What is Centrelink?

Centrelink is the name most Australians use for the part of Services Australia that delivers social security payments and services. It looks after support for people who are looking for work, studying, raising children, caring for someone, living with a disability or reaching retirement age.

People search for "Centrelink payment" for very different reasons. Some want to know how much a payment is worth right now, others are trying to work out when the next payment will land, and others have seen a headline about a one-off bonus and want to know if it's real. Before you look for a figure or a date, it helps to be clear about which payment you actually mean.

The main types of Centrelink payments

Centrelink manages several families of payments. Each one has its own eligibility rules, income and assets tests, and rate:

• JobSeeker Payment – for people aged 22 to Age Pension age who are looking for work or temporarily unable to work.
• Youth Allowance and Austudy – for young people, students and Australian Apprentices.
• Parenting Payment – for the main carer of a young child.
• Age Pension – for older Australians who meet the age and residency rules.
• Disability Support Pension – for people with a permanent condition that stops them from working.
• Carer Payment and Carer Allowance – for people who provide daily care.
• Family Tax Benefit and Rent Assistance – extra help that can be added on top of a main payment.

Why payment amounts change during the year

Most Centrelink payments are indexed twice a year, on 20 March and 20 September. Indexation adjusts rates in line with the cost of living, so the amount you receive can go up even if nothing in your own situation has changed. The most recent increase took effect from 20 September 2026 and applied to payments such as the Age Pension, JobSeeker, Parenting Payment, Youth Allowance and Rent Assistance.

Keep in mind that the figures you see in the news are usually maximum rates. Your actual payment can be lower because of your income, assets, relationship status, living arrangements or the number of children in your care.

How Centrelink payments are paid

Most Centrelink income support is paid every fortnight into your bank account. Your payment day is based on your individual reporting cycle, so two people on the same payment can be paid on different days. If you need to report income, you usually do it before your payment is processed, and late reporting can delay the money.

Around public holidays such as Christmas and Easter, payment dates can move earlier. Services Australia normally publishes those changes in advance, and your myGov inbox will show your own dates.

Where to check your own payment

General guides like this one explain how payments work, but only your own record shows your exact amount. You can check it in a few ways:

• Your Centrelink online account through myGov.
• The Express Plus Centrelink mobile app.
• Letters and statements in your myGov inbox.
• Calling or visiting Services Australia directly.

Watch out for misleading posts and scams

Headlines about "new bonuses" and "extra payments" spread quickly on social media. Many of them are old news, exaggerated or simply false, and some are designed to get you to click a link and enter your details. Genuine one-off payments are announced by the government and paid automatically to eligible people — you don't need to pay a fee or sign up on an unofficial website to receive them.

Never share your myGov password, your Centrelink Customer Reference Number or verification codes with anyone who contacts you unexpectedly.

Choose what you'd like to check

Use the buttons at the top of this page to go straight to the guide you need: current payment amounts, the truth about the $750 payment, or what people typically receive each fortnight.

Gezko is an independent information website. We are not Centrelink, Services Australia or any government agency, and we do not process claims or payments. Rates and rules can change — always confirm your own details through your myGov account, the Express Plus Centrelink app or the official Services Australia website.