• Contact Centrelink to claim a payment as soon as possible.
  • You can start this over the phone.
• Seek advice about payments only from Centrelink or other qualified personnel.
• Tell Centrelink everything about your situation.
  • You may be eligible for a payment or supplementary benefit you were unaware of.
  • If you have dependent children but were not previously eligible for Family Tax Benefit, you may now be eligible - ask.
  • If you are concerned about privacy, ask to use an interview room.
  • If issues are difficult to discuss, ask to talk to a social worker in private.

• Tell Centrelink everything about your situation.
  • You may be eligible for a payment or supplementary benefit you were unaware of.
  • If you are concerned about privacy, ask to use an interview room.
  • If issues are difficult to discuss, ask to talk to a social worker in private.
• You are legally obliged to tell Centrelink all about your financial affairs:
  • income
  • assets
  • liabilities
• If you have dependent children but were not previously eligible for Family Tax Benefit, you may now be eligible - ask.

• Centrelink will require various documents and information from you including:
  • proof of identity
  •  your Employment Separation Certificate
  • records of your:
    •  income
    •  assets
    • liabilities.
• Contact Centrelink to “register your intent to claim” even if you don’t have all these records available.
  • Take your documents to Centrelink as soon as possible.
  • Your claim cannot be processed until you do.

• This is a form on which your previous employer explains:
  • when you finished work
  • how the employment ended
  • any leave payments paid or owing
  • any compensation payable.
• If your employer says you left voluntarily or you lost your job due to misconduct, this can delay payment for 8 weeks.
  •  If Centrelink gives you an 8-week non-payment period and you disagree with your employer about why you had to leave work, tell Centrelink you want to appeal.
• If you are having trouble getting your ESC, tell Centrelink.
  • Your payment should not be delayed or refused if it’s not your fault.
  • Centrelink can contact the employer to get the ESC.
  • Centrelink can also grant the payment and get the ESC later.
• You do not need to provide an ESC if:
  • you experienced sexual harassment or violence at work
  • your previous place of work has closed down.

• If you haven’t got enough money for your immediate needs:
  •  ask Centrelink for a referral to an Emergency Relief organisation.
• If you need help with debt negotiations or financial counselling:
  • ask Centrelink for contact details of the nearest community service offering these for free.

• Centrelink can advise you which payment to claim.
• Make sure you tell them all about your circumstances.
• Seek advice about payments only from Centrelink or other qualified personnel.
• The payments for people looking for work are:
  • Newstart Allowance
    • For unemployed people between 21 years and Age Pension age
  • Youth Allowance
    • For unemployed people between 16 and 21 years of age
  • Parenting Payment
    • For principal carers whose youngest child is between 6 and 8 years of age.

• Contact Centrelink.
• Factsheet Newstart Allowance.

• The rate at which you can be paid a Centrelink payment is affected by:
  
  
  • any income you receive and any assets you posses
  • your partner’s / spouse’s income and assets
  • whether you have the care of a dependent child.

• You will need to:
  • enter into an Employment Pathway Plan
  • fulfil your “activity test”.

• Your “Employment Pathway Plan” (EPP) outlines what you need to do in order to receive a payment.
• If you don’t do the activities on your EPP, you could get a failure penalty.
• Your personal circumstances, abilities and goals should be considered when drawing up your EPP.

• There are a number of reasons why your payment may be delayed or not paid to you.
• Your payment may be affected by:
  •  a “waiting period”
  • a “preclusion period”
  • a “penalty period”.
• If you think your payment has been unfairly delayed, you can appeal.
• For more information, see the following factsheets:
  • Waiting periods – why can’t I get paid now
  • Participation failures and penalties
  • Penalties for non-compliance

• You must keep Centrelink up-to-date about your circumstances and income.
  • If you don’t, you may be overpaid and end up having to repay a debt.
• You must tell Centrelink of any “change in your circumstances” within 14 days.
• If you deliberately do not tell Centrelink about a change in your circumstances or income, you risk being charged with a criminal offence.
• Examples of things you must tell Centrelink are:
  • your own and/or your partner’s total gross (before tax) income each fortnight
  • changes to your own or your partner’s income or assets
  • intended travel overseas
  • enrolment in either full-time or part-time study
  • change of address
  • you get married
  • you start living in a de facto (opposite-sex or same-sex) relationship
    • This is a complex issue. For more information, see Member of a Couple / De facto.
  • you separate from your partner
  • you get a job.
• There are other things you must tell Centrelink.
  • Check the small print on your fortnightly form or your Centrelink letters.

• Centrelink will send you a form to fill in every fortnight. 
• You are required to:
  • list where you looked for work and
  • give details of any income that you or your partner earned in the previous 14 days.
• You must complete the form and return it to Centrelink on the due date.
  • If you do not return the completed form, you will not be paid.
  • It may be possible for you to arrange to be exempted from having to return your form in person.
    • You will need a strong reason why you should be exempt.

For example, this could be because you live more than 90 minute’s travel time from the nearest Centrelink.

• If you have a disability or medical condition that limits your ability to work, ask Centrelink for an assessment by a Job Capacity Assessor.
• If you are assessed as only having a “partial capacity to work”, you will have reduced activity test or participation requirements.

• If you are 55 or over, you will have modified activity test requirements.
• Ask Centrelink.

• If you are the principal carer of a dependent child under 16, you will have modified activity test requirements.
• Ask Centrelink.

• Most people on Newstart Allowance get a Health Care Card.
• Some people can get a Pensioner Concession Card.
  • Ask Centrelink, if you:
    • are a single principal carer of a dependent child under 16
    • have been assessed as having a “partial capacity to work”
    • are over 60 and have been getting a payment for more than nine months.

You can appeal.

• On this site: Participation failures and penalties
• On this site:  Young People – Youth Allowance 
• Factsheet:  Newstart Allowance
• Factsheet:  Activity test and participation requirements
• Factsheet:  Penalties for non-compliance
• Factsheet:  Waiting periods – why can’t I get paid now? 
• Contact your local Welfare Rights Centre
• Contact Centrelink