Who can get Special Benefit?
You may get Special Benefit if you:
- are in severe financial hardship, and
- are not able to earn enough income for yourself and your dependants because of age, physical or mental disability or domestic circumstances, or for any other reason over which you have no control, and
- are not able to receive any other payment from Centrelink, and
- have been in Australia for a certain amount of time.
Some examples of when you might be able to get Special Benefit are:
- if you can’t get another payment from Centrelink because you are too young or too old or because you haven’t lived in Australia long enough, or
- you are caring for a sick or disabled person and do not qualify for Carer Payment, and
- you have suffered a substantial change in circumstances beyond your control during the two year newly arrived residents waiting period.
Please Note: Not being able to find or keep a job is not considered a change of circumstances.
For more information, go to Factors Affecting Payments and Eligibility.
