Finance - Overview of using Centrelink Confirmation eServices (CCeS) with Chintaro

Centrelink has three services available to Business Customers to ease the administration of tenancy management. 

• 1. CCeS Income Confirmation Service (ICS)
• 2. EVoR - Electronic Verification of Rent
• 3. CBuS - Centrepay Bulk upload Service

Each of these services are available in either;

• Single Enquiry
• Batch Enquiry

Most users will be familiar with and approved for Single Enquiry for CCeS. This is where they log into the Centrelink website, enter the CRN, Surname and DOB of a client and then download a copy of their Income Statement. 

CCeS, EVoR and CBUS are all Centrelink services that operate independently of Chintaro. There are Centrelink Business customers in Australia who use the bulk functionality (uploading a csv file to the Centrelink website) without Chintaro. It is important that users understand this. This functionality was not written for or in conjunction with Chintaro. All we do is export the data from the database that users would otherwise key into a csv file manually to upload to Centrelink.

This solution also covers 

• What do I need to do to start using CCeS?
• Document to give Centrelink if they request a business case for using CCeS

CCeS Income Confirmation Service (ICS)

This service is used to find out a customer’s income, asset or payment details. Users upload this file to this login portal: Centrelink Information Exchange Services 

Before using this service, customers must have the following:

• Consent from the customer/s they wish to download the Income Confirmation for
• Approval from Centrelink to use CCeS Batch enquiry

Users can choose to request incomes from clients who are currently tenanted or all clients, have the Centrelink Income Authority? box ticked on, have a DOB and a CRN. The exported xml file will include all of the information that Centrelink needs to verify the customer and find their income information.

The organisation will then receive a file back from Centrelink (usually within 24 hours) that they will then need to import into Chintaro using the Import XML incomes screen. If a user needs help using CCeS, they can contact the Centrelink Confirmation eService for business helpdesk. They’re open from 9 am to 5 pm Monday to Friday AEST.  Link for more information: https://www.humanservices.gov.au/organisations/business/services/centrelink/centrelink-confirmation-eservices-cces-businesses 

EVoR - Electronic Verification of Rent

An online service for housing providers to help manage customer rent payments. Used to verify and update their tenants rent details with Centrelink so that they continue to receive the Commonwealth Rent Assistance payment.

Centrelink uses the accommodation data provided in the EVoR csv file to update the Customer’s accommodation circumstances information on the Customer’s Centrelink record. This will trigger a re-assessment of the Customer’s eligibility and entitlement for Commonwealth Rent Assistance. The service is limited to updates for existing Centrelink Customers living at their current address.

The Accommodation data that you provide contains the information as set out below.

• CRN (Customer CRN)
• Customer’s family and given name
• Customer’s date of birth
• address*, suburb and postcode in which the Customer resides
• start date of the new rent amount to be paid
• total amount of rent paid to the Business for the premises in which the Customer resides
• amount of rent paid by the Customer

Some tenants will have other charges, arrangements or ASL's in addition to their 'Rent amount' that they are charged. Due to this fact, the EVoR screen in Chintaro enables users to choose if the amount that they are uploading to Centrelink is 'Rent Only' or if it includes these other amounts.

Centrelink monitor the EVoR service from 7:00 am to 8:45 pm Monday to Friday AEST, except on national public holidays. If a user needs help using EVoR, they can contact the Centrelink Confirmation eService for business helpdesk. They’re open from 9 am to 5 pm Monday to Friday AEST.  Link for more information: https://www.humanservices.gov.au/organisations/business/services/centrelink/electronic-verification-rent-businesses 

CBuS - Centrepay Bulk upload Service

Centrelink Customers may ask to pay their bills and other costs through Centrepay. Each deduction can have an end date or target amount in place. The deduction is made from the tenants Centrelink Benefits before their payments are made to their account each fortnight. Organisations can update, cancel or vary this deduction on behalf of their tenants if they have permission to do so. The CBuS screen in Chintaro enables users to create the file with the necessary information to do this as the last step of their rent review process. Approved Centrepay Businesses can submit a bulk file of multiple Customer requests to add, vary or cancel Centrepay Deductions, with appropriate Deduction Authority from Customers. User Guides for using these services are available on the CBuS landing page under the help menu. 

At a minimum, a Deduction Authority must involve the collection of the following information:

• the name and CRN of the Customer
• the date of birth of the Customer
• the name and CRN of the Business the Customer wishes to pay
• the Centrelink payment from which the Deduction will be made
• the amount of the fortnightly Deduction
• the reason for the Deduction (i.e. the good or service you are providing)
• the date on which the Deduction will start
• the target amount for the Deduction« (if applicable)
• the end date of the Deduction« (if applicable)

Some tenants will have other charges, arrangements or ASL's in addition to their 'Rent amount' that they are charged. Due to this fact, the CBuS screen in Chintaro enables users to choose if the amount that they are uploading to Centrelink is 'Rent Only' or if it includes these other amounts.

Each Centrepay transaction incurs the following fee:

• amount of transaction fee (exclusive of GST) - $0.90
• GST - $0.09
• total transaction fee (inclusive of GST) - $0.99.

This fee is charged for each successful Deduction paid by the Department to the Organisation, including where only part of the agreed Deduction amount could be paid.

Link for more information: https://www.humanservices.gov.au/organisations/business/services/centrelink/centrepay-businesses 

What do I need to do to start using CCeS? 

Before you can use the service you will have to do the following:

1.  Register for the service with Centrelink

2.  Make sure you have Batch Enquiry access to the service (not just Single Enquiry access)

3.  Ensure that all the Clients you wish to obtain income information for have the appropriate information complete on their client record (permissions)

4. You will need to know your login to the Centrelink Business Online Services website (CCeS User ID), your Organisation’s CRN, and your Organisation’s CCeS Agency ID (a three letter Alphabetic code).

Document to give Centrelink if they request a business case for using CCeS

If you have requested to use CCeS (Centrelink Confirmation eServices) with Centrelink, but they have asked for a business case as to why you should be exempt from testing, please provide Centrelink with the following PDF attachment.

If you have provided Centrelink with this document and they request a list of other Chintaro users who are using CCeS, please ask them to call Chintaro Support on 03 9111 2656.