Change of circumstances

We need to know about changes that could reduce, increase or stop your Special Benefit payment.

You need to tell us if any of these details change for you or your partner:

How and when to tell us

You need to tell us if your circumstances change within 14 days. If your Centrelink online account is linked to myGov, you can tell us online. To do this, sign in to myGov and select My details.

Sign in to myGov

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

It’s never too late to report a change.

If you change or correct your name

It’s important to tell us if you change your legal name.

If you don’t tell us

If you don’t tell us about changes in your life, we may pay you too much. If this happens, you’ll have to pay the money back, plus a fee.

If you deliberately don’t tell us about changes, we could charge you with fraud.

Read about how to avoid fraud.

Page last updated: 13 October 2025.
QC 38796