(s) see Confirming a partnered relationship
• partnered but unable to live together, they will also be asked:
• reasons why they are unable to live together
• if it is a temporary or indefinite situation
• widowed, details to be provided include date of partner's death
• separated, they must provide details of the former partner including:
• name, date of birth, gender
• other names they have been known by, see Aliases and other names (legal, preferred, sex and gender diverse customers, cultural considerations etc.)
• date separated
• divorced, the date of the divorce is required

Note: if the customer is considered separated, there are key tasks they should consider to protect their personal information. See Separating Safely - protecting personal details.

These questions allow the customer to supply or confirm their contact preferences:

• the customer can request another person or organisation be permitted to enquire on their behalf, or
• whether they wish to have a Payment or Correspondence Nominee

Note: the system may enter some of this information may from their record. The customer can update the details if they have changed.

The following information may be pre-populated in the online claim for information already known to Services Australia. The customer can change anything incorrect.

If the country of birth is:

• Australia for either the customer or their partner, the Next steps screen will advise of the requirement to supply proof of birth in Australia if required
• not Australia for either the customer or their partner, details will be collected via the Visa Details page, and the Next steps screen will advise of the requirement to supply proof of arrival in Australia if required

If the country of citizenship is:

• not Australia, they will be asked for the date they became a citizen of that country and Visa details will be requested on the Visa details page
• Australia but the country of birth is not Australia, they will be asked for the date they were granted Australian citizenship and visa details prior to the grant of Australian citizenship

Currently living in Australia?

• No, the claim may be rejected

Except for short trips or holidays, have they ever lived outside Australia?

• Yes, they will be asked for the date they started living in Australia and the Countries lived in page will display

Have they travelled outside Australia including short trips and holidays?

• Yes, they will be asked to provide their passport number and the country that issued their passport

Have they arrived on a temporary Visa?

• Yes, the claim will be automatically rejected as a result of the coding of the Visa details

Did either the customer or the partner's parent/s arrive in Australia on a refugee or humanitarian visa?

• Yes, the Service Officer must further investigate if a Newly Arrived Resident's Waiting Period (NARWP) applies. (Service Officers will be alerted to this when processing the customer's claim)

If the customer has a partner, the partner's residence details will be collected either online or on a paper module (Mod P or Mod O). The information required and the method of collection will depend on whether or not the partner is receiving an income support payment and if the customer has indicated they are able to provide their partner's details.

The same question sets and rules asked for the customer will be asked about the partner if the information is required.

When the customer's country of citizenship is not Australia, and the customer does not have a Department of Home Affairs reference on their Centrelink record:

• they will be asked what type of Australian visa they currently have
• they will be asked if they hold a permanent visa, a temporary visa, or are unsure
• If they hold a permanent visa, they will be asked for the visa grant date and visa subclass
• If they hold a temporary visa they will be asked for the date granted, the date the visa ends, and the visa subclass
• If they hold a New Zealand Passport (Special Category Visa) they will be asked if their visa changed since they arrived in Australia
• If they are unsure, they will not be asked for the date granted or the date the visa ends, and the visa subclass
• they will be asked if their visa has changed since they arrived in Australia. If they answer Yes, they will be asked what type of visa they arrived on, the date it was granted, and the arrival visa subclass

Questions relating to:

• living in a home owned by the customer or their partner. Further questions about home ownership are asked including:
• do they live in a home owned by a trust or company? or
• have they sold their home with an intention to buy another home within 12 months?
• for non-homeowners - accommodation costs and who they pay these to, such as:
• rent
• lodgings
• board and lodgings. If the customer does not specify an amount for meals within the claim, count a third of the total as going towards meals
• site fees
• if they share accommodation
• living with parents (if under 25)
• their living arrangements if they are living with another person other than an immediate family member

Where a customer selects emergency/temporary accommodation, a link to the Payment and Service Finder displays to assist in supplying the customer with more help.

Note: a Rent Certificate (SU523) will not be requested until the claim has been processed. If the customer advises they have a current lease or tenancy agreement, this will be requested at Next Steps if verification is required.

The customer is asked if they have any dependent children. See Assessment of dependent children, additional income free area and child income under social security law.

If there are any dependent children on the customer's existing record ((Family Tax Benefit (FTB) current only)), they will display for the customer to select if they are still a dependent child. If anything has changed, the customer can provide updated details.

If there are other dependent children to be added, the customer must provide full details of each child including:

• name
• date of birth
• gender
• shared care arrangements if applicable, see Notification and assessment of shared care arrangements for Family Tax Benefit (FTB)
• if the child is in full-time education
• details of any income the child receives
• if the child receives any Centrelink payments

A summary of all details currently held (excluding surname and date of birth of child) will be provided for the customer to check and change if required.

Note: if it is determined the YA customer is a principal carer, ensure the relevant screens, including the Child Override/Claim (CHOC) and Principal Carer Circumstance Details (PCCD) is coded correctly as part of the new claim activity. See Principal carer of a dependent child for further details.

Customer must provide full details of the course they are/will be studying including:

• level of study
• course title
• course ID code
• name of provider and campus they will be studying at
• campus location (suburb/town only) - to determine eligibility for a relocation scholarship
• student ID number
• current year and/or semester they will be studying
• course start and end dates
• student start date and expected study end date
• study loads (full-time, part-time or not studying) for each study period. If a customer is studying at a higher education provider, and advise they:
• are studying in the first study period, and
• if study load for 1 study period is full-time, and
• one or more of the other study periods are part-time
• further questions will be asked to identify if the customer will be enrolled over the academic year for aggregation of study load purposes
• how many study periods apply to the current academic year (where the education provider's default study periods are not available in the online claim)
• upfront study expenses for the course - a reduction may be allowed from liquid assets when calculating any Liquid Assets Waiting Period
• the reason the customer is studying part-time, for example they:
• choose to study part-time, or
• are studying part-time due to a medical condition/disability, or
• are studying part-time due to course or education provider requirements
• if the customer has an illness or disability that prevents them from studying a full-time workload, they may be entitled to a concessional study load. For:
• Youth Allowance, see Assessing concessional study loads for Youth Allowance (YA)
• Austudy, see Assessing eligibility for the 66% concessional study load for Austudy or Assessing eligibility for 25% concessional study load for Austudy

They must also provide details of:

• highest level of education previously completed
• tertiary study completed
• previous tertiary study not completed

Activity Agreement

YA tertiary students, who advise within the online claim:

• they have only 1 previous uncompleted tertiary course, and
• they have not withdrawn or failed due to exceptional circumstances

will be subject to a YA Activity Agreement within the online claim. If a YA Activity Agreement is required, the system will display a personalised agreement with a declaration and allow the customer to agree/disagree. All information is available within the Claim Overview in Process Direct.

In the following circumstances Service Officers must negotiate the Activity Agreement manually

• the study information provided in the online claim is incorrect,
• where the customer withdrew/failed due to exceptional circumstances or
• there are multiple uncompleted tertiary courses

See Negotiating an Activity Agreement for Youth Allowance (YA) students returning to study after discontinuing a previous course for more information.

Independence

The questions in the Independence Module are dynamic, and may display differently for different customers. This is because the online claim can identify some information already on the customer file, or information provided by the customer in another part of the claim.

The independence question set will not be asked if:

• the customer has previously been assessed as independent for a non-reviewable reason, or
• earlier answers provided within the claim indicate the customer is independent, for example they are married or member of a de facto relationship lasting 12 months or more

Unreasonable to Live at Home (UTLAH) under 18

Initiate case consultation with the service centre social worker if the customer is aged 15 years or under as soon as possible prior to any assessment of the claim being made.

If the customer is 16-17 years of age and indicates it is unreasonable to live at home the customer will usually be required to book a UTLAH appointment with the Social Work Assessment Network (SWAN) as a mandatory task on the Next Steps page. A DOC with the unique identifier of SUBOCUTL will create on claim submission.

An alternate UTLAH independence question set will be asked if:

• the customer claims within 52 weeks of last receiving YA, and
• they have a previous UTLAH assessment (which has not been end dated), and
• it is still unreasonable for the customer to live at home

The customer will be asked if they have returned home to live with parent(s) or guardian(s) for a period greater than 14 days and if they have received continuous support from their parent(s) or guardian(s). Customers who are subject to the alternate question set and have not returned to the parental home for more than 14 days, and indicate they are not receiving continuous support from their parent/s will have UTLAH automatically re-applied and will not have to attend an appointment with a social worker.

UTLAH over 18 but under 22

If the customer is 18 years or over and indicates it is unreasonable to live at home, the Over 18 UTLAH team will conduct an assessment. A DOC with the unique identifier of O18 will create on claim submission.

An alternate UTLAH independence question set will be asked if:

• the customer claims within 52 weeks of last receiving YA, and
• they have a previous UTLAH assessment (which has not been end-dated), and
• it is still unreasonable for the customer to live at home

The customer will be asked if they have returned home to live with parent(s) or guardian(s) for a period greater than 2 weeks and if they have received continuous support from their parent(s) or guardian(s). Customers who are subject to the alternate question set and have not returned to the parental home for more than 14 days, and indicate they are not receiving continuous support from their parent/s will have UTLAH automatically re-applied and an assessment by the O18 UTLAH team will not be necessary.

Providing evidence of independence

The customer may be asked to provide evidence of their independence at Next Steps. The claim will automatically determine if evidence is required. For example, a customer will not be asked to provide evidence if, for independence through work reasons, they indicate the only evidence type is payslips/payroll report. They will be asked to retain the evidence for a period of 2 years.

Dependent upon a parent(s)/guardian(s)

If the customer has indicated they are not independent and are dependent upon a parent(s)/guardian(s), questions will be presented to determine who their parent(s) is/are for the purpose of the Parental Means Test.

Away from home rate

If the customer has indicated in their address details questions they are living away from home, questions will be presented to determine if the away from home rate is payable. See The away from home rate for Youth Allowance (YA) customers.

This is the first page of the Circumstances tab and asks the customer to provide information about their circumstances before applying for payment.

Circumstances the customer may select from a list include:

• wage/salary earner (full-time, part-time or casual)
• seasonal, contract or intermittent wage/salary earner
• self employed
• self-employed and wage/salary earner
• student - Full-time education leaver
• student - Part-time education leaver
• student - Receiving ABSTUDY
• apprentice or trainee
• Community Development Program (CDP)
• in psychiatric confinement (14 days or more)
• in prison (14 days or more)
• unemployed
• other

Based on their selection, the customer will be asked further questions on following pages.

Current employment details may be pre-filled through Single Touch Payroll (STP) in the online claim for the customer to confirm. This includes the employer name and ABN. Staff can recognise a STP employer has been presented if the question “Do you work for (employer)” is displayed in the claim slider. Further details can be seen on STP Employer Update (EMCF) screen.

If a customer has previously confirmed an employer and advises they do not work for the employer anymore, the employer will still remain as confirmed on EMCF. This employer should be recorded by the customer in previous employer details for employers ceased within the last 12 months within the claim.

If they select any of the work related circumstances, they must indicate if they are still employed, date they last worked (if they have ceased work) and details of their former employment such as the employer's name and contact details.

The activity they were engaged in prior to claim may affect the start date of their payments, see Calculating the start day general rule.

If the customer was previously working and has received a termination payment, they may be subject to an Income Maintenance Period (IMP).

Customers are only required to provide an Employment Separation Certificate (SU001) for a Student or Apprentice claim if they or their partner (if applicable), have indicated in their online claim they have received or are expecting to receive leave or redundancy payments from an employer.

Note: a customer may have to provide multiple separation certificates if they received or expect to receive leave or redundancy payments from more than 1 employer.

The online claim will identify if an Employment Separation Certificate is required and request this as part of the Next Steps process within the online claim. However, within the online claim questions, if a customer indicates they do not have an Employment Separation Certificate, the online claim will display a message stating, "I understand I need to provide this as soon as possible."

To determine if there is a requirement to obtain an Employment Separation Certificate, check what information has been requested under the Tasks icon within Process Direct.

The Tasks screen icon displays tasks, for example, documents the customer has been requested to provide. If the document has been returned online, a hyperlink will display in a blue box. Online modules submitted for the claim will also display. Note: scanned documents or those submitted through Upload documents online will display on the Documents screen.

The Documents screen icon displays scanned documents. This includes documents received through Upload documents online.

If there are nil requests for an Employment Separation Certificate, this confirms the customer has advised leave or redundancy payments have not been received and as a result, an Employment Separation Certificate is not required.

An Employment Separation Certificate is required if the response shows:

• 'I have received, or expect to receive, leave or redundancy payments from this employer', or if partnered
• '<partner's name> has received, or expects to receive, leave or redundancy payment from this employer'

An Employment Separation Certificate is not required if the response(s) shows:

• 'I have not received nor expect to receive any leave or redundancy payments from this employer', and if partnered
• '< partner's name> has not received nor expects to receive any leave or redundancy payments'

If a customer who is over 21 and completed full-time or part-time student in the previous study period, and now intends to be a full-time student in the next study period, will be entitled to receive payment as an intending student from the date of claim. New students can only be paid from the date the course starts.

Australian Apprentices can only be paid from the later of the date of claim or the date they have a current Commonwealth registration number.

The customer will be asked a series of questions which will help determine if they are eligible for other assistance and services, such as, if they are unable to look for work or participate in a suitable activity due to a medical condition or other reasons.

This module allows the customer to supply or confirm information about their financial income and assets prior to making their claim. The module includes questions about:

• payment instructions
• savings
• investments
• business, trust and companies
• other assets
• income
• additional circumstances

The customer has the option to provide this information later via paper form if they are not able to provide it at the time of completing the online claim.

Current payment destination details will display if the customer is currently in receipt of a payment. The customer can either select this account or add a new account.

The customer must provide the following details for the relevant bank account:

• name of account
• branch (BSB) number
• account number

For more information, see Payment destination.

Customer does not have their account details available

If the customer is unable to provide a payment destination within 14 days due to having barriers in opening a bank account, a temporary exemption can be granted for 28 days. Note: the customer will not receive any payments until a payment destination is provided.

The Payment Destination page in ACC can be bypassed by selecting the I do not have bank account details checkbox. No account information will be saved, and the Service Officer can continue claim to submission.

Note: before selecting the checkbox, staff must consider all of the following:

• this option must not be selected where the customer has a bank account but is unable to provide the details when ACC is being completed
• this checkbox must only be selected if the customer does not own a bank account and is unable to provide a payment destination within 14 days due to having barriers in opening a bank account, or where no payment destination is provided within a paper claim
• where this option is selected, advise the customer they will not receive any payments until a payment destination is provided

Advise the customer to provide their bank details as early as possible.

A Tax File Number (TFN) is required for the customer (and their partner, if applicable), unless previously provided.

For customers who know they have a Tax File Number, but are unaware of the number, direct the customer to go to the Australia Taxation Office (ATO) website for more information on retrieving their TFN.

For more information, see Requesting a Tax File Number (TFN).

The customer is asked if they want tax deducted from their payment, to which they can select a while dollar amount or a percentage of their payment.

The customer will be asked to list any savings and other assets they may have. This includes:

• bank accounts
• cash on hand
• bonds
• debentures
• money loaned to others

The customer will be asked a series of questions regarding:

• income streams
• managed investments
• funeral bonds
• money secured against your home
• gifted income or assets

This applies to any savings and assets the customer fully or partially owns inside or outside Australia.

The customer will be asked a series of questions regarding:

• sole trader business
• partnership business
• private company
• family trust
• special disability trust
• real estate

The customer will be asked a series of questions regarding other assets:

• motor vehicle
• boats
• caravans
• life insurance
• livestock
• other assets

The customer will be asked a series of questions regarding their income:

• income from work
• Australian government payments
• compensation
• pensions from overseas
• overseas income and assets
• scholarships
• other income

A customer will automatically be placed on reporting if STP data is presented to the customer within the claim, regardless of the employer status. Note: STP income will not be presented to the customer in the online claim.

If the customer has indicated they are receiving income from employment that is not declared through STP, apply a manual 2 weekly Reporting Regime. View information relating to income from employment the customer has provided in the online claim in the Review Claim section in the customer's online claim. Review this information before processing the claim.

The customer will be asked if they have borrowed money for any of their investments.

If the customer cannot provide all their income and asset information, they can provide this information via a paper form. This will be advised at Next Steps.

The Review page contains a summary of all information provided by the customer so they can check information they entered is correct.

The customer's answers are grouped into sections for example 'About me'.

If the customer has not completed all mandatory details, an Update required message appears in red. They can select the Update button to navigate to My profile to update these sections before returning to their claim

If any other information has to be changed or provided, the customer can select the Update button relevant to the answers that require changing. This will take them back to the question pages.

If the customer's previous study circumstances has triggered a digital YA activity agreement they will be able to review their obligations and response to the agreement.

If all of the information is correct, the customer must tick the box that says 'I have read, understood, and accept my obligations'.

The customer can then select the Next Steps button.

This page displays:

• a list of Required and Supplementary tasks
• some tasks may have an information pop-up message with help text to explain what type of documentation is required and considered valid for this task. Access this by selecting a specific word, underlined in the task. Selecting the specific word again will exit the pop-up message
• claim expiry date by which the claim must be submitted
• a link to the Upload documents via an Upload button against each Required/Supplementary task
• a link to download or print displayed forms

All Required tasks must be provided before they can Submit their claim.

If the customer does not have access to a printer, they must contact Services Australia to request the required forms be mailed to them.

Staff can use Mail Forms in Workspace to issue forms to customers if required.

Where a customer is identified as vulnerable, the Submit button will display. Outstanding Required tasks will still be required for claim finalisation and failure to do so will result in the claim rejecting.

Customers can access their online claim to return to the Next steps page at any time before it is submitted.

Unreasonable to Live at Home (UTLAH) for customers under 18

If the customer is 16-17 years of age and has indicated it is unreasonable to live at home and they are not eligible to have UTLAH re-applied automatically, the system will launch the UTLAH appointment page as a mandatory task.

Parental income. This displays for all dependent customers, allowing parent(s)/guardian(s) to complete the Mod JY online (see Step 3). This section includes:

• information on the Parental Means Test
• explanation of why this is required
• instructions for completing the Mod JY online including the verification code required to access this service

Additional information. This section includes:

• information about Required and Supplementary documents
• what happens if the customer does not complete the Required tasks listed

Customers have the option to:

• go Back to the Review your claim page
• Save their claim
• Submit

If the customer is identified as dependent, they will display with a required task of either MOD JY or A2115 with an option to View.

When View is selected, they are provided with details regarding the process of accessing and completing the PIT. They can print the information to take to their parents.

Parents do not have to be authenticated or provide a Customer Reference Number (CRN) to complete the online Parent(s)/Guardian(s) details - for the base Tax Year and current Tax Year for Dependent Youth Allowance or ABSTUDY Customers (MOD JY).

To locate the service, parents must search for Advise Parental Income in the menu if they are logged into their online account or in the Search field on the Services Australia website if they are not authenticated.

The verification code provided to the customer on the Next steps page identifies the child for whom the parent is providing the information.

Authenticated parents will be taken directly to the Verification Code page and will have any known data re-used or pre-populated.

Unauthenticated parents will first have to enter their personal details, and CRN (if available), before the Verification code page displays.

The number of questions asked will vary depending on if the parents are receiving an income support payment and if the parents have previously provided parental income and assets for the appropriate tax year. Income and asset information already held on record will not display to the parent but will upload during claim processing.

This service replaces the paper MOD JY and gathers the following details:

• other dependent children
• payment destination (if the YA customer is under 18)
• income details, unless parent(s) currently on an income support payment

Parents can save and exit this service if they are unable to provide all required information in one session. This can be resumed by locating the Advise Parental Income service online and re-entering the verification code provided to the customer on Next steps.

Once all Required tasks are complete (excluding Vulnerable customer exception criteria), the customer can:

• select the Submit button to submit their claim
• elect not to submit the claim. The claim will remain in draft for 13 weeks after which it will expire if not submitted

Once a claim is submitted, customers subscribed to Electronic Messaging will receive a Notification confirming the submission and reminded to monitor their claim tracker in their online account or Express Plus Centrelink mobile app.