8.1.3 Single Pensioner Bereavement Payment

External

Procedure

Eligibility for a single income support pension bereavement payment

Information about eligibility for single income support pension bereavement payment is in the CLIK Policy Library.

Policy Library

8.1.3/Eligibility for Single Pensioner Bereavement Payment

8.1.3/Payment of Single Pensioner Bereavement Payment

More → (go back)

Automated processing by Death Processing System

Following the notification of a death, DPS automatically processes the majority of bereavement payment cases. Reports are subsequently produced for checking of automatic processing and also to identify any further manual processing action that may be required to finalise a case. To check the report, follow the eleven steps below.

Step	Action
1	Check if the correct person has been cancelled. More → Procedure Library 8.1.2/Notification of a Death More → (go back)
2	Check that the date of death advised on the death notification matches the date recorded on VIEW or the DPS report.
3	Check that the deceased pensioner's payments have been stopped. If not stopped, manually terminate the pension in [glossary:PIPS:][glossary:.:] More → Integrated Payments System: Payment Enquiry Overview http://sharepoint/Documents/programsandprojects/0898126E.tr5 Procedure Library 8.1.2/Manual Termination of Pension for a Deceased Pensioner More → (go back)
4	Ensure that the bereavement payment has been paid. If not paid, investigate why, you may need to manually process the bereavement payment. More → Policy Library 8.1.3/Payment of Single Pensioner Bereavement Payment More → (go back)
5	Check if the deceased's next-of-kin been recorded on VIEW or in the deceased pensioner's file.
6	Check if the deceased was noted as single on both the DPS report and the death notification. If the death notification indicates a partner, who was previously unknown to DVA, further investigation should check if the partner may be entitled to partnered bereavement payment. More → Policy Library 2.2.2/Establishing Proof of Relationship to a Veteran More → (go back)
7	Check if the deceased also received disability pension if yes, refer to disability pension bereavement procedures More → Procedure Library Chapter 8.2 Disability Pension Bereavement Payment More → (go back) if no, proceed to the next step
8	Check if the deceased has entitlement to any other bereavement assistance funeral benefit More → Policy Library Chapter 8.3 Funeral Benefits More → (go back) war graves More → DVA Website: War Graves http://www.dva.gov.au/commems_oawg/OAWG/Pages/index.aspx More → (go back)
9	Check the comments on the DPS report for this case and ensure that all required payments or actions have occurred. More → Procedure Library 8.1.2/Death Processing System More → (go back)
10	Establish whether an overpayment recovery action is required. More → Procedure Library 8.1.2/Overpayment due to Payment Released after Death More → (go back)
11	Record on the DPS report, any follow-up actions required for the case. More → Procedure Library 8.1.2/Death Processing System More → (go back)

Manual processing of a single pensioner bereavement payment

If DPS is unable to automatically process a case, full or partial manual bereavement processing is necessary. The processing steps for a single income support pensioner bereavement payment vary with the following circumstances:

if nil or one payment has been released
if multiple payments have been released
if payments have been returned or cancelled

Manual bereavement processing if nil or one payment released

To manually process a single pensioner bereavement payment, where nil or one income support pension payment has been released after death, follow the five steps below.

Step	Action
1	In PIPS, cancel the deceased's assessment, payments and fringe benefits entitlement from date of death. More → Procedure Library Worksheets: PIPS User Guide http://sharepoint/Documents/programsandprojects/0897955E.tr5 Procedure Library 8.1.2/Manual Termination of Pension for a Deceased Pensioner More → (go back)
2	Calculate the single income support pension bereavement payment. More → Policy Library 8.1.3/Payment of Single Pensioner Bereavement Payment 8.1.2/Payments and Allowances Included More → (go back)
3	Deduct from this any pension payment already released since date of death.
4	Issue a cheque payable to the “Estate of the Pensioner”. More → Integrated Payments System: Manual Bereavement Payment http://sharepoint/Documents/programsandprojects/0898122E.tr5 More → (go back)
5	Send with a covering letter either to the next-of-kin (if known), or to the estate under care of the last known address of the pensioner. Access the Standard Letters System folder [Bereavmt], file [gen advice NOK].

Manual bereavement processing if multiple payments have been released

To manually process a single pensioner bereavement payment where multiple income support pension payments have been released after death, follow the five steps below.

Step	Action
1	In PIPS, cancel the deceased's assessment, payments and fringe benefits entitlement from date of death. More → Procedure Library Worksheets: PIPS User Guide http://sharepoint/Documents/programsandprojects/0897955E.tr5 Procedure Library 8.1.2/Manual Termination of Pension for a Deceased Pensioner More → (go back)
2	Calculate the total amount of pension paid following the date of death.
3	Check if the payments released since date of death.
		If the pensioner was paid...	Then...
		direct to a financial institution	check if any returned bank credits have been received (VIEW, tab: 'Outward Payments', folder: 'Returned Payments') More → Procedure Library 8.1.2/Instalments Returned by Direct Credit More → (go back)
		by cheque	refer to the payment certification coordinator to check if the released cheque(s) have been presented for payment if not presented, 'stop' any outstanding cheques if presented, investigate who cashed or deposited the cheque, by requesting a copy of the presented cheque care: if cheque was cashed by a third party, who is not connected with the estate of the late pensioner, you should refer the case to the National Fraud Control Unit
		by group payment	refer to the group payment coordinator and investigate the whereabouts of the funds

4	Deduct the entitlement of single income support pensioner bereavement payment. More → Policy Library 8.1.3/Payment of Single Pensioner Bereavement Payment 8.1.2/Payments and Allowances Included More → (go back)
5	Check if any resulting overpaid amount can be waived More → Reference Library – Overpayment Manual - Waiver OMM/7.18 More → (go back) if waived, write B/W on the DPS report, sign it and, if applicable, record in the bulk waiver register if not able to be waived, seek recovery of overpayment More → Procedure Library 8.1.2/Overpayment due to Payment Released after Death More → (go back)

Manual bereavement processing if payments have been returned or cancelled

To manually process a single pensioner bereavement payment where the income support pension payments after death have been cancelled/held or have already been returned to DVA, follow the six steps below.

Step	Action
1	In PIPS, cancel the deceased's assessment, payments and fringe benefits entitlement from date of death. More → Procedure Library Worksheets: PIPS User Guide http://sharepoint/Documents/programsandprojects/0897955E.tr5 Procedure Library 8.1.2/Manual Termination of Pension for a Deceased Pensioner More → (go back)
2	Calculate any pension entitlement owed from the date of the last pension payment actually received by the deceased, up to the date of death.
3	Calculate the single income support pension bereavement payment. More → Policy Library 8.1.3/Payment of Single Pensioner Bereavement Payment 8.1.2/Payments and Allowances Included More → (go back)
4	Add these figures together and issue a cheque payable to the “Estate of the Pensioner”. More → Integrated Payments System: Manual Bereavement Payment http://sharepoint/Documents/programsandprojects/0898122E.tr5 More → (go back)
5	Send with a covering letter either to the next-of-kin (if known), or to the estate care of the last known address of the pensioner. Access the Standard Letters System folder [Bereavmt], file [gen advice NOK] or [BP-cheque to be sent].
6	Alternatively, if correspondence has been received from a Solicitor or Public Trustee and you are satisfied that they are handling the estate, send the cheque and a covering letter to them instead.