Pensioner Education Supplement (PES), ABSTUDY PES and Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC) PES cancellations, suspensions and restoration 010-05130000

It may be necessary to suspend a customer's PES, ABSTUDY PES or AIC PES payment when it is unclear whether they are still eligible for their PES and/or their income support payment. Generally, payments should only be suspended if:

• a determination has been made that the customer is not qualified, or the payment is not payable, temporarily or for a specific period, as a result of changes to circumstances, or
• the customers has not complied with a request that was reasonable. For example, a request to provide information

Before suspending a customer's PES, care should be taken to establish that:

• the information required cannot be obtained by phone or other means
• an appropriate request for information/action has been issued to the customer, which includes:
• the information or action required
• a timeframe for the customer to respond
• consequence of non-compliance, and
• reference to the relevant Act the request has been made under
• the customers is temporarily not eligible for payment
• there is a legislative basis to suspend the payment, and
• all appropriate action has been taken

If a decision is made to suspend PES, a manual advice is to be issued. This advice needs to clearly outline the reason the customer's payment was suspended, and must include the date of effect of the suspension, the payment type, the relevant section of the Act and the customers review and appeal rights.

For more information, see Suspension of payments (CLK).

PES, ABSTUDY PES and AIC PES cannot be restored unless the customer is receiving one of the qualifying income support payments that attract PES.

When a student has a continuing entitlement to payment of PES, ABSTUDY PES or AIC PES, and their PES attracting payment is current, their PES payment may be restored.

PES, ABSTUDY PES and AIC PES payments may be cancelled if the student has had a change in their circumstances, they fail to comply with the requirements for payment, another type of payment is more beneficial or they voluntarily cease payment.

Payments can be cancelled either automatically or manually.

When making a decision to cancel, suspend or reject a PES, ABSTUDY PES or AIC PES payment a specific code must be entered on the Benefit Action (BA) screen to describe the reason.

A description of the code is used in correspondence with customers.