Payments
Residence requirements
To lodge a claim and qualify for Special Benefit, you must be an Australian resident and in Australia on the day you lodge your claim.
To qualify you must be living in Australia permanently as:
- an Australian citizen, or
- the holder of a permanent resident visa, or
- a New Zealand citizen who was in Australia on 26 February 2001, or for 12 months in the 2 years immediately before that date, or was assessed as 'protected' before 26 February 2004, or
- the holder of a certain temporary visa, for example a partner provisional or temporary humanitarian visa.
You also need to meet a 104-week newly arrived resident's waiting period or be exempt from this requirement, for example if you are a refugee or the partner of an Australian citizen, or if you have suffered a substantial change in your circumstances beyond your control since becoming an Australia resident.
Note: Not being able to find or keep a job is not a substantial change in your circumstances for Special Benefit.
More information
- Changes which affect New Zealand citizens claiming payments in Australia
- Newly arrived resident's waiting period
- Special Benefit section
On the Department of Immigration and Citizenship website