Changing your address

Learn about what you need to tell us when you move house and how it can affect your payments.

Why you should tell us

When you’re moving house, you need to let us know. You should update your address within 14 days, even if you don’t get a payment from us.

This is so we can get in touch with you if we need to. If you get a payment, it also helps us make sure we’re paying you the right amount.

Changing your address can involve:

  • moving into another home
  • selling your principal home for example, downsizing
  • temporary vacation of the principal home to rebuild, repair or renovate
  • moving to provide care for someone
  • moving into care
  • moving into aged care, such as a nursing home.

How to update your address

If you update your address in your myGov account, it will send your new information to some of your linked services automatically.

If you’re renting and you get a payment from us, you should update your details using your Centrelink online account through myGov. We’ll then be able to automatically assess you for Rent Assistance. If you update your details another way, we can’t automatically assess you for Rent Assistance.

If you’re not renting, you can update your details in your myGov account or separately using any of these accounts:

If you can’t update your details online, you can call us on your regular payment line.

How changing your address may affect your payment

If you get a payment from us, we include most real estate assets you own in the assets test. The only real estate asset we don’t include is your principal home.

Read about how real estate assets affect your payment and what happens when you leave your principal home.

When you downsize

If you decide to downsize and your address changes, you’ll need to update your details with us.

Downsizing can involve:

  • moving into a smaller home
  • selling assets
  • moving into care
  • moving into aged care, such as a nursing home.

If you’re downsizing, you may also be thinking about retirement.

Read about retirement and what help you may get if you decide to stop working.

Depending on your age, when you downsize you may be able to add excess funds to your superannuation. This may affect your Centrelink income support payment. Before you make a decision, we recommend you either:

Read about Downsizing superannuation contributions on the Australian Taxation Office website.

Page last updated: 6 December 2022.