TCM0204120 - Passported benefits - Healthy Start vouchers: Healthy Start vouchers - Healthy Start Issuing Unit enquiries (AG)

To deal with general enquiries from the Healthy Start Issuing Unit (HSIU) regarding entitlement to Healthy Start vouchers, consider steps 1 to 5.

Step 1

Use Function VIEW APPLICATION to check that the customer satisfies the criteria to receive Healthy Start vouchers. To do this

  • enter the customer’s NINO in the Key Entry Data screen
  • select the Latest checkbox
  • select [OK]. You’ll be taken to the Application Summary screen
  • select [Continue] to go to the relevant screens and make a note of the following
  • customer’s name
  • customer’s address
  • children’s names and dates of birth
  • whether the family is in receipt of Income Support (IS), Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) or Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
  • number of hours worked
  • number of jobs
  • earnings
  • benefits in kind
  • self-employed profits
  • Social Security benefits
  • other income
  • then, if any of the details differ from those sent on the enquiry

contact the customer to confirm the correct details. Follow the guidance in TCM0094080

  • If any details need amending. Follow the relevant Changes guidance
  • use these details to check whether the customer satisfies the Healthy Start voucher criteria. Follow the guidance in TCM0204020
  • If the customer doesn’t meet the Healthy Start voucher criteria, go to Step 2.
  • If the customer meets the Healthy Start voucher criteria and the query’s about the Health Start voucher entitlement period, go to Step 3.
  • If the customer meets the Healthy Start voucher criteria and the query’s about an RLS signal, go to Step 4.
  • If the customer meets the Healthy Start voucher criteria and the query’s about a break in award periods, go to Step 5.

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Step 2

Reply to the HSIU email explaining that the customer isn’t entitled to receive Healthy Start vouchers. Take no further action.

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Step 3

Use Function VIEW AWARD

  • enter the customer’s NINO in the Key Entry Data screen
  • select the All checkbox
  • select [OK]. You’ll be taken to the Select Award screen
  • select the latest claim

Note: If the latest version of the claim has an Award Type of ‘SOA’ (Statement Of Account), check for the latest version of the claim with an Award Type of ‘Provisional’ or ‘Amended’.

  • select [OK]. You’ll be taken to the Award Summary screen
  • check for the latest period of continuous entitlement to Healthy Start vouchers
  • where entitlement to Healthy Start vouchers exists from the start of that tax year, check for any continuous entitlement from the previous tax year
  • select [View Calculation]. You’ll be taken to the View Calculation screen
  • select [View Elements]. You’ll be taken to the View Elements screen. The screen will display all the elements of the tax credits the customer has been entitled to for that tax year. You may need to scroll down the screen in order to view them all

Note: There won’t be any entitlement to Healthy Start vouchers if the customer is in receipt of Working Tax Credit.

For example:

WTC/CTC 06/04/06 to 26/11/06

CTC 27/11/06 to 05/04/07

CTC 06/04/07 to 19/08/07

WTC/CTC 20/08/07 to 05/04/08

The period of entitlement to Healthy Start vouchers is 27/11/06 to 19/08/07, subject to the customer satisfying all the other criteria.

then, once you’ve established the Healthy Start voucher entitlement period

  • send a reply to the HSIU email with the outcome
  • take no further action.

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Step 4

If an RLS signal is set, this will prevent Healthy Start vouchers from being issued. HSIU will email TCO to try and establish whether the RLS signal held on the tax credits computer is legitimate or not.

Note: The RLS signal is set when the customer has moved address but has failed to tell TCO of this.

Use the following functions to establish if the RLS signal has been correctly set

  • VIEW AWARD DETAILS, check the Signals Box on the Award Summary screen to determine if the RLS signal has been set
  • VIEW HOUSEHOLD NOTES, check for notes regarding a change of address or household breakdown indicating that the RLS signal has been correctly set
  • VIEW APPLICATION, compare the information held in the version history with the information gained from above to establish if the RLS signal is correct
  • historical addresses. To do this
  • use Function VIEW APPLICATION
  • enter the customer’s NINO in the Key Entry Data screen
  • select the Latest checkbox
  • select [OK]. You’ll be taken to the Application Summary screen
  • select ‘Navigation’ on the toolbar menu
  • select ‘View Application History’ from the options available. You’ll be taken to the View Application History screen
  • select [Versions]. You’ll be taken to the Select Application Version screen
  • work through the different versions of the claim until you find the version where the RLS signal was set

then, once you’ve established whether the RLS signal is legitimate or not

  • send a reply to the HSIU email with the outcome
  • take no further action.

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Step 5

If the customer is no longer entitled to CTC only, then their entitlement to Healthy Start vouchers will end. If, at a later date, the customer becomes entitled to CTC only and satisfies the criteria for Healthy Start vouchers, they’ll be treated as a new customer for Healthy Start purposes and will have to complete an HS01 application form

  • use Function VIEW AWARD DETAILS
  • enter the customer’s NINO in the Key Entry Data screen
  • select the Latest checkbox
  • select [OK]. You’ll be taken to the Award Summary screen
  • select [View Calculation]. You’ll be taken to the View Calculation screen
  • select [View Elements]. You’ll be taken to the View Elements screen
  • check if there have been any breaks in the CTC entitlement periods

then, once you’ve established whether there has been a break in award periods,

  • send a reply to the HSIU email with the outcome.