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You may need to give us a medical certificate if all of the following apply:
- you get Parenting Payment
- you’re single
- your youngest child is 6 years or older
- you can’t work or study for a short time due to sickness or injury.
Why you need to give us a medical certificate
If you already get Parenting Payment Single
If you’re sick or injured, you may get a temporary incapacity exemption from your mutual obligation requirements. You’ll need to give us a medical certificate so we can work out if we’ll either:
- give you an exemption
- reduce or change your requirements.
You can apply for an exemption at any time. While we assess your request for an exemption, you need to keep meeting your mutual obligation requirements. This includes attending appointments with your employment services provider.
If you’re claiming Parenting Payment Single
If you’re claiming Parenting Payment Single you need to let us know if either:
- you’re unable to look for work due to sickness or injury
- you’re still doing paid work or study but you’re doing less hours because of your sickness or injury.
This applies to you if:
- you’re single
- your youngest child is 6 years or older
- you’re temporarily unable to work due to a sickness or injury.
What information you need to give us
You’ll need to get a medical certificate from your doctor. The preferred certificate for your doctor to complete is a Centrelink Medical Certificate form. However, they may choose to use their own form. If they do, we’ll accept it as long as it has the required details and your doctor signs it.
Your medical certificate must include all of the following information:
- what the sickness, injury or disability is
- how long it will take for you to recover
- the period you’ll be unable to work, participate or study
- if you’re unable to work, participate or study for at least 8 hours per week.
Who can complete a medical certificate
In most cases only authorised medical doctors can complete a medical certificate. This includes a person with recognised medical qualifications, such as a general practitioner, physician or surgeon. If you live in a rural or remote area without a doctor, a community nurse can complete your medical certificate.
How to give us your medical certificate
Your doctor can give us your Centrelink Medical Certificate online using Health Professional Online Services.
However, if your doctor gives you the completed medical certificate, you can submit it online. If your Centrelink online account is linked to myGov, sign in now to submit your medical certificate.
You can also use the Express Plus Centrelink mobile app.
If you can’t submit it online, you can send it to us or submit it at your local service centre.
What happens when you give us a medical certificate
When you give us a medical certificate, we’ll assess your need for a temporary incapacity exemption.
Giving us a medical certificate doesn’t always mean we’ll give you an exemption. This might be where any of these apply:
- there’s not enough information from the doctor for us to decide
- your inability to work isn’t temporary
- you’re able to work, or participate in other suitable activities, for more than 8 hours per week
- substance abuse is the main cause of you not being able to work.
If we need more information, we may contact you.
If we give you an exemption
If we give you an exemption, we’ll tell you:
- how long the exemption is for
- if you need to do any activities
- if there’s a change to your reporting requirements.
Exemption period
Exemption periods are up to 24 months from the start date on the medical certificate and apply after your youngest child turns 6. How long your exemption lasts for will depend on your diagnosis.
Further exemptions
You can ask for a further exemption if both:
- you’re still unable to do your requirements when your medical certificate ends
- your incapacity stays temporary.
You’ll need to give us a new medical certificate. We may refer you for an Employment Services Assessment (ESAt) to assess your ability to work.
If we don’t give you an exemption
If we don’t give you an exemption, we’ll discuss what your options are. This may include other activities or services to help you meet your mutual obligation or participation requirements.
There may be other exemptions from your requirements you can apply for.
If you have an ongoing sickness, injury or disability
Your employment services provider may refer you for an ESAt, which helps us understand:
- your barriers to work
- your capacity to work due to sickness, injury or disability
- what type of employment services provider is best for you.
You need to attend the assessment even if we’ve given you an exemption. We’ll let you know the outcome of your assessment.