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Tell us within 14 days
You need to tell us about any changes to your circumstances within 14 days. This includes changes to your dependent child and partner’s circumstances.
If your Centrelink online account is linked to myGov you can tell us about changes to your circumstances online.
You can also tell us using either:
Read more about what you can do using self service.
If you don’t have access to a self service option please call the youth and students line.
If you don’t tell us, it may affect your payment. You may need to pay back money we’ve paid you. If you’re dishonest in order to get a payment, you are committing welfare fraud. Read more about how to avoid committing fraud.
It’s important you tell us about any changes. Here are some examples.
Study
Tell us if any of these things happen. You:
- don’t stay enrolled in your course
- stop studying and don’t plan to return to study
- stop being a full time Australian Apprentice
- don’t start your course within 2 weeks of the course start date
- change your course
- start studying at a different institution
- reduce your study or training workload
- are no longer getting a STARTUP-HELP loan for your Startup Year course.
Employment
Tell us if any of these things happen. You:
- change your work hours, start or stop work
- change jobs
- change your income or assets
- get income from outside Australia
- get compensation, leave or redundancy payments
- start or stop getting other financial help to complete your course or apprenticeship.
What a nil rate payment period is
You enter a nil rate payment period when you report employment income and if both apply:
- your Income Bank credit balance is zero
- your maximum income before your payment reduces to $0 is reached.
You can have up to 12 fortnights in a row of $0 payment before we’ll suspend or cancel your payment.
Your total income includes:
- your income
- your partner’s income
- your combined income.
If we pay you at least $1 before the end of the 12 fortnights, we won’t suspend or cancel your payment.
You must continue to report your income fortnightly to us so we can apply the nil rate payment period. If you have a partner, this applies to their income as well.
We’ll automatically restart your payments if the total income reported is both:
- below the maximum income before your payment reduces to $0
- within the nil rate payment period.
You won’t need to submit a new claim or serve any waiting periods.
If you’re getting a supplementary benefit or hold a concession card, these won’t be affected in a nil rate payment period.
To learn more about how your income affects your payment, read about the income tests for Austudy.
You can find more information on Income Bank.
Personal
Tell us if any of these things happen:
- you change or correct your name
- you change your address or contact details
- you sell your principal home
- you’re sick or injured and can’t continue your study
- you start or stop getting a pension, benefit or allowance
- you move into or out of long term care, like a nursing home or hostel
- you’re in lawful custody
- you marry or start living with your partner
- you separate from your partner.
If you get Rent Assistance, you must also tell us if any of these things happen. You:
- stop paying rent, or the amount of rent you pay changes
- start or stop sharing accommodation
- start paying rent to a state, territory or Commonwealth Housing Authority
- move in with your parent or guardian.
Changing or correcting your name
It’s important to tell us if you change your legal name.
Child
Tell us if any of these things happen:
- you have a child or take care of a child who is 16 years of age or younger
- your dependent child who is 16 or younger leaves home, or gets a pension, benefit or allowance
- your dependent child is in custody on remand, in a psychiatric institution or in prison
- your dependent child or immediate family member dies.
Partner
Tell us if your partner does any of these things. They:
- start or stop working
- have a change of income or assets
- get ABSTUDY, a pension, benefit or allowance
- die.