Annual Report
Purpose: To enable MSD to confirm periods of residence in New Zealand or overseas to determine eligibility for any benefit.
Year commenced: 2002
Features: Data accessed online as required for individual enquiries.
Customs disclosure to MSD: Customs provides MSD access to its CusMod system for verification of departure and arrival dates.
2011/12 activity: MSD staff accessed 194 Customs records.
Commentary: An audit on the operation of this programme found that there are effective controls in place but some records may not have been disposed of within one month as required by the agreement with Customs. MSD has changed to a fortnightly cycle to avoid this.
Compliance: Compliant.
Technical information
| Information matching provision | Customs and Excise Act 1996, s.280B |
| Year authorised/commenced | 2002/2002 |
| Programme type | Confirming eligibility |
| Unique identifiers | Australian and NZ social welfare numbers |
| On-line transfers | Yes |
System description
This system enables MSD to confirm periods of residence when applicants are uncertain of these details at the time of application. New Zealand applications involving possible Australian entitlements are handled by MSD International Services. Enquiries on behalf of Australian applicants who may also be eligible for some New Zealand benefits are also received by MSD International Services from Centrelink. Specially trained staff at MSD International Services have access via a secure web connection to the ‘CusMod' Customs database of passenger movements to confirm departure and arrival dates. Individual access to the Customs database is recorded and statistics are kept in a privacy register to monitor compliance with procedures controlling access to the database. Each month, an audit of this register is conducted to confirm that all access is logged and a sample is checked for appropriateness.
Results are processed through the Centrelink/MSD Change in Circumstances Programme to generate notices of adverse action (s.103 notices) and any other necessary follow-up.
Historical activity
| 2007/08 | 2008/09 | 2009/10 | 2010/11 | |
| CusMod records accessed | 360 | 178 | 482 | 231 |
