If your Centrelink online account is linked to myGov, you can check your completed claim online. Sign in now to find out:
- when we’ve accepted your claim
- if your claim is in progress
- if your claim is on hold because we’ve asked you to send us more information
- when your payment will start
- if you have income or are required to report each fortnight
- the date your first income report is due.
Why you may have to wait
Some people will have a one week ordinary waiting period. In some circumstances, you may have to wait longer.
You got a lump sum payment when you finished work
You may have to wait if your employer paid you a lump sum such as annual leave or redundancy when you left. The waiting period is relative to the lump sum payment. Read more about income maintenance periods.
You left your job voluntarily or lost it due to misconduct
You may have to wait depending on the circumstances if both of the following apply:
- you’re single and your youngest child is 6 or older
- you chose to leave your job or you lost it due to misconduct.
Read more about:
- when penalties apply for job seekers in the Community Development Program
- unemployment failure for job seekers with Workforce Australia and Disability Employment Services.
You recently finished seasonal work
You may have to wait if you or your partner finished seasonal, contract or intermittent work in the 6 months before claiming.
The time you need to wait depends on how much you earned and how long you were working. Read about the seasonal work preclusion period.
You’re new to Australia
If you’ve recently arrived in Australia as a resident, you may have to wait up to 4 years to qualify. Read about the newly arrived resident’s waiting period.
You’ve had a compensation payment
If you’ve had a lump sum compensation payment, you may have to wait a period relative to your lump sum payment. Use our estimator or contact us for information about your compensation preclusion period.