Coding Fares Allowance (FAA) reimbursements and Away from Base entitlements for ABSTUDY and ABSTUDY Pensioner Education Supplement (PES) 010-20081210

For:

• Fares Allowance (FAA) reimbursements, go to Step 2
• coding Away from Base in the Travel Management Application (TMA), go to Table 2

Travel paid for by a student, non-student traveller, parent or a third party can be paid as a reimbursement after the approved traveller/s journey has been completed.

ABSTUDY FAA is payable directly to the applicant, student or a third party who paid for, or provided, the transportation service.

Before reimbursing travel costs:

• carry out all eligibility checks, and
• obtain all supporting documentation

See Reimbursing fares and additional costs after travel has been undertaken for ABSTUDY.

Reimbursement activities will require a booking to be created in TMA with a Booking Status of Reimbursed.

For non-student travellers, the current process of linking to a student or notional student booking within TMA still applies. Any payment in advance or reimbursement is then keyed on the student’s booking. This coding cannot be carried out against any other traveller type.

For organisations who claim reimbursement for multiple students, the total amount must be apportioned between each student to reflect their actual individual cost. For example, an organisation lodges a:

• bulk reimbursement claim for 10 eligible students, totalling $5,000. This would be apportioned on each student’s record at $500 each and paid to the organisation
• bulk reimbursement claim for 10 students, totalling $5,000, however only 5 of the students are eligible. The total amount is still apportioned on each student’s record at $500 each, however 5 of these claims will be rejected, and the other 5 will be paid to the organisation
• reimbursement claim for a charter flight for 10 students totalling $5000, however only 5 of the students are eligible. The total amount in this case must be apportioned between the 5 eligible students at $1000 each. The other 5 students’ claims will be rejected. Note: as the total cost of the charter has already been reimbursed, any subsequent reassessment of the claim will not result in additional coding/apportionment.

For:

• bulk reimbursement activities from organisations, including claims for additional costs only, go to Step 3
• individual reimbursement activities, including claims for additional costs only, go to Step 4
• reassessments of previously reimbursed activities, go to Step 6

Organisations claiming reimbursement of Fares Allowance for multiple travellers must submit to the ABSTUDY Smart Centre Travel Team via the positional mailbox for processing:

• ABSTUDY Fares Allowance Claim form (SY032), and
• ABSTUDY Reimbursement Authorisation - Booking Form

To process a reimbursement claim for an Organisation:

• save the ABSTUDY Reimbursement Authorisation - Booking Form to the desktop
• select TMA from the Process Direct Launchpad. Note: this access only allows selection of the Maintenance icon in TMA. Only use when uploading input spreadsheet as part of a group upload.
• follow the process in New bulk/group travel booking table in Coding pre-booked Fares Allowance (FAA) entitlements for ABSTUDY and ABSTUDY Pensioner Education Supplement (PES) in to complete the group upload
• once the booking is created, check the Booking Upload Log for any errors, such as CRNs failing validation or duplicate bookings. Key the fields as per the reimbursement claim
• ensure the Course ID relevant to the travel dates is selected on the Overview tab
• check the Booking Status is set to Reimbursed
• check the Forward Travel Date and Return Travel Date reflects the actual period of travel
• select Save and go to the Reimbursements tab
• select Edit and then select Create Reimbursement
• complete the Reimbursement fields displayed:
• Travel Assessment Date: defaults to the Forward Travel date from the Bookings tab, but can be altered. The date can only be altered on input of the initial component. For any subsequent components, the date will auto-default based on the initial entry. The Travel Assessment Date can be altered to release a payment in advance to ensure funds are paid prior to an activity (subject to system limitations. That is, funds cannot be released if the customer is not current)
• Date of Receipt: defaults to the Date of Receipt (DOR) entered on the Bookings tab. DOR will need to be altered and corrected to the date the reimbursement claim was received by the Agency. For any subsequent components, the DOR will auto-default based on the date entered on the initial component. If the DOR is altered on any component, it will change on all components within the reimbursement activity
• Component Type: select the applicable component - Accommodation, Fares, Meals or Motor Vehicle Allowance
• Amount Claimed: for this student, input the total amount claimed for the component
• Amount Paid: enter the amount to be paid for the component. For rejected components, this will be zero
• Payee Type: select either Customer, Organisation or Third Party Person
• Payee (CRN/ID): for Payee Type Customer, defaults to the student's CRN. For Payee Type Third Party Person, this will display a Payee ID# once the Payee Name has been selected. For Payee Type Organisation, enter the organisation CRN
• Payee Name: for Payee Type Customer, defaults to the student's name. For Payee Type Third Party Person, this field allows a selection to be made from existing payees recorded on the Payment Instruction Summary (PIPS) screen in the student’s record. For Payee Type Organisation, this defaults to the organisation name applicable to the Payee CRN
• Claim Details: free text field for comments
• Result: select the applicable result - Approved, Rejected or Varied
• Rejection/Variation Reason: select the applicable rejection or variation reason
• Assessment Outcome: select the applicable outcome - Reimbursed and Paid In Advance
• Issue Letter: Yes/No toggle. Any change to the issue letter decision within a reimbursement claim will change the result for all components to that payee. For bulk reimbursement claims for organisations, do not generate the automated letter/s. Select No in the Issue Letter toggle for the relevant payee/s. Issue a Q999 manual letter and Reimbursement Report. See Table 3
• select Save

To add another component:

• select Edit
• select Add Component
• complete the Reimbursement fields displayed, using details above, except for the:
• Component Type: select the applicable component - Accommodation, Fares, Meals or Motor Vehicle Allowance. The same component type cannot be added to a reimbursement activity more than once. If a claim requires the same component type to be paid to different payees, 2 separate bookings / reimbursement activities are required on the student record. To ensure no errors, each reimbursement activity must have a different Travel Assessment date
• select Save

To attach documentation supporting the reimbursement assessment (such as receipts) see Travel Management Application (TMA).

Before finalising the reimbursement:

• navigate to the Education Payment Start Date (EPDC) screen, and
• locate the customer's entitlement Start Date

Is the reimbursement for travel that occurred prior to the Start Date?

• Yes, go to Step 5
• No, to finalise the assessment, go to Step 9

To process a reimbursement claim for an individual student or non-student traveller, create a new booking:

• Access Travel Management Application (TMA) in the relevant customer's record
• select Create New Booking
• create a new booking and key the fields as per the reimbursement claim, see Coding pre-booked Fares Allowance (FAA) entitlements for ABSTUDY and ABSTUDY Pensioner Education Supplement (PES)
• check to ensure the:
• Course ID relevant to the travel dates is selected on the Overview tab
• Booking Status is set to Reimbursed
• Forward Travel Date and Return Travel Date reflect the actual period of travel
• select Save and then navigate to the Reimbursements tab
• select Edit and then select Create Reimbursement
• complete the Reimbursement fields displayed:
• Travel Assessment Date - defaults to the Forward Travel date from the Bookings tab, but can be altered. The date can only be altered on input of the initial component. For any subsequent components, the date will auto-default based on the initial entry. The Travel Assessment Date can be altered to release a payment in advance to ensure funds are paid prior to an activity (subject to system limitations, that is, funds cannot be released if the customer is not current)
• Date of Receipt - defaults to the Date of Receipt (DOR) entered on the Bookings tab. DOR will need to be altered and corrected to the date the reimbursement claim was received by the Agency. For any subsequent components, the DOR will auto-default based on the date entered on the initial component. If the DOR is altered on any component, it will change on all components within the reimbursement activity
• Component Type - select the applicable component - Accommodation, Fares, Meals or Motor Vehicle Allowance
• Amount Claimed - for this student, input the total amount claimed for the component
• Amount Paid - input the amount to be paid for the component. For rejected components, this will be zero
• Payee Type - select either Customer, Organisation or Third Party Person
• Payee (CRN/ID) - for Payee Type Customer, defaults to the student's CRN. For Payee Type Third Party Person, this will display a Payee ID# once the Payee Name has been selected. For Payee Type Organisation, the organisation CRN must be entered
• Payee Name - for Payee Type Customer, defaults to the student's name. For Payee Type Third Party Person, this field allows a selection to be made from existing payees recorded on the Payment Instruction Summary (PIPS) screen in the student’s record. For Payee Type Organisation, this defaults to the organisation name applicable to the Payee CRN
• Claim Details - free text field for comments
• Result - select the applicable result - Approved, Rejected or Varied
• Rejection/Variation Reason - select the applicable rejection or variation reason
• Assessment Outcome - select the applicable outcome - Reimbursed and Paid In Advance
• Issue Letter - Yes/No toggle. Any change to the issue letter decision within a reimbursement claim will change the result for all components to that payee
• select Save

To add another component:

• select Edit
• select Add Component
• complete the Reimbursement fields displayed:
• Travel Assessment Date - will auto-default based on the initial entry
• Date of Receipt - will auto-default based on the initial component entered. If the DOR is altered on any component, it will change on all components within the reimbursement activity
• Component Type - select the applicable component - Accommodation, Fares, Meals or Motor Vehicle Allowance. The same component type cannot be added to a reimbursement activity more than once. If a claim requires the same component type to be paid to different payees, 2 separate bookings / reimbursement activities are required on the student record. To ensure no errors, each reimbursement activity must have a different Travel Assessment date
• Amount Claimed - for this student, input the total amount claimed for the component
• Amount Paid - input the amount to be paid for the component. For rejected components, this will be zero
• Payee Type - select either Customer, Organisation or Third Party Person
• Payee (CRN/ID) - for Payee Type Customer, defaults to the student's CRN. For Payee Type Third Party Person, this will display a Payee ID# once the Payee Name has been selected. For Payee Type Organisation, the organisation CRN must be entered
• Payee Name - for Payee Type Customer, defaults to the student’s name. For Payee Type Third Party Person, this field allows a selection to be made from existing payees recorded on the PIPS screen in the student’s record. For Payee Type Organisation, this defaults to the organisation name applicable to the Payee CRN
• Claim Details - free text field for comments
• Result - select the applicable result - Approved, Rejected or Varied
• Rejection/Variation Reason - select the applicable rejection or variation reason
• Assessment Outcome - select the applicable outcome - Reimbursed and Paid In Advance
• Issue Letter - Yes/No toggle. Any change to the issue letter decision within a reimbursement claim will change the result for all components to that payee
• select Save

To attach documentation supporting the reimbursement assessment (such as receipts) see Travel Management Application (TMA).

The coding required to prevent error/s when finalising the reimbursement may be affected by the Start Date. Therefore before finalising the reimbursement:

• navigate to the Education Payment Start Date (EPDC) screen, and
• locate the customer's entitlement Start Date

Is the reimbursement for travel that occurred prior to the Start Date?

• Yes, go to Step 5
• No, to finalise the assessment, go to Step 9

The date entered in the Travel Assessment Date field on the Reimbursements tab populates the Travel Date field on the Travel Details (TRVD) screen.

Bookings that include return travel, the Return Travel Date field on the Bookings tab populates the Return Date field on the TRVD screen.

If required to reimburse for travel that occurred prior to the Start Date:

• Alter the Travel Assessment Date to a date that is on or after the Start Date. Do not amend the Forward Travel Date field on the Bookings tab
• Where the booking includes return travel, alter the Return Travel Date field on the Bookings tab to the Travel Assessment Date +1

Note: when the reimbursement activity is finalised, correct the Return Travel Date on the Bookings tab back to the actual date of the return travel.

To finalise the assessment, go to Step 9.

Previously reimbursed activities may require reassessment because of further evidence being supplied or a formal review of a decision. Reassessments can include:

• varying an existing component to generate arrears
• varying an existing component to raise an overpayment
• varying an existing component to change the payee
• adding a new component to a previously reimbursed activity

For reassessments of reimbursement activities with a corresponding Booking ID# in TMA, to:

• vary an existing component in a reimbursement activity, go to Step 7
• add a new component to an existing reimbursement activity, go to step 8

To vary an existing component in a reimbursement activity, access Travel Management Application (TMA) in the relevant customer's record and locate the applicable Booking ID#.

If there is a Return Travel Date coded on the Bookings tab, before coding the reassessment:

• compare it to the Travel Assessment Date on the Reimbursements tab, and
• if the Return Travel Date is prior, update it to the Travel Assessment Date +1

Note: when the reimbursement activity is finalised, correct the Return Travel Date on the Bookings tab back to the actual return date.

Navigate to the Reimbursements tab:

• select the applicable Component Type
• select Edit
• Travel Assessment Date: the system will default the Travel Assessment Date based on the original coding and cannot be amended
• Date of Receipt: defaults to the Date of Receipt originally keyed for the selected component. Date of Receipt can be altered. If the Date of Receipt is altered, it will change on all components within the reimbursement activity
• Component Type: defaults to component type selected
• Amount Claimed: input the total amount claimed for the component
• Amount Paid: input the amount to be paid for the component. For rejected components, this will be zero
• Payee Type: select the applicable payee - Customer, Organisation or Third Party Person. The system will display the payee as coded in the original reimbursement activity. This can be amended as required
• Note: where a completed reimbursement activity has been paid to an incorrect payee, the variation cannot be completed in 1 activity. Reject the component leaving the payee details unchanged and finalise the update in TMA and Process Direct. A debt will be raised against the applicable debtor. Navigate back to TMA and reselect the rejected component. Recode with the new payee details and applicable result. Finalise the activity to generate payment to the correct payee
• Payee (CRN/ID): for Payee Type Customer, defaults to the student's CRN. For Payee Type Third Party Person, this will display a Payee ID# once the Payee Name has been selected. For Payee Type Organisation, the organisation CRN must be entered
• Payee Name: for Payee Type Customer, defaults to the student’s name. For Payee Type Third Party Person, this field allows a selection to be made from existing payees recorded on the PIPS screen in the student’s record. For Payee Type Organisation, this defaults to the organisation name applicable to the Payee CRN
• Claim Details: free text field for comments
• Result: select the applicable result - Approved, Rejected or Varied
• Rejection/Variation Reason: select the applicable rejection or variation reason
• Assessment Outcome: select the applicable result - Reimbursed and Paid In Advance
• Issue Letter: Yes/No toggle. Any change to the issue letter decision within a reimbursement reassessment activity will change the result for all components to that payee:
• to prevent a letter from being sent to unaffected payees within a reassessment, ensure the Issue Letter toggle is set to No for that payee
• any reassessment resulting in a reduction to an amount paid, that is, either rejecting component/s or varying to a lower amount, (unless the reassessment results in a rejection of all components to a payee), the reassessment letter must be inhibited as the debt advice letter will notify the claimant of the outcome
• for bulk reimbursement claims for Organisations, do not generate the automated letter/s. Select No in the Issue Letter toggle for the relevant payee/s. Issue a Q999 manual letter and Reimbursement Report. See Table 3
• select Save

To attach documentation supporting the reimbursement reassessment (such as receipts), see Travel Management Application (TMA).

To finalise the reassessment, go to Step 9.

To add a new component/s to an existing reimbursement activity, access Travel Management Application (TMA) in the relevant customer's record, and locate the applicable Booking ID#.

If there is a Return Travel Date coded on the Bookings tab, before coding the reassessment:

• compare it to the Travel Assessment Date on the Reimbursements tab, and
• if the Return Travel Date is prior, update it to the Travel Assessment Date +1

Note: when the reimbursement activity is finalised, correct the Return Travel Date on the Bookings tab back to the actual return date.

Navigate to the Reimbursements tab:

• Select Edit
• Select Add Component
• Travel Assessment Date: the system will default the Travel Assessment Date field based on the original coding and cannot be amended
• Date of Receipt: defaults to the current Date of Receipt. Date of Receipt can be altered. For any subsequent components, the Date of Receipt will auto-default based on the date entered on the added component. If the Date of Receipt is altered on any component, it will change on all components within the reimbursement activity
• Component Type: select the applicable component - Accommodation, Fares, Meals or Motor Vehicle Allowance. The same component type cannot be added to a reimbursement activity more than once. If a claim requires the same component type to be paid to different payees, 2 separate bookings / reimbursement activities are required on the student record. To ensure no errors, each reimbursement activity must have a different Travel Assessment date
• Amount Claimed: input the total amount claimed for the component
• Amount Paid: input the amount to be paid for the component. For rejected components, this will be zero
• Payee Type: select either Customer, Organisation or Third Party Person for newly added components. The system will display the payee as keyed in the original reimbursement activity. This can be amended as required
• Payee (CRN/ID): for Payee Type Customer, defaults to the student's CRN. For Payee Type Third Party Person, this will display a Payee ID# once the Payee Name has been selected. For Payee Type Organisation, the CRN of the desired organisation must be entered
• Payee Name: for Payee Type Customer, defaults to the student’s name. For Payee Type Third Party Person, this field allows a selection to be made from existing payees recorded on the PIPS screen in the student’s record. For Payee Type Organisation, this defaults to the organisation name applicable to the Payee CRN
• Claim Details: free text field for comments
• Result: select the applicable result - Approved, Rejected or Varied
• Rejection/Variation Reason: select the applicable rejection or variation reason
• Assessment Outcome: select the applicable outcome - Reimbursed and Paid In Advance
• Issue Letter: Yes/No toggle. Any change to the issue letter decision within a reimbursement reassessment activity will change the result for all components to that payee. For bulk reimbursement claims for Organisations, do not generate the automated letter/s. Select No in the Issue Letter toggle for the relevant payee/s. Issue a Q999 manual letter and Reimbursement Report. See Table 3
• Select Save

To attach documentation supporting the reimbursement reassessment (such as receipts), see Travel Management Application (TMA).

To finalise the reassessment, go to Step 9.

Once all necessary coding is saved on the Reimbursements tab of the applicable Booking ID#, the Change of Circumstance activity (CoC Status) will show as Draft.

To finalise the reimbursement activity:

• Navigate to the Reimbursements tab and select the ID number hyperlink of any component
• Process Direct will open in a new window
• Select Process
• Select Assess. The Entitlements (ELD) screen will display
• To confirm the correct outcome for each component:
• Customer payee type - view the result by navigating to the Payment Summary (PS) screen in Process Direct within the activity
• Third Party or Organisation payee type - access the customer’s record in Customer First while still in the provisional activity in Process Direct. Select the started activity from the Event Summary (ES) screen and navigate to the PS screen. Select the applicable payment from the PS screen and navigate to the Payment Details (PD) and Third Party Payment Details (PDD) screens to view the result
• Customer First should only be accessed to confirm the correct third party payee. Do not amend or finalise the reimbursement activity in Customer First
• If the outcome results in an overpayment:
• navigate to the Assessment Consequences (ASC) screen in Process Direct
• confirm the debt is raised against the CRN of the applicable debtor
• select Investigation Reqd in the Debt Action field
• select Update
• If the outcome results in unexpected arrears or a Before Limiting Date (BLD) line, this must be actioned in Process Direct prior to finalisation, see Payment of arrears after reassessment and stopping a payment
• Select Finish
• If required, add notes in the dialogue box displayed and then select Finalise
• Close the message box which confirms the activity has been finalised
• Close Process Direct and return to TMA
• The CoC Status will still show as Draft. To ensure the status displays correctly, navigating to another tab in TMA and back to the Reimbursements tab will refresh the CoC Status to Completed
• If the Return Travel Date field on the Bookings tab was altered to allow for payment of travel that occurred prior to the Start Date, this must be corrected back to the actual date of the return travel. Where the reimbursement activity has been selected for quality checking, this correction must occur after completion of the quality check

Note: if the ID number hyperlink is selected and the activity is not completed in the secondary Process Direct window (for example, an error was encountered and the secondary Process Direct window is closed to resolve the error), the CoC status in the TMA will display For Manual Action. This status denotes a started activity, which must be finalised via Process Direct. Cancel the started activity in Customer First, do not amend or finalise the reimbursement activity in Customer First. Once the activity in Customer First is cancelled, reselect the ID number hyperlink in the TMA and follow the process as above.

While TMA will auto-record the decision within the Notes tab, the outcome must also be recorded on a DOC on the Document List (DL) screen in the relevant record/s.

Go to Step 10.

Reimbursement activities require a DOC to be recorded on the applicable record. To ensure the DOC meets Getting it Right (GIR) Minimum Standards, the following must be recorded:

• the decision itself, that is, the result
• the Act/Guide reference upon which it is based, and
• the reason for making the decision (the discretionary aspects of the decision)

Further details which may be included in the DOC are:

• Component Type/s
• Amount Claimed
• Amount Paid
• Rejection/Variation Reason (if applicable)

See the Resources page for the ABSTUDY Travel Minimum Doc Standards templates.

Delete all the customer information from desktop and local drives when all required action is taken.

Students claiming payment in advance or reimbursement for an Away from Base activity will require a booking to be created in TMA with a Booking Status of Reimbursed.

Before reimbursing travel costs:

• carry out all eligibility checks, and
• obtain all supporting documentation

See Reimbursing fares and additional costs after travel has been undertaken for ABSTUDY.

Note: in some scenarios, there may be 2 bookings in TMA for an Away from Base activity. For example, a provider lodges an ABSTUDY Submission for away from base activity funding form (SY034) seeking advance funding, whereas individual students attending this Away from Base activity will seek their own pre-booked travel. see Resources for a link to the SY034 form. TMA allows multiple bookings to be made on the same forward travel date when the travel reason of Away from Base is selected.

For non-student travellers, the current process of linking to a student or notional student booking within TMA still applies. Any payment in advance or reimbursement is then coded on the student's booking. This coding cannot be carried out against any other traveller type.

For organisations who request bulk funding for multiple students, the total amount must be apportioned between each student to reflect their actual individual cost to attend the activity. For example, an organisation lodges a:

• bulk Away from Base claim for 10 eligible students, totalling $5,000. This would be apportioned on each student’s record at $500 each and paid to the organisation
• bulk Away from Base claim for 10 students, totalling $5,000, however only 5 of the students are eligible. The total amount is still apportioned on each student’s record at $500 each, however 5 of these claims will be rejected, and the other 5 will be paid to the organisation
• claim for a charter flight for 10 students totalling $5000, however only 5 of the students are eligible. The total amount in this case must be apportioned between the 5 eligible students at $1000 each. The other 5 students’ claims will be rejected. Note: as the total cost of the charter has already been reimbursed, any subsequent reassessment of the claim will not result in additional coding/apportionment

For payment/rejection of Away from Base assistance approved in principle, paid in advance or as a reimbursement, go to Step 2.

For reassessments of Away from Base activities, go to Step 5.

To acquit Away from Base funds, go to Step 8.

For organisations claiming reimbursement of Away from Base assistance for multiple travellers, they must submit the ABSTUDY Reimbursement Authorisation - Booking Form to the ABSTUDY Smart Centre Away from Base Team via the positional mailbox.

A new booking will need to be created. Access Travel Management Application (TMA) in the relevant customer's record, then select Create New Booking. Complete the fields as per the reimbursement claim, see Coding pre-booked Fares Allowance (FAA) entitlements for ABSTUDY and ABSTUDY Pensioner Education Supplement (PES)

Check the following to ensure the:

• Course ID relevant to the travel dates is selected on the Overview tab
• DOR is corrected to the date the reimbursement request was received by the agency
• Booking Status is set to Reimbursement
• Travel Reason is set to Away From Base
• Forward Travel Date and the Return Travel Date reflect the actual period of the travel and/or Away from Base activity

Select Save

Has the Away from Base activities only been approved in principle?

• Yes, no details will be keyed on the Reimbursements tab in TMA upon creation of the booking. The Reimbursements tab will be keyed upon acquittal of the activity. A Q999 letter must be created to advise the provider of the approval in principle. See Table 3. Procedure ends here
• No, Away from Base activity will be paid in advance or as a reimbursement, go to Step 3

For an Away from Base activity being paid in advance or as a reimbursement:

• navigate to the Reimbursements tab
• select Edit and then select Create Reimbursement
• complete the Reimbursement fields displayed:
• Travel Assessment Date: defaults to the Forward Travel date from the Bookings tab, but can be altered. The date can only be altered on input of the initial component. For any subsequent components, the date will auto-default based on the initial entry. The Travel Assessment Date can be altered to release a payment in advance to ensure funds are paid prior to an activity (subject to system limitations, that is, funds cannot be released if the customer is not current)
• Date of Receipt: defaults to the Date of Receipt (DOR) entered on the Bookings tab. DOR can be altered. For any subsequent components, the DOR will auto-default based on the date entered on the initial component. If the DOR is altered on any component, it will change all components within the activity
• Component Type: select the applicable component - Accommodation, Fares, Meals or Motor Vehicle Allowance
• Amount Claimed: input the total amount claimed for the component
• Amount Paid: input the amount to be paid for the component. For rejected components, this will be zero
• Payee Type: select either Customer, Organisation or Third Party Person
• Payee (CRN/ID): for Payee Type Customer, defaults to the student's CRN. For Payee Type Third Party Person, this will display a Payee ID# once the Payee Name has been selected. For Payee Type Organisation, the organisation CRN must be entered
• Payee Name: for Payee Type Customer, defaults to the student’s name. For Payee Type Third Party Person, this field allows a selection to be made from existing payees recorded on the Payment Instruction Summary (PIPS) screen in the student’s record. For Payee Type Organisation, this defaults to the organisation name applicable to the Payee CRN
• Claim Details: free text field for comments
• Result: select the applicable result - Approved, Rejected or Varied
• Rejection/Variation Reason - select the applicable rejection or variation reason
• Assessment Outcome: select the applicable outcome - Paid In Advance or Reimbursed
• Issue Letter: Yes/No toggle. Any change to the issue letter decision within an Away from Base claim will change the result for all components to that payee. Where Away from Base entitlements have been paid in advance, or are part of a bulk funding submission from an organisation, do not generate the automated letter/s. Ensure No is selected in the Issue Letter toggle for the relevant payee/s. Create a Q999 instead, see Table 3
• select Save

To add another component:

• select Edit
• select Add Component
• complete the Reimbursement fields displayed:
• Travel Assessment Date: will auto-default based on the initial entry
• Date of Receipt: will auto-default based on the initial component entered. If the Date of Receipt is altered on any component, it will change on all components within the activity
• Component Type: select the applicable component - Accommodation, Fares, Meals or Motor Vehicle Allowance. The same component type cannot be added to an activity more than once. If a claim requires the same component type to be paid to different payees, 2 separate bookings / activities are required on the student record. To ensure no errors, each activity must have a different Travel Assessment date
• Amount Claimed: input the total amount claimed for the component
• Amount Paid: input the amount to be paid for the component. For rejected components, this will be zero
• Payee Type: select either Customer, Organisation or Third Party Person
• Payee (CRN/ID): for Payee Type Customer, defaults to the student's CRN. For Payee Type Third Party Person, this will display a Payee ID# once the Payee Name has been selected. For Payee Type Organisation, the organisation CRN must be entered
• Payee Name: for Payee Type Customer, defaults to the student’s name. For Payee Type Third Party Person, this field allows a selection to be made from existing payees recorded on the PIPS screen in the student’s record. For Payee Type Organisation, this defaults to the organisation name applicable to the Payee CRN
• Claim Details: free text field for comments
• Result: select the applicable result - Approved, Rejected or Varied
• Rejection/Variation Reason: select the applicable rejection or variation reason
• Assessment Outcome: select the applicable outcome - Paid In Advance or Reimbursed
• Issue Letter: Yes/No toggle. Any change to the issue letter decision within an Away from Base claim will change the result for all components to that payee. Where Away from Base entitlements have been paid in advance, do not generate the automated letter/s. Ensure No is selected in the Issue Letter toggle for the relevant payee/s. Create a Q999 letter that includes advice about acquittal requirements. See Table 3
• select Save

To attach documentation supporting the Away from Base assessment (for example, receipts), see Travel Management Application (TMA).

The coding required to prevent error/s when finalising the reimbursement may be affected by the customer's Start Date. Therefore before finalising the reimbursement:

• navigate to the Education Payment Start Date (EPDC) screen, and
• locate the customer's entitlement Start Date

Did the Away from Base activity occur prior to the Start Date?

• Yes, go to Step 4
• No, to finalise the assessment, go to Step 9

The date entered in the Travel Assessment Date field on the Reimbursements tab populates the Travel Date field on the Travel Details (TRVD) screen.

The Return Travel Date field on the Bookings tab populates the Return Date field on the TRVD screen.

If required to pay Away from Base allowances for an activity that occurred prior to the Start Date, alter the:

• Travel Assessment Date to a date that is on or after the Start Date. Do not amend the Forward Travel Date field on the Bookings tab
• Return Travel Date field on the Bookings tab to the Travel Assessment Date +1

Note: when the Away from Base activity is finalised, correct the Return Travel Date on the Bookings tab back to the actual date of the return travel.

To finalise the assessment, go to Step 9.

Away from Base activities may require reassessment because of further evidence being supplied or a formal review of a decision. Reassessments can include:

varying an existing component to generate arrears

• varying an existing component to raise an overpayment
• varying an existing component to change the payee
• adding a new component to a previously reimbursed activity

For reassessments of Away from Base activities with a corresponding Booking ID# in TMA, to:

• vary an existing component in an Away from Base activity, go to Step 6
• add a new component to an existing Away from Base activity, go to Step 7

To vary an existing component for an Away from Base activity, access Travel Management Application (TMA) in the relevant customer's record, and locate the applicable Booking ID#.

If there is a Return Travel Date coded on the Bookings tab, before coding the reassessment:

• compare it to the Travel Assessment Date on the Reimbursements tab, and
• if the Return Travel Date is prior, update it to the Travel Assessment Date +1

Note: when the Away from Base activity is finalised, correct the Return Travel Date on the Bookings tab back to the actual return date.

Navigate to the Reimbursements tab:

• select the applicable Component Type
• select Edit
• Travel Assessment Date: will default and cannot be amended
• Date of Receipt: defaults to the DOR originally entered for the selected component. DOR can be altered. If the DOR is altered, it will change on all components within the activity
• Component Type: defaults to component type selected
• Amount Claimed: input the total amount claimed for the component
• Amount Paid: input the amount to be paid. For rejected components, this will be zero
• Payee Type: Customer, Organisation or Third Party Person. Note: where a completed Away from Base activity has been paid to an incorrect payee, the variation cannot be completed in 1 activity. Reject the component leaving the payee details unchanged and finalise the update in TMA and Process Direct. A debt will be raised against the applicable debtor. Navigate back to TMA and reselect the rejected component. Recode with the new payee details and applicable result. Finalise the activity to generate payment to the correct payee
• Payee (CRN): for Payee Type Customer, defaults to the student's CRN. For Payee Type Third Party Person, this will display a Payee ID# once the Payee Name has been selected. For Payee Type Organisation, the organisation CRN must be entered
• Payee Name: for Payee Type Customer, defaults to the student’s name. For Payee Type Third Party Person, this field allows a selection to be made from existing payees recorded on the PIPS screen in the student’s record. For Payee Type Organisation, this defaults to the organisation name applicable to the Payee CRN
• Claim Details: free text field for comments
• Result: select the applicable result - Approved, Rejected or Varied
• Rejection/Variation Reason: select the applicable rejection or variation reason
• Assessment Outcome: select the applicable outcome - Paid In Advance or Reimbursed
• Issue Letter: Yes/No toggle. Any change to the issue letter decision within an Away from Base reassessment activity will change the result for all components to that payee
• to prevent a letter from being sent to unaffected payees within a reassessment, set the Issue Letter toggle to No for that payee
• any reassessment resulting in a reduction to an amount paid, that is, either rejecting component/s or varying to a lower amount, (unless the reassessment results in a rejection of all components to a payee), the reassessment letter must be inhibited as the debt advice letter will notify the claimant of the outcome
• select Save

To attach documentation supporting the Away from Base assessment (for example, receipts), see Travel Management Application (TMA).

To finalise the reassessment, go to Step 9.

To add a new component/s to an existing Away from Base activity, access Travel Management Application (TMA) in the relevant customer's record, and locate the applicable Booking ID#.

If there is a Return Travel Date coded on the Bookings tab, before coding the reassessment:

• compare it to the Travel Assessment Date on the Reimbursements tab, and
• if the Return Travel Date is prior, update it to the Travel Assessment Date +1

Note: when the Away from Base activity is finalised, correct the Return Travel Date on the Bookings tab back to the actual return date.

Navigate to the Reimbursements tab:

• Select Edit
• Select Add Component
• Travel Assessment Date: will auto-default based on the initial component entered
• Date of Receipt: defaults to current DOR. DOR can be altered. For any subsequent components, the DOR will auto-default based on the date entered on the added component. If the DOR is altered on any component, it will change on all components within the activity
• Component Type: select the applicable component - Accommodation, Fares, Meals or Motor Vehicle Allowance. The same component type cannot be added to an activity more than once. If a claim requires the same component type to be paid to different payees, 2 separate bookings / activities are required on the student record. To ensure no errors, each activity must have a different Travel Assessment date
• Amount Claimed: input the total amount claimed for the component
• Amount Paid: input the amount to be paid for the component. For rejected components, this will be zero
• Payee Type: select either Customer, Organisation or Third Party Person
• Payee (CRN/ID): for Payee Type Customer, defaults to the student's CRN. For Payee Type Third Party Person, this will display a Payee ID# once the Payee Name has been selected. For Payee Type Organisation, the organisation CRN must be entered
• Payee Name: for Payee Type Customer, defaults to the student’s name. For Payee Type Third Party Person, this field allows a selection to be made from existing payees recorded on the PIPS screen in the student's record. For Payee Type Organisation, this defaults to the organisation name applicable to the Payee CRN
• Claim Details: free text field for comments
• Result: select the applicable result - Approved, Rejected or Varied
• Rejection/Variation Reason: select the applicable rejection or variation reason
• Assessment Outcome: select the applicable outcome - Paid In Advance or Reimbursed
• Issue Letter: Yes/No toggle. Any change to the issue letter decision within an Away from Base reassessment activity will change the result for all components to that payee. To prevent a letter from being sent to unaffected payees within a reassessment, ensure the Issue Letter toggle is set to No for that payee
• Select Save

To attach documentation supporting the Away from Base assessment (such as receipts), see Travel Management Application (TMA).

To finalise the reassessment, go to Step 9.

To acquit Away from Base components paid in advance or approved in principal, including when funds cannot be acquitted, locate the applicable Booking ID#. Navigate to the Reimbursements tab, choose the component that needs to be acquitted:

• Select Edit
• Travel Assessment Date: will default and cannot be amended
• Date of Receipt: defaults to the DOR originally entered for the selected component. DOR can be altered. If the DOR is altered, it will change on all components within the activity
• Amount Claimed: if required, adjust to the amount entitled
• Amount Paid: if required, adjust to the amount entitled. For rejected components, this will be zero, for example unacquitted components
• Claim Details: if required, add comments which explain any adjustments. When funds cannot be acquitted, enter 'bulk funding unacquitted'
• Result: select the applicable result - Approved, Rejected or Varied
• Rejection/Variation Reason: select the applicable rejection or variation reason
• Assessment Outcome: change to Acquitted
• Issue Letter: Yes/No toggle. Any change to the issue letter decision within an Away from Base acquittal reassessment activity will change the result for all components to that payee:
• to prevent a letter from being sent to unaffected payees within a reassessment, ensure the Issue Letter toggle is set to No for that payee
• any reassessment resulting in a reduction to an amount paid, that is, either rejecting component/s or varying to a lower amount, (unless the reassessment results in a rejection of all components to a payee), the reassessment letter must be inhibited as the debt advice letter will notify the claimant of the outcome
• Select Save

To add further components claimed within the acquittal that were not previously assessed, locate the applicable Booking ID#. Navigate to the Reimbursements tab

• Select Edit
• Select Add Component
• Travel Assessment Date: will auto-default based on the initial component entered
• Date of Receipt: defaults to the current date. DOR can be altered. For any subsequent components, the DOR will auto-default based on the date keyed on the added component. If the DOR is altered on any component, it will change on all components within the activity
• Component Type: select the applicable component - Accommodation, Fares, Meals or Motor Vehicle Allowance. The same component type cannot be added to an activity more than once. If a claim requires the same component type to be paid to different payees, 2 separate bookings / activities are required on the student record. To ensure no errors, each activity must have a different Travel Assessment date
• Amount Claimed: input the total amount claimed for the component
• Amount Paid: input the amount to be paid for the component. For rejected components, this will be zero
• Payee Type: select either Customer, Organisation or Third Party Person
• Payee (CRNID): for Payee Type Customer, defaults to the student's CRN. For Payee Type Third Party Person, this will display a Payee ID# once the Payee Name has been selected. For Payee Type Organisation, the organisation CRN must be entered
• Payee Name: for Payee Type Customer, defaults to the student’s name. For Payee Type Third Party Person, this field allows a selection to be made from existing payees recorded on the PIPS screen in the student’s record. For Payee Type Organisation, this defaults to the organisation name applicable to the Payee CRN
• Claim Details: free text field for comments
• Result: select the applicable result - Approved, Rejected or Varied
• Rejection/Variation Reason: select the applicable rejection or variation reason
• Assessment Outcome: Acquitted
• Issue Letter: Yes/No toggle. Any change to the issue letter decision within an Away from Base acquittal activity will change the result for all components to that payee. To prevent a letter from being sent to unaffected payees within a reassessment, ensure the Issue Letter toggle is set to No for that payee
• Select Save

To attach documentation supporting the Away from Base assessment (such as receipts), see Travel Management Application (TMA).

To finalise the acquittal, go to Step 9.

Once all necessary coding is saved on the Reimbursements tab of the applicable Booking ID#, the Change of Circumstances activity (CoC Status) will show as Draft.

To finalise the Away from Base activity:

• Navigate to the Reimbursements tab and select the ID number hyperlink of any component
• Process Direct will open in a new window
• Select Process
• Select Assess. The Entitlements (ELD) screen will display
• To confirm the correct outcome for each component:
• Customer payee type - view the result by navigating to the Payment Summary (PS) screen in Process Direct within the activity
• Third Party or Organisation payee type - access the customer's record in Customer First while still in the provisional activity in Process Direct. Select the started activity from the Event Summary (ES) screen and navigate to the PS screen. Select the applicable payment from the PS screen and navigate to the Payment Details (PD) and Third Party Payment Details (PDD) screens to view the result
• Customer First should only be accessed to confirm the correct Third Party payee. Do not amend or finalise the Away from Base activity in Customer First
• If the outcome results in an overpayment:
• navigate to the Assessment Consequences (ASC) screen in Process Direct
• confirm the debt is raised against the CRN of the applicable debtor
• select Investigation Reqd in the Debt Action field
• select Update
• If the outcome results in unexpected arrears or a Before Limiting Date (BLD) line, this must be actioned in Process Direct prior to finalisation, see Payment of arrears after reassessment and stopping a payment
• Select Finish
• If required, add notes in the dialogue box displayed and then select Finalise
• Close the message box which confirms the activity has been finalised
• Close Process Direct and return to TMA
• The CoC Status will still show as Draft. To ensure the status displays correctly, navigating to another tab in TMA and back to the Reimbursements tab will refresh the CoC Status to Completed
• If the Return Travel Date field on the Bookings tab was altered to facilitate payment for travel that occurred prior to the Start Date, this must be corrected back to the actual date of the return travel. Where the reimbursement activity has been selected for quality checking, this correction must occur after completion of the quality check

Note: if the ID number hyperlink is selected and the activity is not completed in the secondary Process Direct window (for example, an error was encountered and the secondary Process Direct window is closed to resolve the error), the CoC status in the TMA will display For Manual Action. This status denotes a started activity, which must be finalised via Process Direct. Cancel the started activity in Customer First, do not amend or finalise the reimbursement activity in Customer First. Once the activity in Customer First is cancelled, reselect the ID number hyperlink in TMA and follow the process as above. While TMA will auto-record the decision within the Notes tab, the outcome must also be recorded on a DOC on the Document List (DL) screen in the relevant record/s. Go to Step 10.

Away from Base activities require a DOC to be recorded on the student's and/or the third party organisation's records. To ensure the DOC meets Getting it Right (GIR) Minimum Standards, the following must be recorded:

• the decision itself
• the Act/Guide reference upon which it is based, and
• the reason for making the decision (the discretionary aspects of the decision)

Further details to be included on the DOC are:

• Result - Paid in advance, Reimbursement or Acquitted
• Type of activity (for example, residential school)
• Period of activity (commencement date to end date)
• Cost of the activity:
• education provider record - total cost of the activity
• student record - student's individual component cost
• Component cost breakdown of the activity (for example, meals, accommodation and fares if chartered transport used)
• Education provider record only - names of students who undertook the activity

Note: some limits on Away from Base activities for the course apply and clear and accurate recording of the period and cost of activities is necessary to ensure limits are not exceeded.

See the Resources page for the ABSTUDY Travel Minimum Doc Standards templates.

Delete all the customer information from desktop and local drives when all required action is taken.

Does a review need to be set for Travel Allowance Paid in Advance?

• Yes, go to Step 11
• No, procedure ends here

Set a review for Proof of Attendance for acquittal.

In Customer First, create a manual review on the Review Registration (RVR) screen and complete the fields as follows:

• Service reason: ABY
• Review reason: REV (Manual review)
• Due date: one calendar month after end of block
• Source: INT
• DOR: today's date
• Notes: 'Acquittal/POA required for AFB. TA Advance Period: xx/xx/20xx to xx/xx/20xx. TMA Booking No. xxxxxx.'
• Keywords: SY034 and AFB
• Workgroup: leave blank
• Position: leave blank
• Transfer to Region: ABS

The review will mature on the Due Date coded in the RVR activity. Workload Management will allocate the review for manual action.

Procedure ends here.

Advise customers of the outcome of an assessment.

When a Fares Allowance reimbursement or Away from Base assessment (including reassessments and acquittals) is finalised, letters will automatically create for each payee recorded as part of the assessment.

Determine if an auto-letter to a payee is not required or not sufficient. To prevent the auto-generated letter from sending select No in the Issue Letter toggle. Issue a manual Q999 letter. For bulk Fares Allowance and Away from Base reimbursement assessments include the Reimbursement Report which provides detailed information about the assessment.

For example, where the claim is a bulk claim from an Organisation, auto-letters to each payee can be stopped from sending and 1 manual letter advising the outcome.

See the Resources page for manual letter free text templates and Reimbursement Report table.