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During their time in prison, our customers may need help to apply for payments and services and update their details with us.
Set up a nominee
Our customer may set up a nominee to complete their Centrelink, Medicare and child support business on their behalf when they have entered prison.
Centrelink nominee
They may want to nominate someone or an organisation to act on their behalf with Centrelink while they’re in prison, this is called a nominee arrangement. Use the Authorising a person or organisation to enquire or act on your behalf form.
Medicare representative
To nominate a person or organisation to act on their behalf with Medicare while they’re in prison, use the Authorisation to act on an incapacitated person’s behalf for Medicare purposes form.
Child support representative
They can authorise a person or organisation to enquire or act on their behalf for child support while they’re in prison, use the Representative authority form.
Claim a payment
Some people who are incarcerated may be eligible for payments while they’re in prison.
ABSTUDY
ABSTUDY Lawful Custody Allowance is for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians who are in custody and studying or training. The allowance can help with essential course costs.
Family Tax Benefit
If they have children in their care while they’re in prison, they might be able to continue to get Family Assistance to help them. They can contact us on the dedicated prison phone line.
Disability Support Pension
If they’re in psychiatric confinement and meet certain conditions, they might be able to get Disability Support Pension (DSP).
They should read the rules for getting DSP before claiming.
They’ll need to complete the Customer in psychiatric confinement form.
To support their claim for DSP they may need to also complete a Consent to disclose medical information form. This confirms a customer’s consent for their health provider to disclose their medical information to us.
Child support arrangements
If they pay or receive child support, they’ll need to confirm they’ve entered prison to avoid getting a debt.
They can call the Child Support phone line.
To ensure their child support assessment is up to date and based on their current circumstances, they may need your help to submit extra forms:
- Representative authority form
- Income declaration form
- Application for fixed annual rate not to be used form
- Application to reduce minimum assessment to nil form
- Estimate of income for use in Child Support Assessment form.
Update details with Medicare
They can call us on the dedicated prison phone line to:
- get their Medicare number
- update their Medicare information.
If they need a new Medicare card, they might need help to submit one of these forms: