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3.5.4 Checklist of information sought from informant
3.5.4.1 — Undisclosed Employment
- full name and address of pensioner
- age of pensioner
- name used for employment purposes
- name and address of employer
- type of employment (e.g. casual, shift, full time, part time)
- period of employment
- pensioner running home business
- how does the informant know, or why does the informant believe the pensioner is running a business from home?
- the type of business
- clients of the business
- frequency/volume of business
It is important when collecting information on employment to get enough detail to be sure this is not occasional employment. A good description of the type of work, the hours and days worked and when the person started work would be significant information with regard to income. It may be that the person had only a few hours work for a very short period and the estimated earnings would be too small an amount to have an effect on the rate of service pension. Additional information describing in detail the type of work being undertaken would be significant in the case of a Special rate or temporary payment at special rate pensioner.
3.5.4.2 — Undisclosed de facto relationship
- full names and address of both parties alleged to be in the de facto relationship
- details of any children of either party
- employment details of parties (if known)
- evidence supporting the existence of the alleged relationship
- when did the relationship begin?
- evidence of financial support (e.g. pooling of financial resources, joint ownership, joint liabilities, sharing of expenses)
- who else knows about the relationship? (e.g.. friends and family)
In cases of undisclosed marriages or de facto relationships it would be useful if questioning could help eliminate the possibility of people such as relatives, lodgers and boarders being incorrectly identified as the 'partner'.
3.5.4.3 — Undisclosed income/assets
- full name and address of pensioner
- details of income/assets
- evidence supporting the existence of income/assets
- how long have income/assets been held?
- how does the caller know this?
Undisclosed assets could include a boat or holiday home, and information on the whereabouts and acquisition date of the assets would be useful. Disposal of assets may be a case of deprivation. Accusations of undeclared income could result from remarks made about the performance of shares and the market in general, about purchases or plans made as the result of a compensation payment. If a discrepancy exists between the denunciation and the pensioners pension assessment, an income and assets statement should firstly be sent to the pensioner before further investigative measures are conducted. Detailed information about accounts, numbers and types of shares etc may need to be investigated further and would be released by financial institutions only on a request made under section 128 VEA.