Workers with LISA function 9 and 10 are the only staff in the office that are able to place a stop payment on a cheque.

A stop payment is done when a printed Central Cheque Processing (CCP) or District Office Cheque (DOC) is lost, stolen, destroyed or not received by the payee or client. A Stop Payment must not be done on a Direct Deposit.

Note
CCP and DOC cheques are not to be cancelled. Workers should only place a “stop” on the cheque for one of the identified reasons below.

Note
The stop payment process deletes the budget; therefore, the actual need and income codes are needed when reissuing payment.

The reasons for placing a stop payment on a cheque are coded as follows:

D = Destroyed
L = Lost – not endorsed
M = Misplaced (by worker or someone in office)
S = Stolen – not endorsed
X = Not received or returned by payee or client
Y = Lost – endorsed by payee
Z = Stolen – endorsed by payee

PROCEDURE

To process a stop payment, the worker:

1. Looks up the cheque on LISA:
   1. If the cheque is still on LISA, checks the status on Cheque Control (function 4, option 1, in the Financial Processing system) for a previous cancel or stop payment to avoid duplicating the process.
      1. If the cheque is only issued, place a “stop” to stop the payment
      2. If the cheque is already stopped or cancelled, no “stop” should/can be placed again
      3. If the cheque is already cashed, placing a “stop” will not stop the payment.
         Note
         If the cheque was allegedly stolen and cashed by another person and the funds will be reissued to the right client, a “stop” should still be placed in order for it to show on the “Stop Payment on Cheques Subsequently Cashed” report for further follow-up
   2. If the cheque is no longer on LISA, send an email to Financial Client Payment & Revenue (FCP&R) at CSS.CSCheqContr@gov.ab.ca (for them to stop the cheque) indicating:
      1. The client file number, and
      2. A stop payment is required, and
      3. The cheque number, and
      4. The cheque amount.
         Note
         Any cheques stopped by FCP&R will show on report SCNP3610 for workers to reference or follow-up.
2. Ensures there are copies of appropriate identification (ID) on file (preferably their SIN card and a photo ID).
3. Completes an EMP 0151A Statutory Declaration with the payee (client or trustee), excluding third party vendors since they may not be available to sign this form.
   1. The original EMP 0151A Statutory Declaration and copies of personal identification are placed in Section 2 of the client’s file, to be used as required, for Financial Client Payment & Revenue and fraud investigation areas if the cheque is subsequently cashed.
   2. A photocopy of the signed EMP 0151A Statutory Declaration form is given to the client.
      Note
      If the stop payment involves a third party cheque for a vendor, the worker is required to enter the following notes in Mobius instead of completing the statutory declaration form
   3. Who identified the cheque has not been received, and
   4. If the 3rd party payment was reissued including the amount
4. Enters Mobius Notes indicating:
   1. The reason and date for the stop payment, including cheque number and amount
   2. The reason and date for the statutory declaration
   3. Any payments that are being reissued
      Note
      The worker must verify the status of the cheque in Cheque Control and review the client’s circumstances before issuing a replacement cheque. If the client has previously received replacement funds for a lost or stolen cheque, the worker is to take extra care to ensure the client is eligible for the benefit to be re-issued.

 

Stale Dated Cheques

All cheques that have not been cashed after 180 days are automatically stopped by the system. When this occurs, the following reports will be generated at the worksite: List of Stop Payments on Unclaimed Cheques for D.O. SCNP3600-1 and List of Stale Dated D.O. Cheques SCNP3430. Using the reports, the worker must determine if the client is still eligible for the benefit.

If the file is active the worker contacts the client to discuss why the cheque was not cashed and to re-establish eligibility. If it is determined that the person is still eligible, the worker may reissue the benefit.

If the file is closed the worker must wait for the client to make contact in order to re-establish eligibility based on the circumstances of why they did not cash the cheque.