How to claim

A social worker will assess your claim. You must contact us within 7 days of your living arrangements changing after a family and domestic violence incident. This includes intending to change your address.

It’s important to protect yourself when you’re claiming Crisis Payment. This means you may need to change your details or nominee arrangements before you start your claim.

Steps to claim a Crisis Payment for extreme circumstances family and domestic violence

1.  

   1. Get ready to claim

   As part of the claim process, you have to speak with a social worker. They will ask you for both:

   • evidence of the extreme circumstance
   • permission to contact someone else who can confirm your circumstances.

   The easiest way to claim is online. To do this, you’ll need a Centrelink online account linked to myGov. If you have a nominee they can claim online for you, but they’ll need to have their own myGov account.

   If you don’t have a myGov account or a Centrelink online account you’ll need to set them up.

   You can also prepare supporting documents before you claim.

2.  

   2. Make your claim

   If you can claim online

   If your Centrelink account is linked to myGov you can claim online.

   To do this:

   1. Sign in to myGov and go to Centrelink.
   2. Select Payments and Claims from the menu, then Claims, then Make a claim.
   3. Select Crisis Payments.
   4. Select Apply for Crisis Payment for Extreme Circumstances.
   5. Answer all the questions
   6. Submit your claim.

   We’ll ask you to give us documents to support your claim. We can also confirm your circumstances with someone else if you give us permission to contact them.

   Sign in to myGov

   If you can't claim online

   If you can’t claim online, you can either:

   • call us on your regular payment line
   • visit a service centre.
3.  

   3. Speak with a social worker

   After you submit your claim, a social worker will assess the claim. They’ll need to speak with you to complete this assessment. The claim can’t progress if the social worker can’t contact you.

4.  

   4. Track your claim

   After you submit your claim online, you’ll get a receipt telling you:

   • the ID number of your claim
   • the date we estimate your claim will be complete
   • a link to track its progress.

   To track the progress of your application online, sign in to myGov and select Make a claim or view claim status.

   Sign in to myGov

   You can also use the Express Plus Centrelink mobile app.

   We’ll let you know the result of your claim. We'll send a letter to your myGov Inbox. If you don’t get electronic letters, we’ll send you a letter in the mail.

   If we need more details we’ll ask you for them.

   You have the right to appeal our decision. Read about reviews and appeals.