Yahoo Finance All the Centrelink changes taking effect today
It’s the new financial year and those on Centrelink and welfare payments are in for some major changes.
To make things easier, here’s everything you need to know about your government payments.
If you’re a job seeker…
Job seekers must get 100 points in the month to qualify for JobSeeker payments under the new system.
Here’s how the points will work:
Tasks and activities | Points value (1) |
Relocation for a job | 100 points |
Self-Employment Assistance Small Business Training | 25 points per week |
Launch into Work (2) | 25 points per week |
PaTH Internship | 25 points per week |
National Work Experience Program (2) | 25 points per week |
Local Jobs ProgramWorkforce Specialist Projects | 25 points per week (high-intensity level)20 points per week (medium-intensity level)15 points per week (low-intensity level) |
Self-Employment Assistance Exploring Self-Employment workshop | 20 points per week |
Career Transition Assistance | 15 points per week |
Employability Skills Training | 20 points per week (full-time)15 points per week (part-time) |
Work for the Dole (2) | 20 points per week (full-time)15 points per week (part-time) |
Observational work experience (2)Provider sourced voluntary work (2) | 20 points per week (full-time)15 points per week (part-time) |
Education and training | 20 points per week (full-time)15 points per week (part-time) |
Adult Migrant English Program | 20 points per week (full-time)15 points per week (part-time) |
Skills for Education and Employment | 20 points per week |
Starting a job | 20 points |
Attending a job interview | 20 points |
Attending a job fair | 20 points (points can be claimed for one job fair per year) |
Career coaching (3) | 20 points |
Driver’s licence attainment (2) | 20 points |
Work related licences and qualifications(For example, forklift licence/white card) | 15 points |
Defence Force Reserves | 10 points (based on minimum of one weekend per month) |
Provider workshops (2)(For example, work preparation activities/job clubs) | 10 points |
Counselling (2) | 10 points |
Drug and alcohol rehabilitation (2) | 10 points |
Self help and support groups (2) | 10 points |
Non-vocational interventions (2)(Cultural services, personal development courses) | 10 points |
Completing a job application (job search) | 5 points |
Driver’s licence hours | 5 points for 5 hours |
Online learning modules | 5 points (maximum of 5 points per month) |
Creating and updating the profile | 5 points (maximum of 5 points per month) |
Paid work | 5 points for 5 hours (rounded up) |
Participant sourced voluntary work(For example, fire reserves, school canteen) | 5 points for 5 hours (maximum of 10 points per month) |
If you’re a parent…
More than 1.4 million Aussie parents will see a cash boost after the Government announced an increase to family payments to ease cost-of-living pressures.
Family Tax Benefit Part A will increase by up to $204.40 per year for families with a child under 13 years, and $255.50 per year for those with a child 13 years and over.
Similarly, Family Tax Benefit Part B will increase by up to $164.25 per year for families who have a youngest child under five, and $116.80 per year for those whose youngest child is aged five to 18.
Those who receive other family payments, such as Multiple Birth Allowance and Newborn Supplement, will also receive an increase.
If you’re a pensioner…
Around 1 million pensioners will benefit from increases in means-test-free areas, limits and deeming thresholds.
The amount of income or assets an Age Pension, Disability Support Pension or Carer Payment recipient can have before their payment is affected will increase.
When your assets are more than the limit for your situation, your pension will reduce.
If you’re a member of a couple, the limit is for both you and your partner’s assets combined, not each of you.
Your situation | Homeowner | Non-homeowner |
Single | $280,000 | $504,500 |
A couple, combined | $419,000 | $643,500 |
A couple, separated due to illness, combined | $419,000 | $643,500 |
A couple, one partner eligible, combined | $419,000 | $643,500 |
If you need to repay a debt…
Centrelink recipients who live in a local government area (LGA) that was impacted by the COVID-19 lockdowns will need to start repaying debts.
Back in January, Services Australia advised that the temporary pause on Centrelink debts had been lifted and letters would be sent to those who owed money.
The debt pause was in place for LGAs in New South Wales, Victoria, South-East Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory.
Those who received a letter on or before April 30 will need to start repaying the debt from today.
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