C26/2007 Annual Bulk Issue - 2008 Pensioner Concession Card (PCC)

Purpose

This Departmental Instruction provides information on the bulk issue of the 2008 Pensioner Concession Card (PCC).

It also provides information on issuing daily PCCs and travel vouchers.

Overview

The PCC is issued by the Australian Government to all income support recipients to prove eligibility for a range of Commonwealth and State/Territory benefits and concessions.  DVA is responsible for issuing the PCC to DVA clients (including Centrelink Age Pensioners being paid by DVA).

DVA issue the PCC annually in September/October to eligible pensioners.  The mailing house contracted to the Department is responsible for printing, enveloping and lodging the cards with Australia Post.

The PCC is also issued on a daily basis for new grants and reissues.  Information relating to daily grants and reissues is referred to later in the document.

Changes for 2008

No changes have been implemented for the 2008 bulk issue.

Dates

The 2008 bulk issue is scheduled to take place between 29 September and 26 October 2007.  The following dates apply to the 2008 bulk issue:

Task

Date

Production extract

29-30 September 2006

Commence using 2008 stock for daily issues

1 October

Reports to contact officers

2 October

Printing, enveloping and lodgment of cards.

8-26 October 2007

Extraction of deceased clients

3-26 October 2007

Final lodgment with Australia Post

26 October 2007

Numbers

The approximate total number of carriers to be produced from the annual bulk run is 231,818 and the total number of cards to be produced from the bulk run is 298,173 (married carriers have two cards).  The breakdown of carriers to be produced for each state is:

State

Married

Single

Single Special Register

Single Blind

Total

NSW

20376

54619

16

1070

76081

VIC

13151

37626

214

772

51763

QLD

15788

33777

169

709

50443

SA

6515

14986

93

230

21824

WA

7151

13352

57

323

20883

TAS

2448

5738

24

85

8295

NT

156

348

0

7

511

ACT

770

1204

5

39

2018

231,818

2008 PCC Stock

Minor text and date amendments have been made to the 2008 stock.  Daily single stock supplies have been sent to the location contacts.  Surplus single stock from the bulk issue will also be sent to the location contacts.

VIC, SA, WA & TAS Vouchers

There are no amendments to the VIC, SA, WA and TAS vouchers issued.

PCC Information Insert

A PCC Information Insert will be included with VIC, SA, WA and TAS married carriers.  The insert contains the information that cannot fit on the married carriers due to the vouchers.

Fridge Calendar Magnet Insert

A state specific fridge calendar magnet will be inserted with all PCCs.  Daily stock supplies have been sent to the location contact.  Surplus stock from the bulk issue will also be sent to the location contacts.  Surplus supplies for NSW and VIC will be sent on completion of the Transport Concession Card bulk issue.

Blind Pensioners

The word 'BLIND' will continue to be printed on the top right hand corner of the card.  The card will be hole-punched on the bottom right of the card.

Group Destination

Group destination streamed cards will now be packaged together and sent directly to the Public Trustee from the mailing house.

Cross Reference

PCCs for cross reference cases will continue to be issued in the payment file number.

Listing  Dependants on PCC

Rules for listing dependants on the PCC remain unchanged:

• member of a couple in receipt of an income support payment will be cross-listed as a dependant on veteran and partner PCC;
• spouse/defacto of a veteran (including blind veterans) not eligible or payable but in the assessment, will be listed as a dependant on the veteran PCC;
• a veteran not in payment (and therefore not eligible for a PCC) will appear as a dependant if partner is on blind service pension;
• the maximum number of children that will be listed on a PCC is six.  If there are more than six dependent children in the assessment, an additional card will be issued listing the veteran and remaining children.

Reports

Location contacts will be provided with reports on completion of the bulk extract.  Locations should examine the reports and undertake any necessary action.

Deceased Clients

Prior to the printing of each state job, a batch program will report on clients who have a date of death recorded since the live extract.  The mailing house will extract the client data and a card will not be produced.

Location contacts will be provided with a copy of the deceased extract report.  If there is a surviving partner a manual PCC will need to be issued.

CD-ROM

At the completion of the exercise the location contacts will be provided with a report on CD-ROM of clients issued with a PCC in the annual bulk issue run.

2008 Daily Issues

The procedures for issuing daily PCCs (grant and reissues) remain unchanged.

The last batch extract for 2007 daily PCCs will be on Thursday night, 27 September 2007 – new and replacement issues for 2007 will need to be printed by 5.00pm on Friday, 28 September 2007.

Locations should commence using 2008 stock from Monday 1 October.

2007 Voucher Issues (if applicable)

Any new grant or transfer-in between 1 October and 31 December 2007 will need to be manually issued with 2007 travel vouchers.

2008 Voucher Issues (if applicable)

All cardholders are entitled to only one issue of vouchers for their residential state each calendar year except where a cardholder transfers to another state.  New grants of income support pension must not be provided with concession vouchers if they have received a PCC with vouchers in the same calendar year.

Voucher personalisation should be suppressed for all replacement or re-issued cards for clients.  The card will be personalised and issued on the carrier, however, the vouchers will remain attached to the carrier but will be voided with XXXX's.  This includes clients who:

• have had a 2007 DVA PCC processed with vouchers, then lost and regained eligibility during the course of the year; or

• Centrelink Transfer In cases, as they have already received their PCC and vouchers from Centrelink.

Voucher Replacement

For most states, DVA does not have the facility to issue replacement vouchers.  Where state rail authorities have provided them, arrangements are listed below.

State

Arrangement

VIC

The Victorian Rail Authority gives DVA authority to issue replacement vouchers on their behalf for an indefinite period.

SA

SA Rail gives DVA authority to issue replacement vouchers on their behalf indefinitely.

WA

TRANSWA gives DVA authority to issue replacement vouchers on their behalf for a period up until the 31 — st January 2008.  After this date people can phone TRANSWA to apply for replacement vouchers.  TRANSWA may charge for replacement vouchers.

Location Contacts

The location contacts are as follows:

Location

Contact

NSW/ACT

Sue Cooney

QLD

Mark Roughead

VIC

Gavin Inglis

SA/NT

Maria Lewandowski

WA

John Gliddon

TAS

Bryon Kelly

Project Coordinator

The project coordinator for the bulk issue of the 2008 PCC is:

Sarah Paras

Business Operations

Income Support

Phone:  02 6289 6534

Email:  sarah.paras@dva.gov.au

or

Carol Walsh

Business Operations

Income Support

Phone:  02 6289 6729

Email:  carolyn.walsh@dva.gov.au