The results from this service are indicative only and are not a guarantee of payments.
Based on the information you provide the service will suggest payments for you to explore further. If any information you provide is incorrect, the payments displayed could also be incorrect. Changes to policy, the law, your circumstances and future events may mean that the payment you actually receive differs from the results provided
For a wide range of reasons the results generated by the service may not be accurate in particular cases, for example, the service does not take into account:
The Australian Government:
What you will need
What information you will need to provide to use this service
Service Finder Help
The Service Finder is a way for you to learn more about government and community organisation support in your state or territory.
First, tell us what state or territory you live in.
Next choose the category of information you need. You can select 1 or more options.
When you select a category it will turn a darker colour. Don't want that option? Simply click the option again to deselect it. If you are using a keyboard, you can tab through the buttons; press enter, to select, press enter again, to deselect. Select Done once finished.
When you have finished, select the Find Services button to get your results.
Australian resident
An Australian resident is a person who is living in Australia and is either:
Australia includes the Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands, the Territory of Christmas Island, Norfolk Island and Lord Howe Island.
You cannot claim an Australian payment unless you are residing in Australia or in an agreement country. If you live in a country that has an international social security agreement with Australia, the agreement may assist you to claim Australian payments that are covered by the agreement.
Non-Protected Special Category visa (SCV) holder
A Special Category visa (SCV) is issued to New Zealand citizens who arrive in Australia on their New Zealand passport. New Zealand citizens who arrived in Australia after 26 February 2001 are generally non-protected SCV holders. Therefore, they do not meet the above definition of an Australian resident. To qualify for most payments, you must satisfy residence requirements. Usually, this means you must be an Australian resident.
Protected Special Category visa (SCV) holder
Protected SCV holders are those who arrived in Australia on a New Zealand passport and were:
From 1 July 2016, protected SCV holder rules apply to Norfolk Island. New Zealand citizens who were present on Norfolk Island on 26 February 2001 or in Australia including Norfolk Island, for 12 months in the 2 years immediately before this date are protected SCV holders.
If you have a partner, we generally consider you a member of a couple. Under social security and family assistance law, we consider you a member of a couple if you're either:
We may still consider you a member of a couple if you are not physically living with your partner. For example, your partner may fly-in fly-out or live away for work, like military or oil rig workers. For more information, go to Your relationship status - Services Australia.
Accommodation is the term used to describe your living arrangements. The types of accommodation to choose from are:
To be considered dependent, a child must be:
The dependent child may have been adopted or placed into another person’s care. The child may have died or been stillborn.
A Principal Carer is a person who provides ongoing daily care for a dependent child or children under sixteen years either solely or for the majority of the time, in order to qualify for relevant social welfare payments, supplementary payments or concession cards. Under Social Security and family assistance law, only one parent or guardian may be the Principal Carer.
A disability or medical condition is a physical, intellectual or psychiatric impairment. It also means you are unable to work or be retrained for work, for 15 hours or more per week.
A carer provides daily care for someone who has a severe disability, medical condition or who is frail aged
Natural Disaster
You may be considered as adversely affected by a major disaster if:
In certain circumstances a professional assessment by a Centrelink Social Worker is also needed.
Help In a Crisis
Financial hardship
Unable to remain at home
In certain circumstances a professional assessment by a Centrelink Social Worker is also needed.
Family and domestic violence
Family and domestic violence is conduct that is violent, threatening, coercive or controlling, or intended to cause the family or household member to be fearful.
It can include:
People from all walks of life can be affected, no matter their age or gender. It can occur in all types of relationships including:
People affected by family and domestic violence may live in fear for themselves and their family, even when they have left an abusive relationship.
For more information, visit our website servicesaustralia.gov.au/enough
Isolated can mean someone who lives far away from other people, places and services or someone isolated by a disability, medical condition or special needs which prevents them from travelling or attending services. Isolated students are students who do not have daily access to an appropriate state school. This may be because of distance or because of the student’s special needs.
RuralIn general, a rural area or countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities.
FarmerA farmer means an individual who has a right or interest in land; and uses the land wholly or mainly for the purposes of a farm enterprise.
Relocation ScholarshipCheck to see if your family home qualifies as inner regional, outer regional, remote or very remote using the Student Regional Area Search service.
You must also be a dependent full time student who needs to move away from home to study, or independent student who is disadvantaged by personal circumstances. Other eligibility criteria will also apply.
An Income Support Payment is a pension or benefit, like Youth Allowance, JobSeeker Payment or Age Pension, paid by Services Australia or the Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA). Income Support Payments do not include family assistance payments such as Family Tax Benefit Part A, Family Tax Benefit Part B, Carer Allowance, Child Care Benefit or Child Care Rebate.
Income Support Payment may include the following:
Social Security Benefits:
Social Security Pensions:
DVA Service Pensions:
Education Support Payment:
Other DVA Income Support Payments:
The income we use to work out your payment rate. If you have a partner, we take both of your incomes into account.
Income is
Income includes
Assets include property and items you or your partner own or have an interest in, including assets held outside Australia, can affect your payment.
We take most of your assets into account when calculating your payment. The value of your assets is what you would get for them if you sold them at market value.
Generally, we deduct any debt secured against a particular asset from the value of that asset.
Asset types:
Last Updated 07 December 2019