Centrelink After the Death of a Partner: Bereavement Payments and Next Steps
What happens to your Centrelink payments when your partner dies — bereavement payments, transitioning to the single rate, and support available during grief.
Notify Centrelink Promptly
When your partner passes away, notify Centrelink as soon as you are able — there is no strict deadline, but prompt notification ensures you receive bereavement payments and avoids overpayments. You can notify by calling the Centrelink bereavement line on 132 300, visiting a Centrelink office, or having a third party (family member, social worker, funeral director) contact them on your behalf. You will need the deceased's full name, date of birth, Centrelink Reference Number (CRN) if known, and the date of death. A death certificate is helpful but not required immediately — Centrelink can accept initial notification without it and you can provide the certificate later. Centrelink staff are trained to handle bereavement notifications sensitively and will not ask you to complete complex forms during the initial call. They will also check whether you are eligible for any immediate support payments.
Bereavement Payment: The 14-Week Buffer
When your partner dies, Centrelink provides a bereavement period of 14 weeks during which your combined couple payment rate is maintained. This means you continue to receive the same total amount the household was receiving before your partner's death for 14 weeks, giving you time to adjust financially. For example, if you and your partner were both on Age Pension receiving $863.20 each ($1,726.40 combined), you would continue to receive $1,726.40 per fortnight for 14 weeks. After the 14-week bereavement period, your payment transitions to the single rate — $1,144.40 per fortnight for Age Pension. In this case, your payment actually decreases from $1,726.40 to $1,144.40, a drop of $582.00 per fortnight. If your partner was receiving a pension and you were not on any payment, you may receive a lump sum bereavement payment equal to 4 weeks of your late partner's pension.
Transitioning to the Single Rate
After the 14-week bereavement period, your payment is reassessed based on your individual circumstances as a single person. The good news: single rates for pensions are proportionally higher than half the couple rate. The single Age Pension is $1,144.40 versus $863.20 each as a couple. Your income and asset tests also change — the single thresholds are different from couple thresholds. As a single homeowner, the assets test lower threshold is $314,000 (compared to $470,000 combined for a couple), and the income test free area is $204 per fortnight (compared to $360 combined). If your late partner had superannuation, any death benefit paid to you as a lump sum increases your assets. If you receive an ongoing death benefit pension from their super fund, this is assessed as income. These changes can increase or decrease your Centrelink payment depending on your specific financial situation.
If You Were Not Receiving a Centrelink Payment
If your deceased partner was receiving a Centrelink pension or allowance and you were not receiving any payment, you may be entitled to a Lump Sum Bereavement Payment. This is equal to 4 times the combined couple rate of your late partner's payment. For Age Pension, this would be approximately $3,452.80 (4 times $863.20). You must claim this within 4 weeks of the date of death. If you now find yourself without income support, you should claim your own payment: Age Pension if you are 67 or over, JobSeeker if under 67 and able to work, DSP if you have a disability, or Parenting Payment if you have dependent children. Centrelink can fast-track your claim in bereavement situations. If you are in immediate financial hardship, request an urgent or crisis payment to cover essential expenses while your claim is processed.
Impact on Family Tax Benefit and Other Payments
If you were receiving Family Tax Benefit (FTB) as a couple and your partner dies, your FTB is reassessed as a single parent. This typically means an increase in FTB Part B (no income test for single parents) and potentially higher FTB Part A if your individual income is lower than your combined couple income was. Your Child Care Subsidy (CCS) is also reassessed based on your individual income, which usually results in a higher subsidy percentage. If your deceased partner was the primary carer and you now take over care of the children, transfer the FTB claim to your name. Commonwealth Rent Assistance is recalculated based on your single status and may change. Any Centrelink debts owed by your deceased partner are generally not recovered from you — they are written off from the deceased's estate. However, debts owed jointly (such as FTB reconciliation debts) may still be pursued.
Additional Support Services
Centrelink provides referrals to support services during bereavement. Social workers are available at every Centrelink office — they can help with financial planning, referrals to grief counselling, and connecting you with community support services. The Centrelink social work line can arrange a phone appointment if you cannot visit an office. Beyond Centrelink, the following services are available: Medicare-subsidised grief counselling through a Mental Health Care Plan (up to 10 sessions per year with a psychologist at Medicare rates); GriefLine on 1300 845 745 for free telephone counselling; Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 for mental health support; and state-based bereavement services. If your partner died from a workplace accident, you may be entitled to workers' compensation death benefits through your state WorkCover authority — these are substantial lump sums (typically $400,000 to $800,000 depending on the state) and do not reduce your Centrelink pension as they are compensation, not income.
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General information and estimates only — not financial, tax, or legal advice. Always verify with Services Australia.
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