Email this page
Send this page to a friend.
This page is printer friendly.
Centrelink/MSD Change in Circumstances Programme
Annual Report
Purpose: To transfer applications for benefits and pensions and details of changes in circumstances between MSD and Centrelink (the Australian Government agency administering social welfare payments).
Year commenced: 2002
Features: Data is transferred daily by online transfer.
Centrelink disclosure to MSD: When Australian social welfare records are updated for people noted as having New Zealand social welfare records, Centrelink automatically sends an update to MSD including the full name, marital status, address, bank account, benefit status, residency status, income change, MSD client number and Australian Customer Reference Number.
MSD disclosure to Centrelink: MSD automatically sends the same fields of information to Centrelink when New Zealand social welfare records are updated, if the person is noted as having an Australian social welfare record.
2010/11 activity:
| Changes of information received by MSD from Centrelink | 530,175 |
| Notices of adverse action | 6,967 |
| Changes of information sent by MSD to Centrelink | 218,534 |
Notices of adverse action include cases identified by the Centrelink/MSD Periods of Residence Programme.
Commentary: The audit on the operation of this programme noted that two online transfer systems are used. We were not aware of the second method when we issued the online transfer approval in December 2010. We are liaising with MSD to get updated documentation covering the second transfer method and to agree appropriate security conditions.
The second issue identified was that some records were not being destroyed within the appropriate timeframes. This has since been corrected. Otherwise the audit found there are effective controls in place.
Compliance: Compliant.
| Authorising provisions | Social Welfare (Transitional Provisions) Act 1990, ss.19C and 19D and Social Welfare (Reciprocity with Australia) Order 2002, Article 18[1] |
| Year authorised/commenced | 2002/2002 |
| Programme type | Confirming eligibility Updating data |
| Unique identifiers | Australia and NZ social welfare numbers |
| On-line transfers | Yes |
System description
When applying for New Zealand Superannuation, Veteran's Pension or Invalid's Benefit, individuals may also apply for corresponding Australian benefits to which they believe themselves to be entitled. The New Zealand application form advises applicants that testing for entitlement to any overseas pension will be required and that information supplied may be exchanged with another government to verify entitlement. Similarly, an individual applying for Australian equivalents may apply at the same time for New Zealand entitlements.
The agency (MSD or Centrelink) that receives the initial application package processes their part of the application according to their registration requirements, assigning a unique reference number for that client. That first agency then sends the client information, including their unique reference number, to the other agency. The second agency records the first agency's unique reference number on each individual's record, and assigns its own unique reference number to the individual. To complete the circle, the second agency then notifies the first agency of the second unique reference number related to the individual.
Once the linkage is established it is subsequently used for processing global changes (standard superannuation rates, for example) and changes specific to individuals.
MSD notifies New Zealand applicants of the information obtained from Australia, enabling them to correct any mismatch and confirm entitlements. This notice, under s.19D of the Social Welfare (Transitional Provisions) Act, serves most of the same functions as a s.103 notice of adverse action under the Privacy Act for the purposes of these three matches[2].
While processing the application, if the applicant is uncertain as to the periods of residence, these can be confirmed using Customs records as described under matching progamme 9 Customs/MSD Periods of Residence Programme.
With the match between MSD and Centrelink records established as described subsequent changes in individuals circumstances are automatically notified by each agency to the other through this programme.
| 2007/08 | 2008/09 | 2009/10 | |
| Changes of information received from Centrelink | 375,104 | 543,624 | 423,592 |
| Notices of adverse action | 5,296 | 4,742 | 7,067 |
| Changes of information sent to Centrelink | 140,440 | 161,430 | 214,682 |
[1] Although not information matching provisions listed in Privacy Act, Schedule 3, the matches operated under these provisions are required to be treated as if they were authorised information matching programmes for most purposes - see Social Welfare (Transitional Provisions) Act 1990, s.19D(3)(e).
[2] Privacy Act, s.103(1) and (2) do not apply directly to this programme. The operative provisions are Social Welfare (Transitional Provisions) Act 1990, s.19D(3)(c) and (d) (see also s.19D(4) to (4C)) that are similar to s.103(1) and (2). Section 103(3) and (4) are applied directly.