C18/2010 Annual Bulk Issue - 2011 Pensioner Concession Card (PCC)

Replaced by DI No.

C — 13/2011

Amends DI No.

N/A

Replaces DI No.

C16/2009

Purpose

This Departmental Instruction provides information on the bulk issue of the 2011 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 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.

Dates

The 2011 bulk issue production is schedule to take place between 26 September and 29 October 2010.  The following are the key dates for this exercise:

Task

Date

Production extract

26 September

Commence using 2011 stock for daily issues

27 September

Reports to contact officers

27 September

Printing, enveloping and lodgment of cards.

28 Sept – 29 October

Final lodgment with Australia Post

29 October

Numbers

The approximate total number of carriers to be produced in the annual bulk run is 213,313 and the total number of cards to be produced is 271,443 (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

17,592

51,059

26

948

69,625

VIC

11,378

34,917

187

694

47,176

QLD

14,360

31,986

192

649

47,187

SA

5,513

14,111

80

223

19,927

WA

6,296

12,705

68

320

19,389

TAS

2,101

5,326

22

79

7,528

NT

138

358

0

4

500

ACT

752

1,191

0

38

1,981

Total

58,130

151,653

575

2,955

213,313

Order of Lodgement

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

From Monday 27 September:

Northern Territory (NT)

Australian Capital Territory (ACT)

Tasmania (TAS)

From Monday 4 October:

Victoria (VIC)

New South Wales (NSW)

From Monday 11 October:

South Australia (SA)

Western Australia (WA)

Queensland (QLD)

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

2011 PCC Stock

Minor text and date amendments have been made to the 2011 stock.  Daily single stock supplies have been sent to the location contacts.  Surplus single stock from the bulk issue will be sent on completion of the production run.

VIC, SA & WA Vouchers

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

PCC Information Insert

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

TAS Vouchers and PCC Information Insert

The TAS vouchers have been removed from the 2011 carrier and the information insert is no longer required.

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 be sent to the location contacts.  For NSW and VIC, the surplus stock will be sent on completion of the Transport Concession Card bulk issue.

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 left 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 be issued in the payment file number.

Listing Dependants on PCC

The rules for listing dependants on the PCC are outlined below.

• 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

Clients who have a date of death recorded since the live extract of 26 September 2010 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.

Prior to the 2010 annual bulk issue, 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.

Manual issue is no longer required by location contacts.

2011 Daily Issues

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

The last batch extract for 2010 daily PCCs will be on Thursday night, 23 September 2010 – new and replacement issues for 2010 will need to have been printed by 6.00 pm on Friday, 24 September 2010.

Locations can commence using the 2011 stock from Monday, 27 September 2010.

2010 Voucher Issues (if applicable)

Any new grants or transfer-ins between 27 September and

31 December 2010 will need to be manually issued with 2010 travel vouchers, if applicable.

2011 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 2010 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 to 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 31st January 2011.  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

John Eden

QLD

Mark Roughead

VIC

Daniel Luba

SA/NT

Terry Renella

WA

Michelle Pauly

TAS

Bryon Kelly

Project

Coordinator

The project coordinator for the bulk issue of the 2011 PCC is:

Sarah Paras

Cards & Advices

Income Support Group

Phone:  02 6289 6543

Email:  sarah.paras@dva.gov.au