Getting a payment

When your employment ends

A job can end in a few different ways:

• retrenchment
• redundancy
• dismissal
• resignation.

Depending on your role, you may have different rights and obligations, including your:

• notice period
• final pay provisions
• redundancy entitlements.

You can read more about your rights when ending employment on the Fair Work Ombudsman website.

What help is available

Losing your job can be stressful. We have a range of income support payments that can help. There are 2 main payments:

• JobSeeker Payment if you’re 22 or older and looking for work
• Youth Allowance for job seekers if you’re 16 to 21 and looking for work.

If your Centrelink online account is linked to myGov, sign in now to claim these payments.

Sign in to myGov

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

If you have a nominee they may be able to lodge an online claim for a payment on your behalf.

We may ask you for supporting evidence of your circumstances. We’ll tell you if you need to provide this when you make a claim.

If you have an online claim appointment

When you do an online claim, you may need to book a claim appointment.

You must do this before you lodge the claim. You’ll have 14 days after you lodge the claim to attend the appointment.

If you have a nominee, we still need you to be present at this appointment. We cannot proceed without you even if your nominee is present.

If you’re sick or injured

If you can’t work or study for a while because you’re sick or injured, you can claim an income support payment. Which payment you can get depends on your circumstances.

If you’re sick or injured, you may be able to claim any of these payments:

• JobSeeker Payment or Youth Allowance for job seekers is also for when you’re sick or injured and can’t do your usual work or study for a short time.
• Mobility Allowance is a payment to help with travel costs if you have disability, illness or injury that means you can’t use public transport. To get this payment you must be looking for work, working or studying.
• Disability Support Pension is income support if you have a physical, intellectual or psychiatric condition that will last more than 2 years. And if it stops you working at least 15 hours a week in the next 2 years. To get this payment you must meet both medical and non-medical rules.

Find out what other payments and help are available as you recover.

If you need to give us an Employment Separation Certificate

When you or your partner stop working, we may need an Employment Separation Certificate from you. This certificate has information about your previous employment that we’ll use to assess your situation.

This includes things like:

• why the employment ended
• the date you or your partner stopped working
• the final payment amount.

If you need a concession or health care card

If you get a payment from us you may also get a concession or health care card.

If you’re a parent

If you can’t work for a while and you have young children, you may be able to get some payments from us.

Parenting Payment is an income support payment while you’re a young child’s main carer. It supports parents or guardians with the cost of raising children.

Family Tax Benefit is a payment to help with the cost of raising children.

We may also be able to help with child care costs while you look for work or study. Child Care Subsidy helps with the cost of approved child care.

If you’re on an income support payment, you may be able to get Additional Child Care Subsidy. This gives some families extra help with child care fees. Read about who can get the Transition to Work Additional Child Care Subsidy.

We pay these subsidies to your child care provider to reduce the fees you pay.

If you’re studying

You may be able to get a payment if you’re studying. Read about what help you can get during different stages of your education.

If you need mental health help

The impact of losing your job can put strain on your family, relationships and finances. Read about options you have with mental health care and Medicare.