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• What Residence Requirements does Disability Support Pension have?

What Residence Requirements does Disability Support Pension have?

To lodge a claim and qualify for Disability Support Pension, you must be:

• in Australia on the day you lodge your claim, and
• an Australian resident - this means you are living in Australia on a permanent basis and you are either:
  • an Australian citizen, or
  • the holder of a permanent resident visa, or
  • the holder of a Special Category Visa - someone who arrived on a NZ passport and who is not affected by the changes to residence requirements (see below), AND
• have lived in Australia for long enough to satisfy qualifying residence periods or the newly arrived resident's waiting period (whichever applies to the payment being claimed). Please Note: there are some exemptions.

There is no period of residence required if the inability to work or blindness occurs while the person is an Australian resident. If the inability to work occurs outside Australia (other than during a temporary absence) residence requirements are the same as those for Age Pension.

Residence requirements may differ if you are able to claim this payment under Australia's International Social Security Agreements.

Please Note: Changes to the Australian residence requirements MAY affect New Zealand citizens claiming payments in Australia. Current customers are NOT affected by this change, although a very small number of customers who are living outside Australia MAY be affected if they lose payment for some reason and later wish to reclaim.