As the world opens up again and international travel becomes more accessible, many Australians are itching to dust off their passports and explore new horizons.

However, for those receiving Centrelink benefits, it's crucial to understand how jet-setting can impact your payments.

Centrelink, the government service that delivers a range of payments and services for retirees, the unemployed, families, carers, parents, people with disabilities, Indigenous Australians, and people from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, has specific rules for recipients who travel overseas.

‘There are rules covering how travelling outside Australia may affect your payment or concession card,’ Centrelink stated.

‘These depend on the payment or concession card you get.’

‘When you leave Australia, we may adjust or stop your payment or concession card based on these rules,’ it added.

Centrelink reminded recipients of rules impacting payments during overseas travel. Credit: Shutterstock

To avoid any financial hiccups, Centrelink advised all recipients to inform them of any travel plans through their myGov account. This is a critical step in maintaining your payments while abroad.

According to Centrelink, ‘If you can’t tell us online, you can tell us by calling us on the phone number that relates to your affected payment.’

One of the key things to remember is that you must report your income on the last business day before your departure. This is mandatory even if your regular reporting day falls on or after the date you leave Australia.

For those who are single but planning to visit a partner overseas, it's especially important to communicate this to Centrelink.

‘If you’re going overseas to visit your partner…we need to review your payment before you leave; otherwise, we may pay you too much,’ Centrelink advised.

It's also worth noting that if Centrelink can't reach you while you're outside of Australia, your payment or concession card may be stopped.

‘If your payment stops while you’re overseas, we usually can’t restore your payment until you return to Australia,’ Centrelink explained.

‘While overseas, it’s important to tell us if your circumstances change just like if you were in Australia.’

‘This is because some changes can affect your payment or concession card,’ it continued.

Interestingly, you don't need to inform Centrelink when you return to Australia. If your trip is less than a year, your payments will continue to be processed every two weeks as usual.

However, if your adventure takes you away for over a year, your payments will be extended to every four weeks.

Depending on your location, these payments can be deposited into an overseas bank account and may be paid in the local currency or US dollars.

In the event of a serious issue, such as illness or a natural disaster, that prevents you from returning home, you may be eligible to extend your payments.

In such cases, you should contact Centrelink International Services for assistance.

As the Australian government continues to adjust policies affecting social security payments, recent warnings have been issued regarding potential changes for those travelling abroad.

This development underscores the importance of staying informed about how such changes might impact financial support while overseas.

In addition, Centrelink is also advising Australians to review and update their tax returns due to recent modifications in payment protocols.

Keeping up with these updates is crucial to ensure compliance and avoid any disruptions in financial support.

Key Takeaways

• Centrelink released reminders for recipients about rules that may affect their payments while travelling overseas.
• Recipients were encouraged to inform Centrelink of their travel plans through their myGov account and to report their income before departing.
• Payments or concession cards may be adjusted or stopped if recipients do not update their circumstances or Centrelink cannot contact them.
• Payments for those overseas less than a year continue as usual, but for more than a year, payments switch to every four weeks and can be made to overseas banks.

Have you had any experiences with Centrelink payments while travelling abroad? Share your stories and tips in the comments below to help fellow travellers navigate these waters. Safe travels, and don't forget to keep Centrelink in the loop!

 

[Suzanne rose]

Greece seems to be lousy/tight!
I must admit nobody fessed up to it that I knew in the 80's, but it undeniably happened.
It does seem rather shady to move here and return with our pension that isn't the country they were born in.

Alot did it. Hubby's other aunt and uncle came to Australia and worked hard, he was a mechanic, he had his own servo and did well in his business . They paid off their house and in less than 20 years moved back to Greece and built the biggest service station in Rhodes.
That's a different story , they needed to come here to make a better life . They were came here in their late 20s and moved back in their mud 40s. Never ever had a pension.
But like his other aunt alot did what they did, we also knew Italians who did the same.
I'm pretty sure the government has changed the rules now and immigration is also alot harder.

 

[Penny4]

Alot did it. Hubby's other aunt and uncle came to Australia and worked hard, he was a mechanic, he had his own servo and did well in his business . They paid off their house and in less than 20 years moved back to Greece and built the biggest service station in Rhodes.
That's a different story , they needed to come here to make a better life . They were came here in their late 20s and moved back in their mud 40s. Never ever had a pension.
But like his other aunt alot did what they did, we also knew Italians who did the same.
I'm pretty sure the government has changed the rules now and immigration is also alot harder.

I'm sure the government would have changed the rules. They changed the rules for Australians ie. aged 67 etc. so no doubt something would have been done for immigration.

 

[Penny4]

It's a sin that people move overseas for a better standard of living, we should be so well looked after but we have a crap system that our politicians rort to the hilt which leaves us workers with nothing

There are a lot of reasons why people don't have money for their retirement. Low income wages all their working life, divorces, business' failing - the list is vast. It's not always the persons' fault. The end result is people have to rely solely on a pension week to week.

 

[Aussie all the Way]

I went to new Zealand for my brother's funeral and went into centrelink and told them I was flying out on the saturday but I had to report while I was over there they told me to come into them on the friday and do my reporting. The following week my pension didn't go in my bank the the ph number they gave me to use if I had to ring from NZ wouldn't work and when l did get back and went into find out why my pension had not gone in they said because I didn't report on the due date and my pension had been stopped. I was told the information about going into the office before I flew was wrong and I should have reported as usual . It took 3 months to get my pension back but not back date

It sounds like you are not on the Age Pension because we do not report every 2 weeks, so you must be on another payment which yes all of them you report before you go., that's probably why you did not get the back pay.

 

[Aussie all the Way]

There are a lot of reasons why people don't have money for their retirement. Low income wages all their working life, divorces, business' failing - the list is vast. It's not always the persons' fault. The end result is people have to rely solely on a pension week to week.

True, but if the pension was a decent amount of money people would not move overseas. Our system needs a huge overhaul. Politicians should be means tested like the rest of us, they get pension and super and are rich to start with hardly fair to have 2 systems.

 

[Penny4]

True, but if the pension was a decent amount of money people would not move overseas. Our system needs a huge overhaul. Politicians should be means tested like the rest of us, they get pension and super and are rich to start with hardly fair to have 2 systems.

I can't count on one hand who I know personally, that has moved overseas due to living/money issues. Also, there are a lot of things in life that aren't fair. Politicians? Thankless job imo, as they get nothing but ridiculed. I don't dwell on political issues, otherwise I'd go demented.

 

[Suzanne rose]

True, but if the pension was a decent amount of money people would not move overseas. Our system needs a huge overhaul. Politicians should be means tested like the rest of us, they get pension and super and are rich to start with hardly fair to have 2 systems.

Are you forgetting we are actually a lucky country.
We are blessed that we actually have a pension to receive.
Please tell me countries who are better treated than us. I seriously want to know

 

[mylittletibbies]

But do you think it's fair that someone who wasn't born here, lives here for 20 years then moves back to their country of birth and take a pension with them.

I think if you were born here or at least grew up and worked here then decided to retire overseas then that's different but to only live here and work for only 20 years I don't think that's fair

Yes, I still think it's fair. They paid taxes here for , you say, 20 years.
How many Australian citizens sit on Centrelink payments for most of their lives, contributing nothing and automatically qualify for the age pension.
I can think of 4 in my own family circle. Unfortunately my eldest son is drug addicted, there are 3 females who went on single mums pensions in their early teens and now in their 50's on jobseeker never worked a day in their lives. They will automatically qualify for the age pension. Is that fair.
There are thousands of them all over the country
My husband's niece, who works for Centrelink said they are classed as unemployable and people would be astounded at just how many 1000s of them there are.
Yes I do think that people who have lived, worked and paid taxes here for 20 years are entitled to the age pension and to choose where they wish to live. Good luck to them.

 

[Suzanne rose]

True, but if the pension was a decent amount of money people would not move overseas. Our system needs a huge overhaul. Politicians should be means tested like the rest of us, they get pension and super and are rich to start with hardly fair to have 2 systems.

Have a look at the table of best pensions in the world. Australia is ranked one of the top countries.

 

[Constance o6]

Actually 20 years working in a country and paying taxes is quite a long time. There are many immigrants who have contributed to the wealth of this country, who although not born here and rightly entitled to an age pension.

 

[Constance o6]

I don't think you can compare the pensions of other countries without relating it to cost of living. Australia is an expensive country to visit and live in.

 

[Suzanne rose]

I don't think you can compare the pensions of other countries without relating it to cost of living. Australia is an expensive country to visit and live in.

Most of the countries on the list are expensive to live in , New Zealand, Japan,Italy, Spain,all bove Australia on the list . It was probably easier to name the countries cheaper to live in than Australia.

 

[Penny4]

I know an Italian couple who have dual citizenship ie. Italian and Australian. They have just recently decided to return to Italy with their Australian born adult kids. They still have family in Italy - she does mainly. The guy has always worked in Italian restaurants here. He's not getting a pension, because he wants to still work in a local restaurant, or even start up a cafe. He reckons he need something to do. I can only speak for health care in Italy, but it's one of the best in the world being free/low cost.

 

[Aussie all the Way]

I know an Italian couple who have dual citizenship ie. Italian and Australian. They have just recently decided to return to Italy with their Australian born adult kids. They still have family in Italy - she does mainly. The guy has always worked in Italian restaurants here. He's not getting a pension, because he wants to still work in a local restaurant, or even start up a cafe. He reckons he need something to do. I can only speak for health care in Italy, but it's one of the best in the world being free/low cost.

Yes the Free Health Care is what most other countries give their Retired people and if Australia did the same it would be a whole lot easier for Retirees to live

 

[Penny4]

Yes the Free Health Care is what most other countries give their Retired people and if Australia did the same it would be a whole lot easier for Retirees to live

Australia has public hospitals that are free/low cost too.
USA is the worst for health care. If Americans don't have private health cover, they suffer due to no free hospitals.

 

[Rick62]

Hi Guys, I’m going to Vietnam in late September and I didn’t know about reporting it to Centrelink, I went on to MyGov and then into Centrelink site and found no way of reporting my travel. I suppose I’ve got to go in and see them unless someone out there knows where to go on site to report it, thanks for listening…….Rick 62

 

[Suzanne rose]

Australia has public hospitals that are free/low cost too.
USA is the worst for health care. If Americans don't have private health cover, they suffer due to no free hospitals.

I have Relatives who have lived in the US most of their lives . There hospitals and medical are shocking. As our cousin said it's like there are the rich or poor no middle class.
He lives in New York and said the death toll from covid could have been lower if they were able to get help.

USA is one country you never travel to without health insurance

 

[Penny4]

I have Relatives who have lived in the US most of their lives . There hospitals and medical are shocking. As our cousin said it's like there are the rich or poor no middle class.
He lives in New York and said the death toll from covid could have been lower if they were able to get help.

USA is one country you never travel to without health insurance

Exactly. We've been several times and never without insurance. One needs to read the fine print with travel insurance if you visit there. You don't want to find any exemptions. I never forget my youngest son needing some antibiotics, as he caught a virus from someone on the plane. One tablet cost $50! and this was in the 90's when he was representing Australia for sport. I'd hate to know how much it's costs these days. Once again, read that fine print on travel insurance if anyone goes to America.

 

[tumoulin]

No, you really only need to tell them if you are going for longer than 12 weeks.

You are supposed to tell them if you go overseas at all. But it's hard to do as the online advice form would not accept my notification of three weeks overseas travel recently.

 

[aking9999]

I think that this article needs more specifics. Firstly I am a NZ retiree who lives and works in Australia, Indonesia and the Philippines. I leave and am required to return to Australia every 182 days otherwise my pension is cut off. If I had stayed in Australia for the initial mandatory 2 years after turning 65, I would have been able to stay out of the country longer and still receive a pension, but this pension would be reduced ! As for notifying the departments, I am now required to post a photo of my boarding pass, both departing and returning to Australia !

The whole point of this posting is that there are too many variables in the pension, when I first started work 50 years ago, I was told. " work hard. pay your taxes, and you will receive a pension at the end of your working life " But this is not the case, In New Zealand ( WINZ) and Australia ( Centrelink ) are continually looking for ways to reduce or remove your pension completely ! There should be one pension rate for what ever your situation and location is, because YOU HAVE PAID FOR THIS , AND EARNED IT OVER THE LAST 50 YEARS ! Both countries should have a comparable system that is updated every year, according to the cost of living.