r/Centrelink

Pensioner Concession Card

My Jobseeker benefit was recently cancelled after I have been working full time for 7 months.

A few days ago I received a brand new pensioner concession card in mail that expires in February.

Is this a mistake?

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u/Tall-Macaroon-2712 — 9 hours ago

Youth allowance (not being considered as away from home)

Hello all.

My family's home is in Brisbane, and i finished high school in Briabane. Currently, Im studying uni full-time and renting in Sydney.

I have provided my rental contract, my uni transcripts, and my home address. But Centrelink still pays me an "at home" rate.

I went to the service centre for some consulting, but the person told me she was not sure if im eligible for "away from home" because it was my own choice to study Sydney.

Right now, i dont know what to do, and i dont know what I am eligible for. I know that the requirement for "away from home" includes 90 mins travel from home.

Has anyone dealt with something similar or knows what to do? Am i eligible for the "away from home" rate? What can I do to get the "away from home" rate. Any tips would help me a lot.

Thank you so much for reading this far. Have a good day.

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u/burgerfawn — 8 hours ago

Debt for payments they’re assuming?

I submitted my taxes back in July and my application for paid parental leave as I had just had my youngest son. After I submitted everything my family tax benefit ceased and I got issued with a debt of almost $2,000 because I’m earning above the max amount to qualify.

The problem is they seem to be calculating that on 2 factors:

  1. my child support earnings
  2. my new partner working

This is an issue cause

  1. I haven’t been paid child support consistently since before Christmas last year and actually have almost 4K in backpay owed to me
  2. my partner just moved to the country a few months ago and wasn’t able to get work until almost June so he wasn’t earning until then.

I’m just starting to get a foothold again, I’m sometimes getting child support now (they had to garnish wages to get it but I’ve only just started getting those payments. I’m literally meant to get paid today and there’s still no money for disbursement according to the child support portal) I’ve been on half pay at work since July 21st because of my parental leave and I won’t be getting my first government payment till next week (so I can finally catch up on bills) because of how long it took them to process the application.

I don’t know why they have issued this debt or how they expect me to pay it back since they’ve just yanked support I really needed and are telling me to pay back the equivalent of 3 months worth of payments when I’m not even currently getting my full salary let alone additional payments and supports.

What am I meant to do?!

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u/ManicPixiePuckSlut — 12 hours ago

Public dental question (NSW)

I have a health care card from my JobSeeker until Jan 2027. I am currently in a world of pain from my teeth. I can’t eat properly on that side of my mouth (or rather, at all on that side, and not great on the other). I know from a private checkup with an x-ray and a CT a year or two ago that all 4 wisdoms need to go and are sideways. I also had a cavity at the time. I never could afford any work done. I had my throat swell up and it became harder to breathe, but that seemed to resolve itself and hasn’t come back. This was a few days ago.

Am I able to get public dental with a health care card that expires Jan ‘27 and how long is the wait list usually? I flat out am never going to be able to afford private dental and I’ve got defaults on loans so I don’t see a payment plan happening even if I could afford it, which I can’t.

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u/Far_Struggle_8387 — 13 hours ago

Youth Allowance Randomly Dropped

I normally get 444 after tax dedications for my YA. I made $774 for the fortnight reporting period.

My income bank (can someone explain what this is??) is $160.

I randomly got $407 this time even though I made the same income every fortnight. Does anyone know why this might have happened?

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Disability pension reduction plz help

So my mum is on a disability pension,

My brother lives with her,

She has just been billed by Centrelink $2000 for overpayment because they consider my brother's income, therefore reducing her pension.

She can now not afford her rent each week as she has been reduced to $850 roughly per f/n including rent assistance

My brother buys all groceries, pays get car rego and maintenance. Because she can not afford anything else. His work income is also extremely low.

Prior to her pension being reduced, she had maybe $40 left over per f/n after paying rent and utility bills.

People that have worked or work for Centrelink, is there anything she can do here ? She is 63 and will be looking at homelessness if this continues, please give me advice I can pass on to her. Anything helps

Edited: she's 63

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u/katkatkatkat9144 — 2 days ago

Things you learn the more you know.

My partner works as job provider and she showed me this, I thought is that like hoe you get funding from the department and how to choose who is a good nugget before the contract ends with government

Below is a example a job provider would stream you, sadly you cannot request this, stream 1 is lucrative but stream 3 can be a stain they make conessional returns for the ceo's of those job places.

(Yes your job provider can see everything about you)

So my question is should job providers be returned to public funding CES or be bridged inside tafe so it's integrated with Centrelink, tafe, psychology, job providers rather the current stream.

December 2027 to may 2028 is when job provider contracts renew.

CONFIDENTIAL JSCI RECORD: PORTAL VIEW [RESTRICTED ACCESS: EMPLOYMENT SERVICES PROVIDER INTERFACE] ============================================================================== PARTICIPANT: John doe JSID: [123456789] REGISTRATION DATE: 18/06/2026 STREAM LEVEL: [3] ============================================================================== [ AUTOMATED ADMINISTRATIVE METRICS ] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TOTAL CLASSIFICATION SCORE: [ REDACTED - CODES 47D / 47E ] PROVIDER FUNDING CATEGORY: [ HIGH-TIER BARRIER LEVEL ] >> SYSTEM NOTE FOR STAFF: This score determines the baseline commercial service fee payable to the provider. Data models are restricted from individual view to maintain program integrity and prevent profile optimization. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [ ASSESSED ACCOUNT FACTORS ] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The system compiles the numerical score using the following active points tags: * FACTOR 01: RECENCY OF WORK HISTORY ---> [ POINTS RECORDED ] * FACTOR 02: COMPLETED EDUCATION LEVEL ---> [ POINTS RECORDED ] * FACTOR 03: LOCAL LABOR MARKET ACCESS ---> [ POINTS RECORDED ] * FACTOR 04: TRANSPORT AND MOBILITY ---> [ POINTS RECORDED ] * FACTOR 05: UNCODED MEDICAL STATUS BLOCK ---> [ POINTS RECORDED ] ============================================================================== [ SERVICE BARRIER INTERPRETATION ] The individual profile indicates multiple active service adjustments. Status requires ongoing provider administration despite any physical facility restrictions or local branch management

Is this helpful, maybe not but it's the only thing a job seeker is not allowed to see.

So your job provider may bump your points or lower it, but because you cannot see it you cannot determine foul play.

You can request a audit on your job provider.

If your interested hit thumbs up, if not hit thumbs down.

Yes when you study through a job provider they can see everything you did it's confronting, so if you studied every course they would know from previous job providers 20 years ago.

But mental health is hidden, it's lebeled but hidden.

I find it fascinating.

There's even a compliance day how long you've been connected to job provider for that's for part time, casual or Neet.

Don't feel uncomfortable the systems broken from what I've seen.

I don't think my partner will be working there long anyways

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u/freakcun — 1 day ago

What does my partner report?

I’m currently on Parental Payment Partnered and Family Tax Benefit. When I would report, I’d report my partners income from work.
My partner is now on job seeker.
I’m just wanting to double check what he’ll need to report. I’m assuming I’ll need to report his job seeker payment and he’ll report my payment from Centrelink but I’m just wanting to double check.

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u/lilly-bee101 — 1 day ago

Early access to superannuation financial hardship

Hi everyone I had a quick one.
I’ve been on jobseeker for the last two years and have a partner. Recently circumstances have gotten more difficult and I’m considering accessing my super early. It seems that I need to have continuous payments for 26 weeks with no gaps.
I have had no income during this time period for 26 weeks but my partners income reduced my payment to zero a couple of times.
Does partner income reducing to zero impact the ability to access super? If it only your own income reducing your payment to zero that impacts this?

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u/Seenthemoviechef — 2 days ago

Jobseeker to student allowance

Hi,

I've started a degree and applied for student allowance. At the moment, I haven't been applying for jobs and it says my payment is about to go on hold for not meeting requirements. Will this affect my ability to get future payments on jobseeker or whether my student allowance gets approved? Can I still claim the last bit of jobseeker money before it goes on hold? Or should I call or email them and let them know I don't need more payments?

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u/Old_Ad2529 — 2 days ago

Am I considered “financially supported?” Applying for low income health care card and unsure how to answer

I’m a 22yr full time uni student who still lives at home. I do work but unfortunately they have cut everyone’s hours considerably and I’m having trouble finding another job around uni. I’m currently waiting for my youth allowance claim to be decided as well.
Because all of this I still live at home and my parents do pay for groceries and the bills for the house while I pay for all of my meds, appointments, car etc. I don’t pay board atm due to making $150 a week 😩
Obviously I’m getting massive help from them at the moment so would I be considered supported?
I’ve never claimed before and I’m scared of getting a debt lol

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u/compulsivebarbie — 2 days ago

Future job

So I've recently just got a job starting in late January. But will be unemployed and not earning anything until February. How do I work this with Workforce Australia and centrelink? Will I still have to look for work which I understand but I will start worrying in January. Oh I'm so confused.

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u/bearhug72 — 2 days ago
▲ 3 r/Centrelink+1 crossposts

Update study end date -youth allowance for students

When i originally applied for youth allowance, i'm still studying year 11 so i put the end date of year
11. After i received the outcome letter, it said "Your Youth Allowance is based on you studying full time at (my school), Year 11 Secondary Studies/Adult Matric" so i think my course is secondary which includes both year 11 and 12 so i changed my study end date to the end date of year 12. But i'm not sure i did the right things as it said year 11 secondary studies/adult matric but i already updated the end date to year 12 a month ago. And the update still appears that it hasn’t approved yet.

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u/meomeomim — 2 days ago

Random payment?

Heya- I’m 27 and haven’t been on Centrelink for several years. This morning I woke up to a $4k payment for youth allowance and I’m not sure why or where it came from? What’s the best course of action?

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u/sehbear07 — 4 days ago

Is my situation worth taking up with an MP?

This is a bit long-winded so if you think any information is missing in order for it to make sense, let me know please. I've tried my best to cram 3 months of an application into a bit of a highlight reel.

In May of this year, I returned from living overseas for many years, so I decided to apply for Job Seeker while I hunted for a job. My partner came with me on a tourist visa, which we planned on transitioning to a partner visa, however the tourist visa (3 months long) needed to elapse first.

After I applied for Job Seeker, I had to book a time for Centrelink to call me. I thought this call would be finalising my application, however it was the start of a 3 month long wait time for my application to eventually get rejected.

In the call, the service officer checked my details and she was not satisfied with the documents/information I provided and gave me a checklist of about 5 things to do, one of them being to create a Workforce Australia account and punch in my details while my application was being processed. This will be relevant, as it's the reason they refused my application.

From May until July, it was a cycle of me being told to upload a document and call back, I would do so almost instantly as I was unemployed and had a lot of free time, I'd call back and then a different operator would take a look at my application and find something they didn't like, sometimes even opposing what the previous operator telling me (for example, being told my partner didn't need a TFN and then the next time I called, they said she definitely needed a TFN) making me upload or change a document, call back, rinse and repeat for 3 months until I finally got declined.

The reason for my refusal was that I didn't meet my job provider's "job plan". During the whole 3 months, I didn't hear a peep from Workforce Australia. No emails, nothing on MyGov or Centrelink inboxes, in fact my Workforce inbox is empty.

Unsatisfied with this reason, I submitted a complaint and asked to have my application looked at again on the basis that I was never contacted about any sort of "job plan".

I got a call from Centrelink in regards to my complaint, and the guy was saying that I had 28 days to accept a job plan from a job provider. I told him I never received any sort of contact from Workforce Australia in regards to going on a job plan and meeting obligations. The operator practically called me a liar and said that I would have definitely gotten some sort of contact from Workforce and I should have met my expectations. At this point I was fuming. I stood my ground and I told him, I assure you I didn't get anything. I was unemployed and was checking every single app and inbox in my free time waiting for a response. He said that it was my responsibility to chase that up with the job provider and there is nothing they can do once they decline an application.

I was told that in the original phone call appointment I booked in May, I would have been told that I had 28 days to meet my obligations to the job provider, which wasn't the case at all. That call was 99% the operator going through with me how to correctly fix my documents, and then she mentioned that I just needed to create a Workforce account and input my details. Absolutely nothing was mentioned about having 28 days, nor was I contacted about it.

I brought up that if I had 28 days, why was my application cancelled 3 months into it? He told me that don't have to cancel my application by 28 days, so they just had me running around with my thumb in my arse for 3 months just for the fun of it I guess.

At this point, I don't even care about my application, as I found a job a few weeks ago, I would just like something to be done about this. I would like someone in a higher position to hear my situation.

In my eyes, I wasted hours of my life chasing up this application, sitting on hold for 2 to 3 hours every day, Centerlink making me go around a wild goose chase and having me collect and pay for documents of my partner, getting them translated, signed by a JP etc. all while I'm bleeding money from being unemployed and using all of our savings to move back to Australia.

If I wrote up a proper timeline and eliminated the emotional language and sent it off to an MP, would it even be worth it? This post barely scratches the surface of all the shit I had to do to satisfy the operators.

If you read all of this, thank you and I look forward to any constructive responses or personal experiences.

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u/FuIImetaI — 3 days ago

Fao reconciliation debt

I just checked my app and somehow I've been slapped with a debt? I've declared all mine and my partners income this year and I only get $25 pf for family tax

Like how have they worked this out? I need to call them tomorrow so I can figure out how they think ive been overpaid that much when im only on ftb and receiving no other payments from them. I haven't even received a letter saying i owe money

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u/Historical_Phrase848 — 3 days ago

Can i be on jobseeker while finishing my degree?

I was on youth allowance for the allowable time but ran out and since my final units only run in semester two i have been on jobseeker while waiting for the semester to start. Now that it is here, i am worried that i will be incurring a debt for doing something wrong. I am technically studying full time but am meeting my mutual obligations and am not trying to do them in lieu of said obligations. Is this allowed? I see no option to update study details and am worried about calling centrelink.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!

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u/Maudiline — 2 days ago

Phone call appointment

I recently called the 132850 but was on the line waiting for too long, in saying that I booked a phone appointment for the next available date. Is that allowed as I wanted a guaranteed time and didn’t want to wait in the line? I’m just worried since I’m not calling that specific number and it’ll be a private number calling me

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u/Elegant_Gap_6943 — 2 days ago

Question about income estimate for family tax benefits

Hi there, I have recently applied for the family tax benefit however centrelink is asking me for an income estimate, despite the fact that I am not working as I have a three month old baby(who centrelink still hasnt added to my account despite being properly registered) I am on parenting payment single which is my only income and even after having a phone appointment today, it ultimately did not help at all. Edit: how do I go about getting an income estimate on parenting payment single. And what document would I need to fill out to submit to them for it?

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u/Saharahahaaa — 3 days ago
▲ 5 r/Centrelink+1 crossposts

Can I stay on Job Seeker if I’m studying part-time?

Hi everyone, I’m currently receiving JobSeeker through Centrelink.

I was previously on Youth Allowance because I was studying full-time at university. I went on a study break in March 2026 (this current year), and that’s when I started receiving JobSeeker.

My uni course starts again in September 2026, but I’ll only be studying part-time from September 2026 until March 2027 (next year). After March 2027, I’ll return to full-time study. This is how my course is structured.

My question is:

Can I stay on JobSeeker while I’m studying part-time from September 2026 to March 2027.

Then, once I return to full-time study in March 2027 (next year), would I need to switch back to Youth Allowance?

I’d prefer to stay on JobSeeker during the part-time study period because it pays more than Youth Allowance, but I obviously want to make sure I’m following Centrelink’s rules.

Has anyone been in a similar situation or knows how Centrelink handles this?

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u/Content-Map-3551 — 3 days ago