Advocates and authorised representatives
Let someone help you with your account, either alongside you as an advocate or on your behalf as an authorised representative.
Summary
Section titled “Summary”You can have someone else help you with your account in two ways:
| Advocate | Authorised representative | |
|---|---|---|
| What they do | Speaks to the support team for you | Acts on your account for you |
| Do you need to be present? | Yes, and you must give permission during the conversation | No |
| Can they make changes? | Only with you present and giving permission | Yes, unless you set limits |
| Identity check | You complete the identity check to confirm your advocate | They complete the identity check themselves |
Advocates
Section titled “Advocates”An advocate is someone you nominate to speak to the support team on your behalf. They can’t discuss or act on your account unless you’re there and give permission during the conversation.
Who can be an advocate
Section titled “Who can be an advocate”Anyone you choose, for example:
- an interpreter
- an IT or technical specialist
- a financial counsellor
- a legal aid representative
What an advocate can do
Section titled “What an advocate can do”With the primary account holder present, an advocate can:
- help troubleshoot connection problems
- pass on information
- discuss financial matters
An advocate can’t:
- open or close services
- relocate services
- add authorised contacts
How to use an advocate
Section titled “How to use an advocate”- Call the support team and say you’d like an advocate to help during the call.
- Complete the identity check to confirm your advocate.
The support team can add a note to your account about your advocate for future calls. The note doesn’t let the advocate act without you.
If you need an Auslan interpreter, or can’t speak directly to give permission, you need to complete the identity verification process to confirm your advocate. For help, raise a support ticket or call the support number shown in the portal under Support › Support tickets (Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 5:30 pm).
Authorised representatives
Section titled “Authorised representatives”An authorised representative is someone you formally appoint to act on your behalf. Unlike an advocate, they can make changes to your account without you being there. You can appoint them temporarily or permanently.
Who can be an authorised representative
Section titled “Who can be an authorised representative”Often this is:
- a partner or family member
- a legal representative, such as a trustee, power of attorney, guardian or executor
- a long-term carer
What an authorised representative can do
Section titled “What an authorised representative can do”Unless you set limits, they have full authority to:
- access account information
- make complaints
- update account details
- cancel or change services
You can choose to limit what your authorised representative is allowed to do.
Authorised representatives must pass the same identity verification process as account holders. See Identity documents.
How to request
Section titled “How to request”To appoint an advocate or authorised representative, raise a support ticket or call the support team. The contact details are below.
Contacts
Section titled “Contacts”To set up an advocate or authorised representative, contact the support team:
- Support ticket: in the portal, go to Support › Support tickets and click New ticket. See Support tickets.
- Phone: call the support number shown on the Support tickets page or on your provider’s website, Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 5:30 pm. Have the account holder with you on the call so they can give permission.