Retrenchments and redundancies
Are you facing retrenchment or a redundancy? We encourage you to contact us straight away.
Centrelink can help you and your family through this difficult time by offering income support assistance and access to employment services, social workers and the Financial Information Service.
Income support
There are payments available to help you when you do not have an income that you can live off including Newstart Allowance if you are unemployed, and the Age Pension for older Australians.
We will help you work out what you might be eligible for. You can also tell us if you would like to register your intent to claim a Centrelink payment.
We will ask you some questions about your situation, including:
- whether you have been made redundant or have left your job voluntarily
- details of any payouts you received when your job ended
- details of family circumstances, such as partners or dependants
- details of any savings or assets you might have.
- what you will need to do next and what documents you will need to provide.
You may also need to visit a Centrelink Customer Service Centre to provide documents to finalise your claim. This may include proof of identity and financial documents.
Once your claim is assessed we will send you a letter telling you if you are eligible for a payment, when your payment will start and how much you will get.
Leave or redundancy payments received upon termination of employment are likely to affect Centrelink payments.
An Income Maintenance Period may apply. All leave and redundancy payments are treated as income for a period equal to the length of time the leave was paid. (An exception is if some of the payment is rolled directly into superannuation under the Transitional Employer Termination Payment provisions, which may apply in limited circumstances.)
However, please do not hold off on lodging a claim.
We can also refer you to a local employment service provider if necessary.
Contact us on 13 2850.
Other support
Centrelink's Financial Information Service (FIS) helps people make informed decisions about investment and financial issues for their current and future financial needs. Call 13 2300 and ask to speak to a FIS Officer. If your employer is retrenching staff, they can call the Centrelink Business Hotline to arrange for a retrenchment seminar to be held at your workplace.
Centrelink’s social workers offer counselling, support, and information about community services. Call 13 1794.
You may also be eligible for Concession and Health Care Cards and Rent Assistance.
Publications
- Centrelink - the basics booklet
- Did you receive a leave or redundancy payment? factsheet
- Financial Information Service factsheet
- Have you recently lost your job?
- Looking for work? booklet
- Retrenched or leaving your job? factsheet