5 Centrelink Payments You're Missing

Commonwealth Rent Assistance (CRA) is a non-taxable supplement paid on top of your existing Centrelink payment to help with the cost of renting. As of March 2026, the maximum rate is $188.20 per fortnight for a single person with no children.

The catch: you must already be receiving a qualifying Centrelink payment to get Rent Assistance. You can't get it on its own. Qualifying payments include JobSeeker, Youth Allowance, Austudy, Age Pension, Disability Support Pension, Parenting Payment, Carer Payment, and Family Tax Benefit Part A (at more than the base rate).

Many people who are already on a qualifying payment don't realise they're eligible for Rent Assistance, or they haven't updated their rent details with Centrelink. If you're paying rent of at least $135.40 per fortnight (single, no children), you'll start receiving CRA.

You need to verify your rent — either through your landlord or real estate agent filling in a Rent Certificate (SU523), or by providing your lease agreement. Private renters, share house tenants, and people in community housing are all eligible. Board and lodging may also qualify if you can demonstrate the rental component.

What to do: Log into your myGov/Centrelink account, go to your accommodation details, and make sure your rent amount and address are up to date. If you haven't claimed it, update your details now — Rent Assistance can be backdated to the date you reported the change. Use our Rent Assistance Calculator to check your exact entitlement.

The Low Income Health Care Card (LIHC) is one of the most valuable concession cards in Australia, yet many people who qualify don't have one. You don't need to be on a Centrelink payment to get it — you just need to meet the income test.

For the 2025-26 year, you qualify if your gross weekly income is under:

• $681 per week (single, no children) — that's $35,412 per year
• $1,173 per week (couple combined) — that's $60,996 per year
• Higher thresholds apply if you have dependent children

What does the card get you?

• Cheaper PBS prescriptions — $7.70 per script instead of $31.60 (a saving of $23.90 per prescription)
• Lower Safety Net threshold — once you hit $262.80 in PBS costs per year, prescriptions drop to $0 for the rest of the calendar year
• Utility bill discounts — many state governments and utility providers offer concessions to LIHC holders on electricity, gas, water, and council rates
• Transport concessions — discounted public transport in most states
• Bulk billing priority — many GPs prioritise bulk billing for concession card holders

What to do: Apply online through myGov or at a Services Australia service centre. You'll need to provide 8 weeks of income evidence. The card is valid for one year and can be renewed. Use our Low Income Health Care Card Calculator to check if you qualify.

The Energy Supplement is a regular payment added to most Centrelink payments to help with energy costs. For most recipients, it's $14.10 per fortnight (single on JobSeeker) to $17.80 per fortnight (single on Age Pension or DSP). That's up to $462.80 per year — not huge, but it adds up.

The Energy Supplement is generally added automatically if you were receiving a qualifying payment before 20 September 2016 and have been continuously receiving it since then. If you've had a break in your payment and then gone back on, you may need to check whether the Energy Supplement has been reinstated.

Qualifying payments include:

• Age Pension
• Disability Support Pension
• Carer Payment
• JobSeeker Payment
• Youth Allowance
• Parenting Payment
• Austudy
• Special Benefit
• Farm Household Allowance

Important: New recipients of working-age payments (JobSeeker, Youth Allowance, etc.) who started their payment after 20 March 2017 are generally not eligible for the Energy Supplement. However, pension recipients (Age Pension, DSP, Carer Payment) who start after that date are still eligible.

What to do: Check your Centrelink payment breakdown in myGov to see if the Energy Supplement is included. If it should be there and isn't, contact Services Australia on 136 150.

Carer Allowance is a payment of $157.40 per fortnight for people who provide daily care and attention to someone with a disability, medical condition, or who is frail aged. On top of that, you receive a $600 annual Carer Supplement (paid in July each year).

Here's what many people don't know: Carer Allowance is separate from Carer Payment, and you can receive both at the same time. Carer Payment is an income support payment (like JobSeeker or Age Pension), while Carer Allowance is an additional supplement on top of whatever other payment you receive — including a wage.

Key features of Carer Allowance:

• No income or asset test — your income and assets don't affect eligibility (though the care receiver's income is considered if they're an adult)
• Can be paid on top of wages — you can work full-time and still receive Carer Allowance
• Can be paid on top of other Centrelink payments — including Age Pension, DSP, JobSeeker, etc.
• Health Care Card — you automatically get a Health Care Card if you receive Carer Allowance

To qualify, you must provide daily care and attention in a private home (yours or the care receiver's). The care receiver must have a disability or medical condition that results in a certain level of functional impairment, assessed using the Adult Disability Assessment Tool (ADAT) or the Disability Care Load Assessment for children.

What to do: If you're providing regular care for a family member or friend with a disability or health condition, you may be eligible even if you don't think of yourself as a "carer." Apply through myGov or at a Services Australia office. Use our Carer Payment Calculator to check your eligibility for both Carer Payment and Carer Allowance.

The Commonwealth Seniors Health Card (CSHC) is for self-funded retirees who don't qualify for the Age Pension but still want access to cheaper healthcare and other concessions. It's one of the most under-claimed benefits in Australia.

To qualify, you must:

• Be of Age Pension age (67 or older)
• Not receive an income support payment (like the Age Pension)
• Meet the income test: adjusted taxable income under $152,640 (singles) or $244,832 (couples combined)
• Be an Australian resident

The income thresholds were significantly increased in November 2022 (previously $61,284 for singles), which means many self-funded retirees who were previously ineligible now qualify. Importantly, the CSHC has no asset test — your super balance, home value, and investments don't matter, only your income.

What you get with the CSHC:

• Cheaper PBS prescriptions — $7.70 per script instead of $31.60
• Lower Safety Net threshold — $262.80 per year, after which scripts are free
• Bulk billing priority — many GPs bulk bill CSHC holders
• State and territory concessions — electricity, gas, water, council rates, and transport discounts (varies by state)
• Energy Supplement — $14.10 per fortnight ($366.60 per year) is paid automatically to CSHC holders

For a self-funded retiree who takes multiple medications and uses regular medical services, the CSHC can save $2,000 to $4,000 per year in out-of-pocket healthcare costs alone — plus additional savings on utilities and transport.

What to do: Apply online through myGov or at a Services Australia service centre. You'll need your Tax File Number and details of your income. Use our Seniors Health Card Calculator to check if you qualify.

With over 40 different Centrelink payments and supplements available, it's easy to miss something you qualify for. Here's how to do a thorough check:

Step 1: Use our Benefits Check tool. Our Benefits Check Calculator asks you a series of questions about your age, income, assets, living situation, and caring responsibilities, then tells you every payment and concession you may be eligible for. It takes about 3 minutes.

Step 2: Review your Centrelink payment breakdown. If you're already receiving a Centrelink payment, log into myGov and check the detailed breakdown of your payment. Look for add-ons like Rent Assistance, Energy Supplement, and Pharmaceutical Allowance. If any are missing, report a change in circumstances to trigger a reassessment.

Step 3: Check state and territory concessions. Each state offers different concessions for Centrelink cardholders. These can include electricity rebates ($150-$350 per year), water and sewerage discounts, council rate reductions, free or discounted public transport, motor vehicle registration concessions, and reduced ambulance fees.

Step 4: Call Services Australia. If you're unsure about your eligibility for any payment, call the Services Australia general line on 132 850 (or 132 300 for Age Pension). Staff can review your circumstances and tell you what you may be entitled to.

Step 5: Check annually. Your eligibility can change year to year as income thresholds, payment rates, and your personal circumstances change. Make it a habit to review your entitlements every March and September when Centrelink rates are indexed.