Corrective Services NSW
Operations Procedures Manual
SECTION 7.14 CENTRELINK CRISIS PAYMENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
7.14
CENTRELINK CRISIS PAYMENTS .................................................................... 2
7.14.1
Summary Page .................................................................................................... 2
7.14.2
Guidelines ............................................................................................................ 3
7.14.3
Procedures .......................................................................................................... 3
7.14.4
Monitoring and evaluation .................................................................................... 4
7.14.5
Document history ................................................................................................. 4
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Section 7.14 Centrelink Crisis Payments
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Procedures Manual intranet page
7.14
CENTRELINK CRISIS PAYMENTS
7.14.1 Summary Page
Summary
Policy
Overview
Corrective Services NSW endeavours to ensure that inmates are given
the opportunity to apply for a crisis payment from Centrelink to ensure
financial support is available to the inmate upon release.
An inmate may make a claim for a crisis payment up to 21 days before
being released. Alternatively, the inmate must lodge a claim for a crisis
payment within seven days following their release. The criteria set by
Centrelink must be met before a payment will be approved by
Centrelink.
A Release Certificate from the correctional centre of release is required
by Centrelink as proof of having been imprisoned.
The number of crisis payments an inmate is eligible for in a 12 month
period is restricted only by the requirement to have been imprisoned for
at least 14 days on each occasion.
Purpose
Crisis payments are made available to inmates who are likely to suffer
severe financial hardship if a payment is not made and to assist until
regular Centrelink payments are established.
Scope
This policy applies to all police/court cell complexes, correctional
centres and transitional centres. It affects all correctional officers,
Offender Services and Programs staff and administration staff who work
within such centres.
Strategic
Focus
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State Priorities – NSW Making it Happen
Department of Justice Strategic Plan
CSNSW Business Plan
Legislation
Social Security Act 1991
Related
Policies
and
Documents
Operations Procedures Manual section 11 – Release of Inmates
Acronyms
CSNSW
Corrective Services NSW
GM
General Manager
OS&P
Offender Services and Programs
Definitions
Authorised
Officer
The officer authorised by the General Manager to perform the functions
set out in this part of the Operations Procedures Manual.
Centrelink
Centrelink is a Commonwealth statutory authority that delivers services,
programs, and payments for government departments. It is responsible
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to the Minister for Human Services.
Release
Certificate
All inmates, who have been in Corrective Services NSW custody
(including police/court cells) for more than 48hours, are to be issued
with a Release Certificate. The Release Certificate is evidence of a
person’s incarceration and is a vital form of identification for some
individuals upon release to obtain housing or financial assistance.
Routinely Release Certificates are generated from the Offender
Integrated Management System and printed on specific paper.
Severe
Financial
Hardship
Severe financial hardship means having less than the equivalent of a
fortnight’s benefit or allowance in available funds.
7.14.2 Guidelines
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An inmate can make a claim for crisis payments providing they:
o have been imprisoned for at least fourteen days and
o is qualified for a Social Security pension or benefit.
Claims can be submitted up to 21 days in advance prior to their date of release.
Failing this, the inmate is to make a claim within seven days after being released
from prison.
Under current Centrelink arrangements, all eligible released prisoners will receive a
crisis payment (equivalent to one week’s entitlement) and an advance of up to one
week of their first installment of pension or benefit that they are otherwise qualified
and payable for.
The legislation allows the claim to be granted prior to the inmate’s release from
prison and the payment issued on release as part of the discharge process.
Local procedures should be implemented to encompass the generic procedures set
by Centrelink.
7.14.3 Procedures
General Managers (GM), through their authorised officers, should liaise with the local
Centrelink office to implement the following procedures.
 The local Centrelink office or officer:
o is to be notified of the number and names of inmates being discharged on a
weekly basis, as arranged locally between the correctional centre and the
Centrelink office
o will arrange for inmates to be interviewed and notify the GM or his/her
authorised officer of the dates and times of interviews
o will expect all appropriate documentation to be completed at the inmate
interview
o will arrange to make a payment (in the form of a direct deposit) to the
appropriate centre (local procedures may be implemented in each centre).
 During the interviews with Centrelink officers or their agents, inmates will be
required to sign an official document authorising release of monies back to
Centrelink in the event that they are not released from custody.
 Monies received from Centrelink:
o must be kept in a separate sub account of the inmate’s trust account (within
the Central Public Monies Account) especially set up for this purpose. The
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inmate must not have access to the Centrelink crisis payment until they are
released from custody
o which have not been paid to an inmate upon release from custody, must be
returned to Centrelink no later than fourteen days after the inmate was due to
be released from custody
o should not be withheld to repay any debts that might be owed to Corrective
Services NSW (CSNSW) by an inmate.
All Release Certificates are to be stamped on the reverse side, with a notation that
the inmates have received a social security payment. For this purpose, Centrelink
has issued a payment stamp to all centres.
Note: Release Certificates should not be stamped prior to payment being received
by the inmate.
An inmate who is discharged unexpectedly from court or who is granted bail might
not receive a Release Certificate. In such cases this person may attend a Centrelink
office where his/her previous custody and entitlement to a crisis payment will be
verified by phone with the correctional centre from which he/she was discharged or
with the Sentence Administration Branch of CSNSW.
Inmates should also be advised that the production of sufficient identification (bail
papers, recognisances etc.) will accelerate the issue of the above letters and
payments. Centrelink may also require from the ex-inmate evidence concerning
lack of funds (e.g. verification of the ex-inmate’s bank account balance).
7.14.4 Monitoring and evaluation
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Inmates should be made aware of the criteria and procedure involved in applying
for crisis payments.
Inmates should be informed of any local procedure put in place with regards to
crisis payments.
Offender Services & Programs (OS&P) staff are to check that inmates intending to
apply for crisis payments are aware that they are to submit their applications within
the allocated times as set by Centrelink.
Correctional centre administration officers are advised to check that monies not
paid out to inmates are returned to Centrelink within the allocated time.
7.14.5 Document history
Version
Date
Reference
1.0
March 2001
Initial version
1.1
May 2012
Amendments as per DCOMO 2012/71 and COPM
2012/38
1.2
August 2015
General update of legislation and reporting
responsibilities
1.3
December
2015
Format update
Reviewed
V1.3 December 2015
2001
Next Review
Section 7.14 Centrelink Crisis Payments
2018
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The current version of this document is maintained on the Custodial Corrections Operations
Procedures Manual intranet page