Centrelink is a Federal Government Statutory Agency which provides financial support to families and individuals to assist them to maintain independence. Centrelink provides payments and services on behalf of other government departments.

Most commonly clients of Huntington's Victoria will have contact with:

• Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs
• Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations.

Centrelink staff have their own area of expertise so it is important that when you have a question about your entitlements that you speak with someone who has relevant knowledge.

It can also be beneficial to book an appointment to see the Centrelink Social Worker or Disability Officer. They can be a useful resource in navigating the system as they can do a lot of the groundwork for you.

Handy Tip 1

If possible plan ahead and book an appointment to see a Centrelink Social Worker or Disability Officer before visiting Centrelink. If you cannot get to your local Centrelink, you can contact Social Work Services on 13 1794.Find your nearest Centrelink office.

Handy Tip 2

If you are receiving a payment from Centrelink, and have a Health Care Card (HCC) then you may also be eligible for other benefits such as the Companion Card, Multi Purpose Taxi Card or the Medical Cooling Concession or other utility concessions.

Handy Tip 3

Take a support person with you when you visit Centrelink. This could be a friend, family member, or professional (e.g. social worker, case worker) but make sure it is someone you trust. They can help you to navigate the system and be another set of ears to take in the information

Centrelink Payments

You may be eligible for a number of Centrelink payments. This section will direct you to information and up to date forms from the Centrelink website. Centrelink often require multiple forms to be completed when applying for different benefits and it is hard to keep track of which forms are needed.

Click on the heading below to redirect you to the relevant Centrelink webpage.

• Disability Support Pension
• Carer Payment & Carer Allowance
• Pharmaceutical Allowance
• Mobility Allowance
• Rent Assistance

If you are eligible for one payment you do not automatically qualify for other benefits. Centrelink will assess your eligibility for each of the above payments separately. For example if you are eligible for the disability support pension (DSP) you will still need to apply for rent assistance, Pharmaceutical Allowance and Mobility Allowance as these are assessed on an individual basis.

Living separately and Apart

If you are receiving a Centrelink benefit, it is likely that your payment was income and asset tested. If you are married or in a de facto relationship you would have also been assessed as a member of a couple. However in some circumstances partners or de facto partners are not treated as members of a couple for qualification or income and assets test purposes.This can occur when a relationship ceased as a result of ill health.

This can occur when a relationship ceased as a result of ill health.

If you think this may be relevant to you contact either your local Centrelink Social Worker, National Welfare Rights Network (NWRN)

Centrelink and Privacy

Centrelink have very strict privacy laws and will only speak directly to the individual. These means that even if you have been appointed guardianship, enduring power of attorney or are a health professional you cannot enquire or act on behalf of someone else.

Should you wish to do so you will need to complete the following form Authorising someone to speak to Centrelink on your behalf.

Centrelink Generated Letters

It is not unusual to receive letters from Centrelink every so often. These letters may request a review of your circumstance. Some people find these letters upsetting and frustrating particularly if the information Centrelink is requesting is no longer relevant to your current circumstances. Please do not disregard these letters as they may affect your pension or carers allowance.

If you require help in responding to these letters please contact your local Centrelink Social Worker. Alternatively contact Huntington's Victoria for further guidance or support.

Who to contact for help

After speaking with the Centrelink social worker or disability officer if there are still some things that you are unsure about then it may be useful to contact the National Welfare Rights Network (NWRN)

The NWRN is a network of community legal centres throughout Australia which specialise in Social Security law and its administration by Centrelink.

Huntington's Victoria

If you require further support please contact Huntington's Victoria. We will try to assist you with your query, however due to Centrelink's strict privacy law we are unable to contact them on your behalf.

Contact Us for more information or Ask Us a Question