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When we pause debt raising and recovery in emergency events
We may pause Centrelink debt raising and temporarily stop debt recovery for areas affected by significant emergency events. These pauses may apply to you if you are in a location that is:
- directly impacted by a natural disaster, such as flooding in a declared disaster location
- affected by public health orders, such COVID-19 lockdowns.
We do this to help ease pressure on your finances during difficult times.
We’ll let you know about the current debt pauses in place and when they are due to end through our news and alerts. You can also find some information about these in your Centrelink online account through myGov or Express Plus Centrelink mobile app.
If you’re directly affected by a declared natural disaster and you’re in an eligible Local Government Area, there are payments available. These areas may be different to current debt pauses.
When you can change your repayments for other reasons
If you have a Centrelink debt and you’re in financial hardship for other reasons, you can talk to us. We’re here to help and can support you to repay money you owe in a way that suits your financial situation.