8.2.2 Correspondence nominees
Mail directed to a third person
A 'correspondence nominee' may be appointed by Centrelink to receive mail from Centrelink on behalf of the PLP recipient (principal) to assist the recipient in their dealings with Centrelink.
Full consideration should be given to the individual circumstances of the proposed principal to ensure that a nominee arrangement is the correct arrangement.
Centrelink must not appoint a correspondence nominee without the written consent of the person to be appointed.
Act reference: PPLAct section 127 Obtaining and using protected information, section 281 Appointment of correspondence nominee, section 282 Provisions relating to appointments
Privacy Act 1988 Schedule 1 clause 6 Australian Privacy Principle 6—use or disclosure of personal information
Policy reference: Australian Privacy Principle guidelines
Appointment of a correspondence nominee
Centrelink may appoint a person (or a body corporate) in writing to be the correspondence nominee of another person (the principal) for the purposes of PLP. The nominee may only be appointed if they accept the appointment and their obligations under PPL law in writing. Letters giving notice of the nominee appointment are to be sent to both the principal and the nominee. The same person may be appointed as both the payment nominee and the correspondence nominee, but this is not required. In appointing a nominee, Centrelink must take account of the wishes of the principal.