B10/1990 STATUTORY PENSION INCREASE 19 APRIL 1990 ADP PROCESSING

DATE OF ISSUE:  08 March 1990

STATUTORY PENSION INCREASE 19 APRIL 1990 ADP PROCESSING

1.INTRODUCTION

1.1  Changes for the 19 April 1990 Statutory Increase involve variations to the following pension types:

.Disability Pensions

.War Widows' pensions

.AMS Pensions under (old) Reg. 32, 34, 35AA

.Service Pensions and Allowances, the fringe benefit income limits

.Changes to the asset test limits will take place from 14 June, 1990.

2.GENERAL OPERATIONAL OUTLINE

2.1  The processing for pension rate changes will be divided into groups of those cases which will be processed automatically and those cases which will require manual action.

2.2  The ADP and associated Branch Office processing is discussed in the following sections. A broad timetable of events and Scheduling dates are included at Attachment 1.

2.3  For the "DISABILITY PENSION AND ALLOWANCES PROCESSING" automatic increases to pension rates will be effected where possible using programs which apply the new rates of pension and allowances to the PMF and CDB.

2.4  For the "SERVICE PENSION PROCESSING" income/assets details and personal assessment particulars held on the CDB will be referenced for the automatic reassessment of pension and preparation of variation transactions for update of the PMF.  Changes to other elements of assessment e.g. increase in the fringe benefits limits, will also be effected automatically.

3.SPECIAL FEATURES AND SUGGESTIONS

3.1  Miscellaneous Codes

Any case on a miscellaneous code that is processed through PIPS and is not shown on the new code book will fail Edit Update.

3.2  Manual DP Listings

Manual DP cases will be listed on the same weekend as the automatic disability pension and service pension updates.Manual DP cases require processing through the on-line pension processing system (IDPS/PIPS).  This action cannot be completed until after the cut-off for payday 5 April, AND the new rates are put into production on the weekend of 31/3/90.

3.3  Fringe Benefits & Treatment Entitlement Cards

Fringe benefit income limits will increase and it is expected that some pensioners will become eligible for fringe benefits.  Issue of health cards and recall of pharmaceutical cards will be processed through the normal batch system following the SI.

3.4  PMF Update/On-line System

Processing will be undertaken over the weekend 31 March 1990.THE LATEST AVAILABLE PMF UPDATE WILL BE FRIDAY 30 MARCH, at 2.00pm SYDNEY TIME (4.00pm SYDNEY TIME FOR WESTERN AUSTRALIA ONLY).  Neither the on-line Pension Processing system (IDPS/PIPS) nor the Pension Payment update facility will be available over the weekend.

3.5  Pre Increase Action

It is suggested that the following steps be undertaken prior to computer runs for the SI to help processing progress as smoothly as possible:

.minimise the number of cases in "frozen" status (SB or PY status);

.arrange an early cut-off (say one week) for processing of cases requiring "MS submissions by pension examiners to allow time for those cases to be received and actioned by Pension Payments;

.clear outstanding "MS" cases;

.resolve any SP Compare reconciliation edits;

.arrange a cut-off date one or two days before automatic processing commences for final automatic authorities to Pension Payments;

3.6  Trial Assessment Facility/War Pension Code File

The new Trial Assessment facility with the new SI rates and other assessment changes will be available by 19 March 1990.  The War Pension Code File will be available with the new SI rates from 2 April.

3.7  Limitation Cases

Cases for which limitations are in force will have pension increased automatically, but the limitation amount will not be adjusted.  Identification of these cases and adjustment to the limitation amount must be arranged locally.

3.8  Processing Problems

Should any problems arise with either the automatic processing system or the procedures outlined, they should be advised to Central Office immediately.  The contact officer at Central Office is Ric Moore on telephone (062) 82-5491

(bh) or (062) 82-3913 (ah).

3.9  PNG Pension Rates (Queensland Only)

The PNG pension rates effective from 19 April are:

OLD — NEW

$$

VETERAN              121.80              130.60

WIDOW              72.50              77.70

ORPHAN              13.80              14.70

4.PENSION RATE CHANGES - DISABILITY PENSIONS AND/OR ALLOWANCES PROCESSING

FULL RATE CODE WITH LIMITATION

4.1  Increases to rates of disability pensions and associated allowances, as well as certain AMS pensions and war widows' pensions, will be processed in the following three stages:

.Rates of disability pensions and allowances, war widows' pensions and certain AMS pensions will be increased automatically, except where payment is recorded under a miscellaneous code.

.Cases requiring manual processing will be selected and listed.

.Cases requiring manual processing will be examined and updated through IDPS/PIPS before cut-off for payday 19 April.

4.2  Action Schedules

Action schedules of DP and British SI cases requiring manual examination and variation by examiners will be produced for the following action groups:

Group Contents              Reference Number

.Composite Cases              600

.EATS Cases              500

.Miscellaneous code disability              400

pension.  Some of these cases may

include an SP component; but the

DP ONLY should be adjusted.

.Miscellaneous  widows'  pension              300

.Disability pension cases with a              200

suspension segment and AMS

cases with a suspension segment.

Some of these cases may include

an SP component, but the suspension

and/or DP segments only should be

adjusted.

NOTE:A record may belong to more than one group.  Where this happens, the case will normally be listed once with the group of the the highest reference number.

4.3  General Procedure for These Manual Adjustments

Action schedules will have all disability pension segments shown at pre-increase rates.  Manual action by examiners will comprise entering the new rate in the "new fortnightly" column and where necessary, amending the pension category and/or code of the relevant segment.  If any component of a DP pension segment is to be adjusted, processing through the Interim DP system (IDPS) will be required.  Processing of the case will be as follows:

.use Classification Pension (CP) to register a payment change action;

.access Assessment Control (AC) to create an action assessment.  No effective date is required for a DP only case;

.update the new disability pension details via the Disability Pension (DP) screen;

.complete Advices (AD) screen;

.submit (SU) the case to MS/5O, write the consecutive number onto the schedule and forward to the Delegate for determination.

.For AMS cases, only update of schedules is required.

4.4  Keyfast Description

MS (multiple segment) and manual transactions should be transmitted to the Computer Centre in the normal pension payment daily stream i.e. keyfast description $ PENSIO, prior to the cut-off for payday 19 April.

4.5  Parameter Cards

Parameter cards and rate tables have been prepared at Central Office to effect the automatic updating of "DISABILITY PENSION AND ALLOWANCES" cases and list those requiring manual action.  These cards will be input to the computer by Central Office.

5.PENSION RATE CHANGES - SERVICE PENSION PROCESSING

5.1  The increases to service pension and allowances will be effected automatically on the PMF wherever possible by program APPBAL.  APPBAL will detect cases from the CDB and PMF which cannot be processed automatically, and produce reports and schedules to enable manual reassessment of service pension for subsequent updating of the PMF.  These reports have been improved and rationalised for this exercise.  It is hoped that they will be easier to use.  APPBAL will also generate pension payment transactions for automatically processable cases.Cases listed for manual action will need to be processed through PIPS before cut-off for payday 19 April.

5.2  Processing of automatic cases - 31 March

Program APPBAL will generate Pension Payment transactions updating the rates of service pension and allowances for cases recorded on the CDB with an automatic method of assessment by:

.obtaining income/asset details and assessment information from the CDB;

.reassessing the service pension and allowances using the new SI rates and elements of assessment; and

.generating transactions for update of the PMF in respect of rate variations, changes in payment category and/or pension code.              APPBAL does not update the effective date, so that on display of the case, the previous effective date will be shown (ie not 19 April 1990).

5.3  Outputs From Programs APPBAL

The  cases which cannot be processed automatically will be reported on schedules for manual action.Manual cases are:

.Frozen actions (i.e. cases in 'PY' or 'SB' Status);

.PMF/CDB incompatible cases;

.Manual methods of assessment (excluding Working Rule B);

.Cases suspended on the PMF;

.Manual disability pension cases;

.Assessment errors.

Other schedules which may be produced are:

.Last SI not processed;

.Old SI process codes deleted;

.Manual arrears cases;

.Data base errors detected;

.Transaction generation error schedule.

5.4  Processing of manual cases: 2 April to cut-off for payday 19 April 1990.

The processing of manual cases should be done in the above period and cases are to be processed through IDPS/PIPS.  Cases listed for manual action should be reassessed using the SI rates, updated through an action record, a D2650 produced, or a D408 or other coding sheet produced to effect the PMF variation.  If coding is done on an action schedule, the consecutive number for the IDPS/PIPS action should be noted on the schedule.

5.5  Frozen Actions - when cases in 'PY' or 'SB' status are encountered by the SI program, update is prohibited because the record is 'frozen'.  The cases need to be 'unfrozen' and re-processed as follows:

.return case to 'RI' status (by using 'Cancel Determination' and 'Cancel Submission' as appropriate)

.re-process case using the SI as the last variation (if effective date is prior to the SI date enter arrears line for effective date)

.submit to 'MS' or 'DA' as appropriate and prepare D408 in 'MS' cases.

.determine case as per normal.

5.6  PMF/CDB incompatible cases - cases will need to be investigated to determine the cause of the discrepancy, then the CDB or PMF corrected as necessary before the SI action can be processed.  The discrepancies will normally relate to people/suffixes on the CDB and PMF.

5.7  Manual Methods of Assessment - cases need to be manually re-assessed and processed through the system as normal.  Where a case involves a suspension or a manual DP component, it should be processed through an MS submission and a D408 raised to record the manual coding.

5.8  Cases Suspended on the PMF - where a service pension, "Other" or Total suspension occurs on the PMF, the SP rate and suspension rate should be re-assessed, the case processed through an 'MS' submission and the rates varied as necessary.              The schedule is produced in 'PMF transaction' format and should be used to code the adjustments.  The schedules should be endorsed with the 'MS' consecutive number generated by the system, and be signed by the Delegate - this obviates the need to prepare a D408 for these cases.

5.9  Manual DP Recorded on the CDB - this schedule lists in 'PMF transaction' format cases with the following 'DP codes' on the CDB.

.EATS

.COMP (Composite/Proviso 'c')

.DIV 10 (Members of the Defence Force),

.MAN, MISC, CONVERSION DATA  (Note: these are no longer valid codes, but may still exist if the case has not been correctly coded following Conversion).

The DP should be examined, the new rates entered through the DPEN format, and the case submitted through 'MS'.Rates of both SP and DP should be varied on the schedule.

The schedules should be endorsed with the "MS" consecutive number generated by the system and signed by the Delegate - this obviates the need to produce a D408 for these cases.

5.10 Assessment Errors - the assessment routine will produce information messages as an indication that certain action should be taken as a result of the re-assessment. These cases should be examined and modified as necessary, as well as processing the SI increase.

Note -Where "QA" data exists on a case which is processed manually, care should be taken to ensure that the assets data is recorded correctly because the "QA" data will not be copied into the action assessment.

6.INFORMATION/SUPPLEMENTARY PROCESSING SCHEDULES

6.1  A number of conditions may exist on the CDB which require additional investigation beyond the normal SI processing.  The cases listed will already be "autoprocessed" or will appear for action on the schedules.  The conditions are detailed below:

.Last SI not processed - the case was not processedd in the last SI that effected the case.  Check the case to ensure that appropriate A/L or SI action was taken.

.Old SI process codes deleted - before any SI processing takes place, any old SI process code (S183) will be deleted.  Action on these will depend on the reason the old process exists, but most will not require any corrective action.

.Manual arrears cases - cases where the current effective date is in advance of the SI date.These cases need to be examined to ensure that any adjustment for the period between the SI date and the current effective date is made.

.Data Base Error detected - these cases will 'fail' SI processing, and should be referred immediately to ADP for action.

.Transaction Generation Errors - the equivalent of Interface errors in normal daily production.  Corrective action is the same as for Interface errors.

6.2  Service pension cases submitted to 'MS' should be transmitted to the computer centre via the normal pension payment daily stream.

DAVID HOLLAWAY

DIRECTOR

BENEFITS ADP SYSTEMS

ATTACHMENT 1

STATUTORY INCREASE - 19 APRIL 1990

TIMETABLE OF EVENTS - GENERAL

19 March 1990 — Trial assessment with the new rates will be available.

31 March 1990 — Updating of PMF for disability pension and AMS cases which can be processed automatically.

31 March 1990 — Reassessment for all CDB records where MOA is "automatic".

31 March 1990 — Automatic update of service pension segments on the PMF except for those cases listed in part 5.3 of these procedures.

31 March 1990 — Production of manual schedules for disability pension and allowances and war widows' requiring examination.

31 March 1990 — Reconciliation run on all variations to either the PMF or CDB.

From 30 March — Examiner action on manual SP and DP schedules.to cut-off forpayday 19 April 1990.

PROCESSING SCHEDULE

The Benefits Applications Branch will provide the NCC with a detailed processing schedule.

The Benefits contact officer for this exercise is

RIC MOORE(062) 825 494 (BH)

(062) 823 913 (AH)