Income stream products can affect our customer’s payments and concession cards. This includes an income stream product their partner has.
Who income stream product providers are
If your organisation or superannuation fund provides retirement income streams, we consider you an income stream product provider. Some examples include:
- Australian superannuation funds
- Self-Managed Superannuation Funds (SMSFs)
- Small Australian Prudential Regular Authority Superannuation Funds (SAFs)
- Retirement Savings Account providers
- life insurance companies.
Financial planners aren't an income stream product provider.
What to tell us
If you’re an income stream provider, you need to give us some details about your income stream products. This is so we can make sure our customers get the correct payments and concession cards.
When to tell us
We review most income stream products in August and February each year. We also review some products at the time of their indexation, for example if the Consumer Price Index changes.
You need to give us the product information we ask for when it’s time for review. We’ll ask for information about the product types you offer through letters sent to your Centrelink Business Online Services account.
We’ll also send letters to customers if we need to ask for details or an Income Stream Schedule.
How to tell us
Income stream providers must transfer income stream information to us electronically. To do this you need to register with us.
Transferring income stream information to us electronically means:
- customers and financial advisors don’t need to contact you for information
- you won’t need to issue bulk paper Income Stream Schedules
- you can provide us with information we need for the reviews in a more efficient and accurate way.
Register for electronic transfer
To register, email income.streams@servicesaustralia.gov.au. You should register as soon as possible. Your administrator can register for you.
Registration can take up to 4 weeks to complete. Our Income Streams team will support you through the process. They can give you more details and help you set up a Centrelink Business Online account.
Once you register, we’ll:
- provide you with log on and password credentials
- arrange any necessary testing
- let you know when you’re ready to transfer live data
- send you an information request in writing when it’s time for reviews.
The information request notice will let you know what details to transfer to us.
Non-electronic information
You’ll need to provide an Income Stream Schedule, both:
- for new products
- if we request it.
We may need information a different way if either:
- we request information straight from the customer
- the product is from SMSF or SAF.
In these cases, you can assist the customer to do any of the following:
- complete the information online
- upload documents online
- send it to us in the mail.