How Easter and Anzac Day will affect your Age Pension payment

Public holidays are a much-loved part of Australian life, but they can disrupt normal services such as Centrelink payments over Good Friday, Easter holidays and Anzac Day.

Services Australia, the body that delivers government payments and services, says there will be changes to opening hours and Centrelink payments and services over Easter.

Services Australia and Centrelink offices will be closed on Good Friday (7 April 2023) and Easter Monday (10 April 2023). They’ll also be closed on Anzac Day (25 April 2023).

This may mean changes to your reporting and payment dates. And you may even get your Centrelink payment early.

If you don’t need to report employment income, Centrelink will pay you early.

“We won’t delay payments because of a public holiday, but we may pay you earlier than normal. An early payment is your normal payment, just paid early,” Centrelink advises.

“Where we pay an early payment, we pay as close to and before your normal payment day. You’ll need to budget so this payment lasts until your next payment day.”

Services Australia general manager Hank Jongen said self-service options would continue to be available during this period.

Centrelink says that if you report early during your assessment period, you’ll need to include what you expect to be paid for your full period.

“You must also do this for any other changes that may affect your payment. If you make a mistake, you can correct your report within 14 days, or when you next report.

“If you report after your assessment period, we’ll pay you after you report to us. You may want to do this so you can be sure of your employment income or changes to your circumstances.”

To report you can use:

• your Centrelink online account through myGov
• Express Plus Centrelink mobile app
• phone self service.

Centrelink says you must report when you are due, so it can pay you.

If you receive any of the payments or allowances listed below, your Centrelink payment reporting dates have changed.

• JobSeeker Payment
• Partner Allowance
• Widow Allowance
• Austudy
• Farm Household Allowance
• Special Benefit
• Status Resolution Support Services Payment.

If you receive any of the payments or allowances listed below, your Centrelink payment reporting dates have also changed.

• Age Pension
• Disability Support Pension
• Double Orphan Pension
• Parenting Payment
• Pensioner Education Supplement
• ABSTUDY
• Carer Payment
• Carer Allowance
• a families payment.

If you receive a JobSeeker Payment, Partner Allowance, Widow Allowance, Austudy, Special Benefit, or Status Resolution Support Services Payment, and don’t need to report employment income, Centrelink will pay you early.

If you receive the Age Pension, Disability Support Pension, Pensioner Education Supplement, Carer Payment, Carer Allowance, or families payment and don’t need to report, you will also be paid early.

You can still use your Centrelink online account through myGov, or the Express Plus mobile apps, or Centrelink phone self service system to do any of the following:

• report your income
• view your reporting dates for the next 12 weeks
• change some of your appointments
• apply for an advance payment
• request a document.

You can still report your income, even when Centrelink is closed. However, if you do this on a public holiday you will be paid after the public holiday.

For more information, click here.

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