C16/2009 Annual Bulk Issue - 2010 Pensioner Concession Card (PCC)

Replaced by DI No.

C — 18/20 — 10

Amends DI No.

NA

Replaces DI No.

C26/2008

Purpose

This Departmental Instruction provides information on the bulk issue of the 2010 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 issues the PCC annually in 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.

Dates

The 2010 bulk issue has commenced and is scheduled to be completed by 30 October 2009.  The following are the key dates for this exercise:

Task

Date

Production extract

26-27 September

Commence using 2010 stock for daily issues

28 September

Reports to contact officers

28 September

Printing, enveloping and lodgment of cards.

28 Sept - 30 October

Final lodgment with Australia Post

30 October

Staggered lodgment

The state/territory card issued is based on the recipient's residential address.  As the printing for each state/territory is completed the cards will be lodged with Australia Post for delivery.  This approach ensures the currency of the card.

Order of Lodgement

The cards will be lodged with Australia Post in the following order.

Northern Territory (NT)

Tasmania (TAS)

South Australia (SA)

Western Australia (WA)

Queensland (QLD)

Victoria (VIC)

Australian Capital Territory (ACT)

New South Wales (NSW)

Regular updates will be provided to a network of location contacts to advise of progress.  A list of location contacts can be found on the back page of this instruction.

Numbers

The approximate total number of carriers to be produced in the annual bulk run is 213,807 and the total number of cards to be produced is 272,065 (partnered carriers have two cards).  The breakdown of carriers to be produced for each state is:

State

Partnered

Single

Single Special Register

Single Blind

Total

NSW

17,671

51,241

28

956

69896

VIC

11,407

35,037

190

701

47335

QLD

14,372

32,015

192

652

47231

SA

5,513

14,111

80

223

19927

WA

6,304

12,717

68

320

19409

TAS

2,101

5,326

22

79

7528

NT

138

358

0

4

500

ACT

752

1,191

0

38

1981

Total

58,258

151,996

580

2,973

213,807

2010 PCC Stock

Minor text and date amendments have been made to the 2010 stock.  Daily single stock supplies have been sent to the location contacts.  Surplus single stock will also be sent to the location contacts at the completion of the bulk issue.

NSW & ACT Carriers

Please note that the 2010 NSW & ACT carriers will include an insert advising that CountryLink no longer requires a PCC holder to pay the booking fee for regular economy class travel when using their vouchers, effective from 1 July 2009.

Details of this policy change can be found at:

http://www.premier.nsw.gov.au/Newsroom/Articles/2…

Enquiries from clients regarding the change, or requesting further information, should be directed to CountryLink on 132 232 or to http://www.countrylink.info

The above information will be available in Vanqish.

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 partnered carriers.  The insert contains the information that cannot fit on the partnered carriers due to the vouchers.

Fridge Calendar Magnet Insert

A 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 on completion of the Transport Concession Card bulk issue.

Allowance Paydays

In recent years, quarterly Telephone Allowance and Utilities Allowance paydays were highlighted on the calendar.

Under the Government's Secure and Sustainable Pension Reform package, these allowances have been consolidated into the fortnightly income support pension payment.

However, please note that from 1 July 2010 income support pensioners may elect to receive their minimum payment amount (equivalent to TA and UA plus a small increase) quarterly.

Further information about the Secure and Sustainable Pension Reform package can be found on the Intranet, in particular in Vanqish and on DVA's Fact Sheets system.

Blind Pensioners

The word 'BLIND' will be printed at the top right hand corner of the card except for ACT, where it will be printed at the bottom right hand corner.  The card will also be hole-punched at the bottom right hand corner.

Group Destination – Public Trustee

Group destination streamed cards will 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

The arrangements for dealing with surviving partners of clients who have had a date of death recorded since the live extract will change this year. Previously, the deceased client was removed from the data and the card was not issued in the bulk run.  Location contacts were required to issue a PCC manually if there was a surviving partner.

This year, clients who have a date of death recorded since the live extract of 26-27 September 2009 will be removed from the live extract.  Where there is a surviving partner, the data will be reconfigured and a card will be issued automatically on the single carrier.

Manual issue will not be required by location contacts.

2010 Daily Issues

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

The last batch extract for 2009 daily PCCs was on Thursday night, 24 September 2009 – new and replacement issues for 2009 would need to have been printed by 6.00pm on Friday, 25 September 2009.

Locations commenced using 2010 stock from Monday, 28 September 2009.

2009 Voucher Issues (if applicable)

Any new grants or transfer-ins between 28 September and

31 December 2009 will need to be manually issued with 2009 travel vouchers, if applicable.

2010 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 2009 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.  The following state rail authorities have given consent t — o DVA, and the 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 2010.  After this date people can phone TRANSWA to apply for replacement vouchers.  TRANSWA may charge for replacement vouchers.

2009 Stock

2009 stock is to be returned to Sam Powell but should not be dispatched before  Friday, 9 October 2009.

Sam Powell

Income Support

17th Floor

Lovett Tower

Canberra  ACT  2006

Location Contacts

The location contacts are as follows:

Location

Contact

NSW/ACT

Sue Cooney/ Michele Dorsen

QLD

Mark Roughead

VIC

Daniel Luba

SA/NT

Kim Jones

WA

Michelle Pauly

TAS

Bryon Kelly

Please advise Sam Powell, the project co-ordinator, if there are any changes to the contact officers listed above.

Project Coordinator

The project co-ordinator for the bulk issue of the 2010 PCC is:

Sam Powell

Change Management, Systems, Cards & Advices

Income Support

Phone:  02 6289 6592

Email:  sam.powell@dva.gov.au