Extra financial support coming in March
Hi everyone, Services Australia will be paying the fourth Economic Support Payment to eligible customers from early March.
This $250 payment will automatically go to people who are receiving a pension, Carer Allowance or Carer Payment, Family Tax Benefit and some concession cards on 26 February 2021.
If you’re eligible for the $250, you don’t need to do anything. We will automatically deposit the money into your bank account.
You can check your eligibility for a payment or concession card at our website, servicesaustralia.gov.au/paymentfinder
Overpayments – we’re here to help
When the coronavirus pandemic first hit, the government paused a range of debt raising and recovery work to help ease budget pressures.
That pause has now ended, and this month we’re contacting people who owe money to support them in repaying it.
People don’t need to pay back any money before the due date in their letter, unless they choose to.
If you owe money, we’re here to help you. We can work with you to help you understand the reason for the overpayment, and set up a repayment plan that works best for your situation.
We also have a range of support services to help you. This includes specialist staff, such as social workers, who can provide short-term counselling, information and referrals to other services.
We understand there’s no one size fits all when it comes to repaying money, that’s why we have information to help you make decisions about how you repay the money.
You can manage repayments by using the ‘Money You Owe’ service in your Centrelink online account through myGov and the Express Plus Centrelink mobile app.
We know many Australians are still doing it tough during these challenging times, so we encourage people to contact us on their regular payment line if they need support. More information is also available on our website at: servicesaustralia.gov.au/debts
Until next time,
Hank Jongen
General Manager
Services Australia
Have you got a question for Hank? Email newsletters@yourlifechoices.com.au and he’ll try and answer your questions in next month’s column.
If you enjoy our content, don’t keep it to yourself. Share our free eNews with your friends and encourage them to sign up.
Related articles:
https://www.yourlifechoices.com.au/finance/important-details-on-how-your-income-stream-information-is-updated
https://www.yourlifechoices.com.au/uncategorized/services-australia-using-covid-19-to-transform-centrelink
https://www.yourlifechoices.com.au/age-pension/how-you-can-claim-your-age-pension-from-overseas
