DATE OF ISSUE: 1 SEPTEMBER 1992
AUDITING AND PROCESSING PROCEDURES TO BE FOLLOWED FOR CERTAIN CATEGORIES OF SELF ASSESSED LIFESTYLE RATINGS
The purpose of this instruction is to advise Branch Offices of the procedures to be followed to process and audit self assessed lifestyle ratings in certain circumstances. It should be noted that the following procedures are of an interim nature, and they may need to be varied as experience is gained in processing and analysing the self assessment option.
2.Self assessed lifestyle ratings must be broadly consistent with the level of medical impairment. The "shaded area" in Appendix 7 of GARP 3 should therefore be used as a guide when checking self assessed lifestyle ratings. Those ratings which fall outside the shaded area by more than one level should be considered for auditing.
3.In such cases veterans are to be contacted, either by telephone or in writing, to provide further information on how such a rating was determined. When requesting additional information, veterans are to be advised that they may have their LMO comment on their self assessment. A Lifestyle Questionnaire is to be completed by the veteran if insufficient information is available to support the lifestyle rating.
4.Where a veteran lodges a self assessment, and where there are multiple disabilities and not all of these are accepted, the imputation method is to be used and the veteran advised of the reasons for this action.
5.Where a veteran is applying for, or could be considered for, EDA, the lifestyle rating must be assessed on the information supplied in a completed Lifestyle Questionnaire.
6.Attributes have been placed on the CMS for recording which of the three methods a veteran has chosen to assess the lifestyle rating. Although recording of an attribute does not become mandatory until the data completion stage of EATERS, it should be recorded at the earliest point that this information becomes known.
7.A management report giving statistics on the options chosen, and the consistency of self assessed lifestyle ratings, will be extracted from the CMS at the end of 3-4 months.
Contact Officer: John Douglas (06) 2896450.
PETER HAWKER
NATIONAL PROGRAM DIRECTOR
BENEFITS
27 August 1992