Social Security customer notification forms
Social Security customer notification forms
Social Security customer notifications are an essential part of the means testing system for income support benefits and health care cards.
Centrelink administer the Australian Social Security arrangements. Centrelink pays income support and issues the associated health care concession caeds only to Australian residents with constrained economic resources. The Asset and Income Tests for income support and health care cards are a critical part of ensuring that only Australian residents with limited financial resources are eligible for benefits.
Social Security customer notification forms
The amount of income support payable and the eligibility for health care concessions are subject to a complex system of means testing. Social Security beneficiaries and applicants for health care concession cards must submit detailed information about their personal circumstances and economic resources. Centrelink needs full information about what you own, what you are owed and any income you receive in order to determine the correct amount of pension or income support benefits.
The Social Security income support benefits are paid at higher rates to individuals who live alone compared to claimants who share domestic arrangements with others. Therefore Centrelink customers are required to disclose their ‘personal circumstances’.
When Social Security customer notifications are required
As a Centrelink, or DVA, customer you must inform Centrelink, or DVA, whenever your circumstances change so that your means tested payments are correct. Advising Centrelink, or DVA, of changes in your financial position is a responsibility of your Attorney or Court appointed Administrator when you are too frail to sign for yourself.
Failure to inform Centrelink of a change in personal circumstances such as moving in with a partner, could result in a benefit overpayment. Centrelink must recoup any benefit overpayments. Your income support benefits could be stopped until the overpayment debt has been repaid. If the debt is large and your bank account is small, you might be allowed to pay back the debt to Centrelink over a period.
If your Pension or income support benefit, would increase on account of the change in your position then it is your interest to have your Centrelink record updated promptly. An increase in your Pension payment rate might not be backdated if you had not bothered to inform Centrelink of the change within fourteen days.
Why use Social Security customer notification forms
The Social Security customer notification forms help you to provide all of the information that Centrelink need on just one encounter. If you have completed the relevant Social Security customer notification form then you are unlikely to be asked for additional information before your Centrelink record and payment adjustment could be processed.
Also the Social Security customer notification forms tell you what supporting documents you need to show to Centrelink to have your changed situation recorded.
Some Centrelink forms are to be completed in respect of the Centrelink customer rather than just by the customer herself. For example, claim forms for Carer benefits require a medical professional to complete and sign the form. The Carer might assist by inserting the names, CRN and date of birth details for the person being cared for.
Finding the Social Security customer notification form that you need
The easy way to find the right form is to search the Centrelink Customer forms section by title of form. You could scroll through the list at http://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/forms/centrelink-forms
When that link fails, try a staged Search on the Centrelink website: forms, customer forms, forms by title.
The challenge is to recognise the Centrelink form that you need from the list of titles.
For example, the Blind Pension form for the medical certification of legal blindness is “Request for Ophthalmologist/Optometrist Report Age Pension or Disability Support Pension – on the basis of blindness”.
Several forms cover different events resulting in a change in your personal circumstances.
“Relationship Details” covers new relationships and your personal circumstances when you first apply for a Centrelink benefit. Informing Centrelink that your partner has moved on fits into “Separation from partner”. But when the relationship has terminated but neither partner has moved out you require the “Separated under one roof” form.
Help with completing Social Security customer notification forms
Financial Care Services supports clients in maintaining complete and accurate records at Centrelink and DVA.
Please remember that as part of your duties as Attorney for a frail person you must promptly notify Centrelink or DVA, of any significant changes in her assets or income.
Help with completing Social Security customer notification forms is available for fee paying clients of Financial Care Services. Contact us to arrange an appointment.
Financial Care Services is an independent advisory service specialising in retirees of modest means and aged care entrants. Our core values of working with clients in their lifetime planning supports claiming DVA and Centrelink entitlements. Financial Care Services charges fees based on the work involved in advising you about pensions and aged care costs.
Christine at Financial Care Services understands both the DVA and Centrelink Pensions systems and the Commonwealth aged care fee arrangements. Call Christine on 03 9808 0338 to make an appointment for a professional consultation.
Financial Care Services welcomes clients from Melbourne and beyond. Please email your enquiry to receive a Financial Care Services Client Services Guide and the relevant Financial Care Services Personal Data Checklist.
Arrange an appointment for further confidential, independent and professional advice about DVA, Centrelink, lifestyle or aged care issues please contact Christine Hopper 03 9808 0338.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this website is of a general nature only and does not constitute “financial advice”. These Insights are a general over view based on our understanding of the Social Security and DVA Pension arrangements. Individual entitlements to Social Security and DVA benefits are determined based on your actual situation as documented to Centrelink or DVA.
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