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Steps to claim an Australian payment
Complete the following steps to claim Australian payments when you’re in Australia. Before you start, check if you can get a payment.
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1. Get ready to claim
The easiest way to claim is online.
To claim online, you need a Centrelink online account linked to myGov. If you don’t have a myGov account or a Centrelink online account you’ll need to set them up.
You’ll need to get some supporting documents ready to help answer some of the questions in the claim.
You may need to prove your identity with us before you start your claim. If you have a partner, they may also need to prove their identity.
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2. Make your claim
If you can claim online
If your Centrelink online account is linked to myGov, sign in and select Make a claim or view claim status to make a claim.
If you can’t claim online
If you can’t claim online, talk to us. Our staff will ask you some questions and help you with your claim. You can either:
- go to a service centre
- call us on the payment line you’re claiming for.
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3. Track your claim
After you submit your claim online, you’ll get a receipt telling you all of the following:
- the ID number of your claim
- an estimated completion date
- 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.
You can also use the Express Plus Centrelink mobile app.
We’ll let you know the result of your application. We’ll send a message 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.
If you think we’ve made a mistake you can ask us to review our decision.
Claim a payment from another country
If you’re in Australia, you can claim a payment from another country.
You can claim by either:
- calling the International services line
- calling the social security authorities in that country
- visiting a service centre.