How Do I Register As A Carer With Centrelink

Due to coronavirus, the Government has expanded the Jobseeker and Youth Allowance for jobseekers criteria meaning more people are now eligible.

From April 27, y'all'll be eligible if yous're:

A permanent employee who has been stood downwards or sacked
A sole trader, cocky-employed, casual worker or contract worker who now earns less than $1,075 a fortnight as a result of the economic downturn
You're caring for someone who has COVID-nineteen

The Jobseeker and Youth Assart payments are tapered, meaning if yous earn $0 for the fortnight you'll get the full welfare payment, merely if you lot still have some income (merely remain below the income threshold) yous will receive a portion of the payment.

Merely even if you're merely eligible for a tiny Jobseeker or Youth Allowance payment, you lot will receive the full $550 a fortnight Coronavirus Supplement.

It is an additional top-up payment for people on welfare, which effectively doubles the full Jobseeker (formerly known as Newstart) assart.

The Government initially announced people receiving the following payments would automatically get the supplement:

JobSeeker Payment
Youth Allowance for job seekers
Parenting Payment
Farm Household Allowance
Special Benefit

Only later added these payments to the listing:

Youth Allowance for students
Austudy for students
ABSTUDY for students

The Coronavirus Supplement will exist automatically added to your welfare payment for six months from Apr 27.

Who gets the $750 Economical Support Payments?

There'southward a long list of people who will receive the $750 Economic Back up Payment, which includes carers, parents and veterans.

You don't need to apply for this payment; information technology volition automatically exist paid to eligible recipients.

Eligible recipients include anyone already receiving Centrelink payments and those new to Centrelink who utilize past April thirteen.

Those who aren't eligible for the Coronavirus Supplement, such as inability or historic period pensioners, may likewise go a second Economic Back up Payment to exist paid around July.

And so, if yous already receive Centrelink — please stop calling

Services Australia general manager Hank Jongen said existing customers had contributed to some of the "unprecedented" demand.

"Current customers who have been concerned nigh when they receive the first stimulus payment take actually been also clogging up our queues and our phone lines," he said.

"If you are eligible … yous will automatically receive the kickoff $750 stimulus payment. The payments will be made from March 31 through to Apr 17. Y'all don't demand to contact united states of america. Information technology's automatic."

Play Video. Duration: 1 minute 29 seconds — Australians told to hold off accessing Centrelink unless necessary to ease demand

If my partner even so has a job, am I eligible for Centrelink?

We've received a lot of questions on this 1.

The original dominion was if you lost your job and your partner earned more than than $ane,850 a fortnight ($48,100 a year), y'all would non be eligible for the Jobseeker Payment.

But on March 30, the Government announced that would change.

They increased the partner income threshold to $79,762, significant anyone whose partner earns less than that will be eligible for a Jobseeker Payment.

A man wearing a headphone sits at a desk working, with a toddler crying and holding the desk next to him. — If your partner has kept their task during the coronavirus pandemic, information technology will touch on your Centrelink application.( Facebook: Anna )

What about my avails?

Centrelink will now waive asset testing, except for those on the Farm Household Allowance and Special Benefit payments.

Only income testing will still apply.

And you cannot admission Centrelink payments at the same time every bit receiving almanac leave, sick leave or income protection insurance.

How do I contact Centrelink?

The message from Centrelink is articulate: do not get into service centres in person unless y'all absolutely have to.

The best pick for everyone's health and safety is to do everything online, or over the telephone.

They have even inverse the rules so you lot can now:

Prove your identity over the phone (this was previously the main reason new applicants were forced to nourish service centres in person)
Social club an intent to claim online through MyGov

There have been many reports of the website not working at all, people being kept on hold on the telephone for hours only to be disconnected and other frustrating experiences as the arrangement buckles nether pressure.

But Mr Jongen said the agency was trying to arrange apace.

"Only a affair of hours agone, we released a new intent to claim capability online," he said.

Mr Jongen said many first-time Centrelink applicants would already accept a MyGov account if they lodge their tax returns online or deal with Medicare.

"If you have a MyGov account you just log in and you will see a button that says 'Have you been affected by coronavirus? Exercise you wish to claim a payment?'" he said.

"You lot click on that and it will register your intent to merits with us, and we will then contact you to steer you through the procedure."

Will payments be backdated?

All payments volition be backdated to the time you register your intent to claim.

And anyone registering their intent to claim now will exist backdated to Monday.

"We've recognised that some people have been trying for ii days to get through, so it is backdated to Mon," Mr Jongen said.

Play Video. Duration: 20 minutes — The Virus

Posted 25 Mar 2020 Wed 25 Mar 2020 at 2:58am, updated 31 Mar 2020 Tue 31 Mar 2020 at 3:53am