C26/2000 2001 ISSUE OF PENSIONER CONCESSION CARDS (PCCs)

Purpose of Instruction

This Departmental Instruction provides information on

The format and issuing of the 2001 Pensioner Concession Cards (PCCs);

Procedures for applying for replacement travel vouchers;and

Arrangements for the ongoing daily issuing of PCCs;

Background

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

The PCC is issued annually either through a bulk issue or through individual issue to clients who become eligible – to all recipients for the calendar year.

The following table provides a summary timetable of key dates in this year's PCC process.

Concession Information Sheet

A State specific “Concessions Information” sheet will be provided for couples for some States where this information is unable to fit onto the A4 couples carrier because of the number of vouchers these States require.  The States that require the “Concessions Information” sheet are Victoria, Tasmania and Queensland.

Cross Reference Cases

Where there is a cross reference for a person, the 2001 PCC bulk issue will be issued in the payment (ie cross referenced) number.

Partner's on PCCs

The PCC program has been amended this year to include the following in order to follow current DFACs policy regarding the issue of Centrelink PCC's and to simplify the current rules for partner's:

Where both members of a couple are in receipt of an income support payment, they will be cross-listed as dependants on one another's cards.

If spouse/defacto of a veteran is not eligible or payable, but is present in the assessment then spouse/defacto is added as a dependant to the veterans card (blind veteran's included).

Veterans who are not in payment (and therefore will not receive a PCC), will appear as a dependant on the PCC of their blinded service pension partner.

This change affects the number of children that can be listed on the PCC.  With the introduction of cross-listing of partners on cards, the number of children that will be listed on a PCC is six (previously seven).  If there are more than six dependant children in the assessment, a separate card will be issued listing the veteran and remaining children.

What remains the same

• Single pensioner PCCs will be the same format as previous years i.e. one carrier; one card with vouchers attached. 
• On-going daily issues of PCCs will be produced in the same format as previous years i.e. one carrier, one card regardless of single/couple status.
• The pensioner's name will be constructed as follows: forename, 2 — nd initial, 3 — rd initial (where applicable) and surname (all in title case) with the exception of MAC/MC surnames, these will be printed in upper case on the card.
• The pensioner's name will be printed in title case with the street address, suburb and state printed in upper case on the card.
• The pensioner's name and address (street, suburb and state) will be printed in upper case on the carrier.
• Victoria will issue replacement vouchers on behalf of their State Transport Authority throughout the year.
• South Australia will issue replacement vouchers on behalf of their State Transport Authority throughout the year.
• Blind clients will have a hole punched in the top right hand corner of the card and the word “BLIND” printed at the top of the card.
• PCC Summary Report will be produced on CD-ROM.
• A 2001 state specific fridge magnet calendar will be inserted in each envelope.

Card Production

Processing of the bulk issue of approximately 379,000 2001 PCCs will commence on Monday 18 September 2000, following the extract of client data on the weekend of 9-10 September 2000.

The 2001 PCC will be personalised, enveloped and despatched by the mailing house – Security Mailing Services in Sydney.  Lodgement with Australia Post will commence on 2 October and is expected to be completed by Friday 27 October 2000.

Card Numbers

The approximate numbers for each State/Territory for the bulk issue in September 2000 are as follows:

State/Territory

No. of PCCs

New South Wales

123,789

Victoria

86,787

Queensland

79,560

South Australia

36,103

Western Australia

34,663

Tasmania

14,278

NT

625

ACT

3,000

TOTAL

378,805

2001 PCC Stock

For the 2001 bulk PCC issue, there will be 2 different carriers – one for couples (to be used in the bulk issue only) and one for single pensioners.  The pre-printed format of the rear of the card for both singles and couples cards will be:

• A pale blue plastic card glued (tipped) onto a carrier;
• Have the validity dates “VALID FROM OCT 2000 TO DEC 2001” pre-printed on the card;
• Heading, logos and currency date will be deep purple; and
• Personalised information will be laser printed in black onto the card by the mailing house, Security Mailing Services.

The 2001 PCC stock for single pensioners and daily re-issues/new grants is a pale blue plastic card with heading and logos in deep purple.

Generally, the travel vouchers will be pale blue with black lettering and the expiry date is 31/12/2001 for all 2001 PCCs.

The Victorian Pensioner Free Travel Voucher has been divided into 2 parts (vouchers).  The change does not affect pensioner's entitlements however the new Voucher Exchange Coupon has been printed in blue italics text to make it easier for pensioners to recognise that it is a different voucher.

The State Office contact phone number(s), street location and postal addresses will be included on the carrier.

Carrier Layout

The 2001 carrier layout for single pensioners remains the same as the layout for the 2000 carrier, with the vouchers printed at the bottom of the carrier.  In addition, the Victorian carrier has been revised to include an additional voucher.

The 2001 carrier layout for couples will incorporate 2 cards positioned at the bottom edge of an A4 carrier and the appropriate number of vouchers positioned where they best fit on the carrier and depending on which State the PCC is issued.

For couples PCC units, the left card and left column of vouchers will be personalised with the client's details (the right side card and vouchers being used for the person's partner details).

Prior to commencement of bulk issue production, each State will receive a sample couples PCC unit for reference purposes.

Blind Pensioners – Special PCCs

The word 'BLIND' will be printed in 14 point lettering on the top centre of the 2001 PCC for blind pensioners.  The PCC for blind pensioners issued during the bulk exercise will have a hole punched in the top right hand corner of the card.

Special Register PCCs

Special Register and Special Register Blind clients PCCs will be enveloped and forwarded directly to each State Office for checking prior to dispatch to the Special Register addresses.

Fridge Magnet Calendar Inserts

A State specific 2001 magnetic refrigerator calendar will be included with the bulk issue of PCCs.

Vouchers

The number of vouchers attached to the carriers will vary with each State/Territory and will be separated from the carrier with perforations.  The vouchers will include the pensioner's name and entitlement numbers, and in the case of Tasmania will also contain the pensioner's address and Date of Grant.

The vouchers provide fields for personal details to be lasered.  The information required to be lasered onto vouchers are as follows:

For this State

And this Card/Carrier

This information will be inserted onto the Voucher

NSW

NIL (Single & Couples)

NIL

ACT

NIL (Single & Couples)

NIL

NT

NIL (Single & Couples)

NIL

VIC

Single (2 vouchers)

Name

Entitlement Number

VIC

Couple (4 vouchers)

Names

Entitlement Numbers

QLD

Single (4 vouchers)

Name

Entitlement Number

QLD

Couple (8 vouchers)

Names

Entitlement Numbers

SA

Single (4 vouchers)

Name

Entitlement Number

SA

Couples (8 vouchers)

Names

Entitlement Numbers

WA

Single (1 voucher)

Name

Entitlement Number

WA

Couples (2 vouchers)

Names

Entitlement Numbers

TAS

Single (4 vouchers)

Name

Address

Date of Grant

Entitlement Number

No. of Dependants

TAS

Couple (8 vouchers)

Names

Addresses

Date of Grant

Entitlement Numbers

No. of Dependants

Reports

State offices will be provided with the following listings of cases following the bulk extract:

• Rejection Report of clients who did not receive a PCC and the reason, eg clients with an overseas address;
• Special Register clients;
• Blind Cases – listing cases of blind pensioners who receive a PCC; and
• Blind and Special Register Cases – listing cases where the pensioner is blind and a Special Register Case.

Where the Reports will be printed

The above reports will be addressed to the State Office PCC contact officers.  You should expect the reports to be printed in your respective State Office printers identified as: NSWBO, VICBO1, QLDPAY, SABO, WABO, and TASBO on Monday 11 September 2000, following the data extraction processing on the weekend of 9-10 September 2000.

CD-ROM

At the completion of the exercise the mailing house will provide each State office with a summary report on CD-ROM that lists the Department's PCC recipients from the 2001 bulk issue.  The CD-ROM is scheduled to be dispatched to the nominated State contact officers by the end of October.

The CD-ROM files (*.pdf format) can be accessed via Acrobat Reader 3.0 which can be found on the DVA LAN.  From the Start up menu select Departmental/Applications/Internet Tools/Acrobat Reader 3.0.

New and replacement PCC's

The procedures for the ongoing issuing of new and replacement 2001 PCCs remain the same as in other years i.e., new and replacement issues of PCCs are to be extracted by batch processing each night for printing daily on the local printers located in each State Office.

The last automatic daily extract for any issue/reissue of the 2000 PCCs will be on Friday, 8 September 2000 for all.

Formatting and any re-alignment of local printers to accommodate the 2001 PCC will be addressed by the PCC National Office, IMU programmers.  Please advise Robert Krajina on 02 6289 6044 as soon as possible if you experience any difficulties in printing replacement or new grant PCCs.

Manual Voucher Issue

From Monday, 11 September 2000, all new grant and card replacement transactions will generate a 2001 PCC record on the client data base with an expiry date of 31/12/2001 for all States. The 2000 PCC stock must not be used for daily issues, from and including Monday, 11 September 2000.  However, any new grant or transfer-in between 11 September and 31 December 2000 still requires manually issued 2000-travel voucher/s and 2000 stock is to be used.

Replacement PCC's – voided Vouchers

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 2001 DVA PCC processed with vouchers, then lost and regained eligibility during the course of the year; or
• Are not eligible for vouchers with a PCC from DVA (eg war widow/ers who had already received a TC1 or who were on the list of war widow/ers who received their PCC from Centrelink).

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

Voucher Replacement

For most States, neither Centrelink nor DVA will have the facility to issue replacement vouchers.  The PCC carriers display a warning stating that DVA cannot issue replacement vouchers.  Where State rail authorities have provided them, contacts and procedures for applying for replacement vouchers are listed at attachment A.

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.

Arrangements for replacement vouchers in South Australia

As in previous years Great Southern Railways have given the South Australian State Office authority to issue replacement vouchers on their behalf.

The South Australian carrier includes contact numbers for pensioners to contact for replacements.

Arrangements for replacement vouchers in Victoria

As in previous years the Victorian Rail Authority have given the Victorian State Office authority to issue replacement vouchers on their behalf.

The Victorian carrier includes contact numbers for pensioners to contact for replacements.

Enhancement to PIPS Reprint Facility

The PP.RH screen has been updated to selectively reprint vouchers only, the PCC or PCC and vouchers.  Where appropriate, edits have been added to this screen that block the user from reprinting vouchers outside their respective amnesty period or in the case of NSW/ACT where vouchers are no longer an option.

Blind Pensioners

When issuing a blind pensioner a PCC in the daily issue, the PCC stock provided and current issuing procedures should apply.  The reprint program will enable the word 'BLIND' to be printed on the PCC.

Note that Blind pensioners are not identified prior to generating the daily PCC re-issues and new grants – blind pensioners are identified after PCC's are issued and are identified by the word 'BLIND' which prints on their cards – everyday PCC stock should be used for blind pensioners.

New PCC Stock

Stocks of 2001 PCCs will be despatched to the State Offices from the mailing house on 28 August 2000.

The fridge magnet calendar should also be included with new cards produced in the State Offices as part of the ongoing processing.  Stocks will be supplied to the State Offices for this purpose during late September 2000.

Report Problems to National Office

Staff are reminded that it is important that they keep a log of problems identified following the bulk issue of PCCs.  Every endeavour will be made to rectify any identified problems.

Contact Officer

The contact officer for this exercise is Robert Krajina on 02 6289 6044 or fax 02 6289 6553.