Change of circumstances

Tell us within 14 days

You need to tell us about any changes to your and your family’s circumstances within 14 days. This includes changes for your parents or guardians, as well as your partner and your dependent children.

Watch this video to learn more about what changes to tell us about.

If your Centrelink online account is linked to myGov, sign in now to tell us about changes to your circumstances.

Sign in to myGov

You can also tell us using either:

• the Express Plus Centrelink mobile app
• Centrelink phone self service.

Read more about what you can do using self service.

If you don’t have access to a self service option please call the youth and students line.

If you don’t tell us, it may affect your payment. You may need to pay back money we’ve paid you. If you’re dishonest in order to get a payment, you’re committing fraud. Read more about how to avoid committing fraud.

Here are some examples of changes you must tell us about.

Study

You need to tell us about any changes to your study. This includes if:

• you don’t stay enrolled in your course
• you stop studying and don’t plan to return to study
• you stop being a full time Australian Apprentice
• you don’t start your course within 2 weeks of the course start date
• you change your course
• you start studying at a different institution
• you reduce your study or training workload
• you’re no longer getting a STARTUP-HELP loan for your Startup Year course.

Employment and income

You need to tell us about any changes to your employment or income. This includes if:

• you start or stop work
• you change your work hours or change jobs
• you get compensation, leave or redundancy payments
• you start or stop getting a scholarship (bursary, stipend or grant)
• you change your income or assets
• you get income from outside Australia
• you start or stop getting other financial help to complete your course or apprenticeship
• you change your bank details, including opening or closing a bank account
• you have a change to you or your partner’s income or financial assets of more than $2,000
• you buy or sell a car, house or other assets.

What a nil rate payment period is

You enter a nil rate payment period when you report employment income and if both apply:

• your Income Bank credit balance is zero
• your total income is over the maximum income before your payment reaches to $0.

You can have up to 12 fortnights in a row of $0 payment before we’ll suspend or cancel your payment.

Your total income includes:

• your income
• your partner’s income
• your combined income.

If we pay you at least $1 before the end of the 12 fortnights, we won’t suspend or cancel your payment.

You must continue to report your income fortnightly to us so we can apply the nil rate payment period. If you have a partner, this applies to their income as well.

We’ll automatically restart your payments if the total income reported is both:

• below the maximum income before your payment reduces to $0
• within the nil rate payment period.

If you’re getting a supplementary benefit or hold a concession card, these won’t be affected in a nil rate payment period.

To learn more about how your income affects your payment, read about the income test for Youth Allowance for students and Australian Apprentices.

You can find more information about Income Bank.

Living situation

You need to tell us about any changes to your living situation. This includes if:

• you change your address or accommodation details
• you move back to your parents’ or guardians’ home
• you change the parent you’re living with
• you move into or out of long term care, like a nursing home or hostel, due to injury or disability
• you start sharing your accommodation with a non family member who’s 16 or older if you’re single
• you are leaving the country, for a short time, or to live somewhere else
• you go into lawful custody.

If you get Rent Assistance, you also need to tell us if any of these happen:

• you stop paying rent, or the amount of rent you pay changes
• you start or stop sharing accommodation
• you start paying rent to a state, territory or Commonwealth Housing Authority
• you move in with your parent or guardian.

Personal situation

You need to tell us about changes to your personal situation. This includes if:

• you marry or start living with your partner
• you separate from your partner
• you are sick, injured or unable to do your usual mutual obligation requirements, work or study for a short time
• you start or stop getting a pension, benefit or allowance.

You can also update your gender identity if you choose to do so.

Changing or correcting your name

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

Family

You need to tell us about changes to your family situation within 14 days. This includes if an immediate family member dies.

Recognising this will be a difficult time for you, we have advice and help on what to do when a loved one dies.

Changes to your parents’ or guardians’ situation

You need to tell us if your parents or guardians do any of the following:

• change their address
• marry or start living with their partner
• separate from their partner
• have changes to their income
• have a dependent child who leaves their care or comes into their care
• are, or are no longer, in custody, in a psychiatric institution, nursing home or similar.

Changes about your partner

You need to tell us if your partner does any of the following:

• start or stop working
• have income or assets change
• get ABSTUDY, a pension, benefit or allowance.

Changes about a child

You need to tell us if any of these happen:

• you have a child or take care of a dependent child who is 16 years of age or younger
• your dependent child dies
• your dependent child who is 16 years of age or younger leaves home, or gets a pension, benefit or allowance
• your dependent child is in custody on remand, in a psychiatric institution or in prison.