Centrelink has made changes that could suspend your payments - here’s what you need to know

Members, it’s always a good idea to keep up to date with Centrelink advances and changes, so that we can make sure to make the most of them and also keep safe from potential pitfalls.

If you are receiving a Centrelink payment, you should take note that the agency has recently imposed some changes on its payments policy that came into effect on 1st January 2023.



Here at the Seniors Discount Club, we believe that it's our duty to make sure our members are informed about all relevant changes to your rights and benefits, so we've done a bit of digging into this new policy and wanted to share what we've found.

Services Australia can suspend your Age Pension payment if you receive employment income, and you fail to meet the required payment standards for more than six fortnights in a row.

Age Pension will be reduced to $0 if your fortnightly income is over $2,243.00 for an individual or $3,431.20 for a couple.


1200px-Centrelink_logo_2013-.svg.png

Services Australia imposed a new policy for pension payments that took effect starting January 1, 2023. Credit: Services Australia.



'You don't need to ask us to suspend your payment, we'll do this automatically,' Services Australia said in a statement.

'When this happens, we'll write to you to let you know. We'll tell you the dates of the period we can suspend your payment for, and you won't need to report your employment income while your payment is suspended.'

The payment suspension period can last for up to two years, so be sure to keep an eye on your bank statement and make sure you don't exceed the threshold.



Additionally, pensioners who will be affected by the new policy will not be required to 'reclaim' their payments provided that their earnings have dipped below the cut-off point.

With the start of the New Year also came an increase in the rates for various Centrelink payments. Unfortunately, this did not include the Age Pension.

Due to indexation, over a million young people, carers and students on Centrelink saw their payments rise by roughly $20 a week on January 1st 2023.



Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth said this extra money should help ease the cost of living pressures being experienced around the country.

Key Takeaways

  • Pensioners were affected by a major change regarding the suspension of payments. From January 1, 2023, Services Australia will automatically suspend your Age Pension payment if your employment income exceeds its limit.
  • Once this happens, Services Australia will write to you to let you know the dates and the period they will suspend your payment.



What are your thoughts on this article? Better yet, do you think that it’s fair for the government to suspend pensioners’ payments if they earn above a certain amount? Let us know in the comments below!

Amendment: An earlier iteration incorrectly implied seniors saw a pension increase on January 1st. This indexation increase was only applied for youth allowance, ABSTUDY, isolated children assistance, mobility allowance, double orphan pension, carer allowance and pharmaceutical allowance. We apologise for any confusion caused.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Sponsored
Over
That’s not good for the likes of us school bus drivers as they will suspend our payments then we will have no money coming in through the school holidays when we aren’t working. Must be time for us to give up work altogether which means there’s going to be a major problem getting kids to school as there is a major shortage of driver’s already.
Do these clowns ever think a thing through before they do it.
Over $1000.00 per fortnight to drive a school bus , wow. One would have to work a lot of hours to exceed the limit.
 
Over $1000.00 per fortnight to drive a school bus , wow. One would have to work a lot of hours to exceed the limit.
 

Join the conversation

News, deals, games, and bargains for Aussies over 60. From everyday expenses like groceries and eating out, to electronics, fashion and travel, the club is all about helping you make your money go further.

Seniors Discount Club

The SDC searches for the best deals, discounts, and bargains for Aussies over 60. From everyday expenses like groceries and eating out, to electronics, fashion and travel, the club is all about helping you make your money go further.
  1. New members
  2. Jokes & fun
  3. Photography
  4. Nostalgia / Yesterday's Australia
  5. Food and Lifestyle
  6. Money Saving Hacks
  7. Offtopic / Everything else
  • We believe that retirement should be a time to relax and enjoy life, not worry about money. That's why we're here to help our members make the most of their retirement years. If you're over 60 and looking for ways to save money, connect with others, and have a laugh, we’d love to have you aboard.
  • Advertise with us

User Menu

Enjoyed Reading our Story?

  • Share this forum to your loved ones.
Change Weather Postcode×
Change Petrol Postcode×