Entitlements to financial support (COVID-19)
Coronavirus (COVID-19) and changes to your payments and services. If you’re in one of the following groups, check if there’s a change for you:
- JobSeekers
- People with disability
- Carers
- Older Australians
- Student and trainees
- Families and separated parents
- People who don’t get a payment from us.
You can report your income in any of the following ways:
- using your Centrelink online account through myGov
- using the Express Plus Centrelink mobile app
- calling the Income reporting line for phone self service.
If there are changes to your circumstances, you can update by using any of the following:
- your Centrelink online account through myGov
- Centrelink phone self service.
If you don’t have access to a self-service option please call the Centrelink Indigenous Call Centre.
Economic Support Payment
If you’re living in Australia and get an eligible payment between 12 March 2020 and 13 April 2020, you’ll receive $750 one off Economic Support Payment. You don’t need to do anything; you’ll be paid automatically. You’ll get the money from 31 March with most getting it by 17 April 2020.
Eligible payments include:
- Age Pension
- Disability Support Pension
- Carer Payment
- Carer Allowance
- Parenting Payment
- Wife Pension
- Widow B Pension
- ABSTUDY (Living Allowance)
- Austudy
- Bereavement Allowance
- Newstart Allowance
- Youth Allowance
- Partner Allowance
- Sickness Allowance
- Special Benefit
- Widow Allowance
- Farm Household Allowance
- Family Tax Benefit A
- Family Tax Benefit B
- Double Orphan Pension.
You’ll also get the payment if you have 1 of the following concession cards:
- Pensioner Concession Card
- Commonwealth Seniors Health Card
- Veteran Gold Card.
You’ll also get the payment if you get 1 of the following Department of Veterans’ Affairs payments:
- Veteran Service Pension
- Veteran Income Support Supplement
- Veteran Compensation payments, including lump sum payments
- War Widow(er) Pension.
You’ll only get 1 payment, even if you get more than 1 qualifying payment or card.
Second Economic Support Payment
If you’re not eligible for the Coronavirus Supplement you may get a second $750 Economic Support Payment paid from 13 July 2020. You may get it if you were eligible on 10 July 2020 for any payments or concession cards that were eligible for the first Economic Support Payment. You won’t get this payment if you’re getting the Coronavirus Supplement.
Coronavirus Supplement
The temporary Coronavirus Supplement will be a fortnightly payment if you’re getting an income support payment. The supplement will be an extra $550 a fortnight on top of your normal payment rate. You don’t need to do anything. You’ll be paid automatically from 27 April 2020 and will continue to be paid each fortnight if you’re eligible for up to 6 months.
You’ll automatically get the supplement if you’re getting one of these payments:
- JobSeeker Payment
- Youth Allowance for job seekers
- Youth Allowance for students
- Austudy for students
- ABSTUDY for students
- Parenting Payment
- Farm Household Allowance
- Special Benefit.
Eligibility for JobSeeker Payment and Youth Allowance for job seekers will be temporarily expand
You’ll have access if you’re:
- a permanent employee who has been stood down or lost your job
- a sole trader, self-employed, a casual or contract worker whose income has reduced
- caring for someone who’s affected by coronavirus.
Beware of scams
You won’t be asked for your bank account or contact details. Find out how to tell the difference between scams and genuine contact.
Information source: https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/subjects/affected-coronavirus-covid-19