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Apply for a payment or concession card options online 133-03010000



This document outlines how customers can apply for a payment or concession card online. When a customer contacts about making a claim, recommend they use their Centrelink online account through myGov if suitable. See unable or unsuitable to complete an online claim.

To claim a payment or concession card online, customers must create a myGov account and link Centrelink to it.

Overview of Apply for a payment or concession card options online

Step

Action

1

Before starting an online claim + Read more ...

Customers need to:

  • sign in to myGov and select Centrelink
  • make sure their personal details are correct. Select MENU > My details > Personal and contact details > My profile to make updates:
    • On the My profile page, the customer's record is pre-populated
    • Customers need to select the relevant link such as Update personal details or Update address to make any updates
    • Note: accommodation details are covered in the claim questions
  • select Menu > Payments and claims > Claims > Make a claim

2

Make a Claim page + Read more ...

The Make a Claim page has 10 claim categories and a link to the Payment and Service Finder.

Select Get started in the relevant claim category. These include:

  • Carers
  • Concession Cards
  • Crisis Payment
  • Disabled, ill or injured
  • Families
  • Help in an emergency
  • Job Seekers
  • Older Australians
  • Other payments
  • Students, Trainees and Apprentices

Then select:

  • Apply for <the relevant payment or concession card> to begin, or
  • Return to Make a Claim to go back to the Make a Claim page

3

Eligibility questions + Read more ...

Eligibility check questions will be asked. This guides customers to claim the most appropriate payment or concession card. The online claim will:

  • refer ineligible customers to the Payment and Service Finder, or
  • tell them to contact Services Australia to discuss a more suitable payment

The eligibility questions include a privacy notice. Customers must select Yes to Privacy notice agreement before they can continue with the claim.

4

Starting an online claim + Read more ...

After completing the eligibility check questions, customers can start the claim by selecting:

  • Claim now (for claims on the old platform), or
  • Begin (for claims on the claims on the current platform)

When all questions are complete, the customer will confirm their claim details by:

  • accepting the declaration and acknowledgement
  • selecting Next
  • selecting Confirm Information

Customers can select Launch the digital assistant (on the current platform) throughout the claim to use the digital assistant for help.

The Next steps page tells the customer they need to complete the following tasks to complete their claim:

  • upload their documents by selecting the Upload button next to the relevant task
  • book their appointment (for some payments)
  • submit their claim

Customers will not be able to submit their claim until all required tasks are completed. Exemptions apply for vulnerable customers. For some payments, the customer must also book an appointment before submitting their claim whether an exemption applies or not.

Supplementary tasks do not need to be provided before the claim being submitted or finalised. They are usually requested to assess eligibility for additional assistance and not to determine the claim outcome.

5

Completing and submitting online claims that are on the old online claim platform + Read more ...

The Claim navigation page shows the 4 sections of the claim on the old online claim platform. The customer must complete the following sections in order:

  • Confirm your basic details
  • Tell us about your situation
  • Tell us about your finances
  • Review your claim and submit

Select Get started in each section to begin answering questions.

Each section includes modules with relevant questions. Tabs represent each known module. On each question page, the customer can select:

  • Back to go back to the previous page
  • Save and Exit to save the claim at the current stage
  • Next to move to the next page

Customers can select Help to access help about the current page. Help text will open in a separate window. Printing is available from this window.

Customers complete each section; a particular section contains multiple modules. For example, the Tell us about your finances section contains investments, assets modules etc. When the customer reaches the end of the section, the Claim navigation page shows. The customer can then select the next section.

Customers can change their answers after completing a section. Select Change in that section tile, and then the relevant tab. To go back to the Claim navigation page, select the last module tab, then Next.

Customers can use multiple sessions to complete a claim. Customers can select Save and Exit on the Claim navigation page to save their responses. Incomplete claims expire after 13 weeks.

Customers must answer all mandatory questions to submit their claim.

If the customer confirms they want to cancel their started online claim:

  • the system will create a DOC on their record, and
  • the started online claim will be cancelled

6

Accessing a started online claim + Read more ...

To access their online claim, customers need to:

  • sign in to myGov and select Centrelink
  • from the homepage, select either:
    • MENU > Payments and claims > Claims > My online claims
    • MENU > Payments and claims > Claims > Make a claim

If there are no other claims in progress, the My online claims page will show.

If there are current claims in progress or previous claim history, a summary of their submitted, started, withdrawn and cancelled claims will show.

7

My online claims page + Read more ...

Incomplete claims need additional information the customer must provide to submit their claim, or the customer has started a claim but has not completed it yet. The customer can select Continue claim, to proceed with their claim, or Cancel claim, to cancel it.

Cancelled claims are claims that the customer cancelled before submitting. Before the claim is cancelled, a warning will tell customers:

  • after it is cancelled, this claim cannot be viewed or continued
  • this action cannot be undone

Submitted claims are claims awaiting processing. Customers are unable to edit these claims. Customers can withdraw their claim by selecting Withdraw claim. Customers can also view their submitted claim by selecting View claim.

Completed claims are finished. Customers can select View claim to view either the claim history or claim answers.

Withdrawn claims are claims the customer submitted and then withdrew. A warning will show telling customers that before withdrawing their online claim they:

  • cannot reinstate it
  • cannot appeal this decision

Withdrawing a claim will cancel the claim activity and DOC the record. If the claim withdrawal is not complete, the system will create a Manual Follow-up (MFU).

Withdrawing a claim on behalf of a customer

See Withdrawal of claims.

8

Completing and submitting claims that are on the old online claim platform + Read more ...

On the Review your claim page, customers must:

  • accept a declaration, and
  • confirm the claim details

They will then move to the Next steps page. This means customers who submit an online claim do not need to complete a signed claim form.

Information from My profile will show on the Review your claim page. Select Update to make changes. When complete, a link takes them back to the Review your claim page.

After confirming the claim information, the customer can progress to the Next steps page. The Next steps page asks for additional information or documents. See Item 9.

Claims that use Circumstance Change Monitor (CCM) need all Required tasks to be completed before they can submit their claim (some exceptions apply).

Draft claims will remain available for 13 weeks for most claims.

When a claim expires, it can no longer be accessed and the information will not be saved. If the customer wants to continue claiming a payment, they need to start another claim. All Required tasks must be completed to submit the claim.

When a customer completes Required tasks, they show as Done. The customer can then Submit their claim after all tasks are completed.

The Receipt page will show:

  • Submitted date
  • Claim ID
  • Estimated Completion Date Range (ECDR) - this is a date range based on current processing timeframes (excludes Mobility Allowance and Special Benefit claims) and not the KPI for that payment type. There will be regular ECDR reviews to make sure they align with the most recent processing timeframes. The ECDR is not shown to a customer when a claim is put ‘on hold.’ When the claim comes ‘off hold,’ the days that it was ‘on hold’ for are added to the start date of the ECDR
  • View Claim history and View claim answers option

Customers can withdraw their submitted online claim from the My online claims page.

9

Completing and submitting claims that are on the current online claim platform + Read more ...

The Claim navigation page shows the steps the customer must complete. The customer must complete the steps in the following order:

  • Your personal details
  • Your circumstances
  • Your financial details
  • Review and confirm
  • Next steps

Select Start to begin each step.

Each step includes modules with relevant questions. The customer can select Previous on each page to go back to the previous question.

The Digital Assistant provides help text with the questions on the current page. Select Launch the digital assistant, or highlight the digital assistant text, to access help.

The Claim navigation page will change each step to Completed when the customer has finished it. They can then select Start in the next step.

Customers can change their answers after completing a step. Select Edit in the relevant step to change answers.

Customers can complete a claim over multiple sessions. Customers can leave the Claim navigation page at any time and their responses will be saved.

To be able to submit their claim, customers must:

  • answer all mandatory questions
  • complete all mandatory tasks (unless an exception applies)
  • book an appointment (for some payments)

Customers will need to verify their identity in person when:

An incomplete claim expires after 13 weeks.

Required tasks must be complete to submit the claim. When all Required tasks are complete, select Submit to submit the claim.

Some customers may be exempt.

10

Messages and notifications + Read more ...

Customers will be automatically subscribed to Electronic Messaging (EM) and letters services when they first link their Centrelink online account to myGov. Customers will need to nominate a preferred contact method (SMS or email) for messages and notifications.

Customers with a Centrelink online account linked to their myGov account, will get their Centrelink letters online through their myGov Inbox.

The customer can unsubscribe from the service at any time through the Electronic messaging and letters subscription service in their Centrelink online account. If they do opt out, they will revert to paper correspondence.

If customers want to change how they are notified when they have a new Centrelink letter, this must be done through their myGov Account settings.

11

Uploading documents + Read more ...

Customers can upload further information or documents from the associated task on the:

  • Next steps page of their claim, or
  • their Centrelink online account homepage

This will categorise the documents correctly.

Customers can also select the Claims task on the home screen of the Express Plus Centrelink mobile app to upload their documents.

Uploading a document through a task will mark it as Done, and if they have no other tasks outstanding, they can submit their claim.

See the Resources page for links to:

  • Express Plus Centrelink mobile app help - Upload documents
  • Centrelink online account help - Upload documents

12

Next steps + Read more ...

Customers can access their submitted online claim and return to the Next steps page at any time.

This page contains:

  • confirmation the customer's claim is submitted
  • confirmation of the submission date and claim ID number
  • the next steps the customer must take to finalise their claim, including providing verification documents

The following sections may show:

  • Documents and Forms, this contains:
    • a list of supplementary information and supporting documentation the customer must provide
    • the date these documents are due
    • a link to download or print forms they need
    • an Upload documents button to use the Upload documents service
  • Additional information, this includes:
    • links to further information on the Services Australia website
    • information about withdrawing the claim

13

Printing the online claim + Read more ...

From the Next steps page, the customer can select:

  • View Claim Summary outlining all claim information provided by the customer
  • Documents and forms to download and print other forms

Services Australia can send forms to customers who contact. For example, they may not have access to a printer at home.

14

After the customer submits their claim + Read more ...

Customers can access their submitted online claim to go back to the Claim Details page at any time.

The Claim Details page shows:

  • Claim ID
  • Date of submission
  • 3 phase claim tracker
  • Estimated Completion Date Range (ECDR) - this is a date range based on current processing timeframes (excludes Mobility Allowance and Special Benefit claims) and not the KPI for that payment type. There will be regular ECDR reviews to make sure they align with the most recent processing timeframes. The ECDR is not shown to a customer when a claim is put ‘on hold’. When the claim comes ‘off hold’, the days that it was ‘on hold’ for are added to the start date of the ECDR
  • advice to customers that they do not have to contact the agency or provide further information unless we ask them to, and
  • a link to the While you wait for your Centrelink payment outcome page (in Centrelink online account), that gives helpful information to customers while awaiting their claim outcome. See the Resources page for the link

On the old online claim platform, customers can also view their:

  • online notifications in the Notifications tab
  • tasks in the Tasks tab, and
  • claim responses in the Claim details tab

On the current online claim platform, customers can select:

  • View claim history to view the history of their claim, including any documents or tasks they have completed
  • View claim answers to view the information they provided

When a claim has been submitted, the customer cannot update their online claim details. They will need to contact the agency if they want to provide information in relation to their submitted claim.

Customers can track the progress of their claim using the Claim Tracker.

Customers can withdraw their online claim after they submit it.