Skip to navigation Skip to content

Employment income options online 133-04180030



This document outlines options for customers using their Centrelink online account. They can advise a change to their employment status and check when they need to report, their reporting history and their working, credit, income bank or work bonus balances. Principal carer customers can also provide a reason if they are unable to meet their mutual obligation requirements.

On this page:

Starting employment

Next reporting periods

View and update employment income

Job seekers unable to meet mutual obligation requirements

Stopped work

View details in Customer First

View details in Process Direct

Starting employment

Table 1

Step

Action

1

Access menu option + Read more ...

Sign in to myGov and select Centrelink.

From the homepage MENU, select Income and assets > Employment Income > Report employment income.

2

Partner status + Read more ...

Does the customer have a partner?

3

Specific action for some customers + Read more ...

Eligible customers can update their employment status to turn on their and/or their partner’s reporting requirement, if they are:

  • receiving Carer Payment (CP), Age Pension (AGE) and Parenting Payment (PP) (single and partnered)
  • without mutual obligations or participation requirements, and/or
  • their partner is not in receipt of a DSP, Age Pension (Blind) or DSP (Blind) without RA

Is the customer currently receiving one of these eligible payments?

  • Yes, the customer can update their and/or their partner’s employment income details
  • No, the customer can only update their own employment income details

4

Report employment income + Read more ...

The customer can view and update employment income for a current employer. If it is a new employer, they can select Add pay, then Add new employer and follow the prompts to add the employer details. The customer can select the employer they need to add pay details for and then Next to report paid income as:

  • regular paid income
  • one-off paid income

For more information, go to Reporting employment income online.

5

Add pay + Read more ...

The customer needs to enter information about any gross employment income they were paid in the last 2 weeks, this includes:

  • date paid
  • gross amount paid (before tax and deductions)
  • if it included any back pay
  • if the pay period is longer than a fortnight

The date paid is the date their employer paid them, as stated on their payslip. This date can be different to when the customer receives the payment in their bank account.

Select Continue.

6

Add Hours + Read more ...

If required, the customer must enter the hours they or their partner worked for each employer during their reporting period, to the nearest hour.

7

Review and Submit + Read more ...

The customer can review each section of information they have provided and edit any details if required.

Before being able to submit their employment income details, a declaration advises the customer of their obligations. The customer needs to select the declaration checkbox in order to continue and select Submit.

8

Receipt page + Read more ...

This page shows:

  • information the customer has provided
  • their next reporting day
  • information about their obligations now that they are a statement reporter
  • working credit, income bank or work bonus bank balances
  • details of new tasks added to their Centrelink online account homepage

Procedure ends here.

Next reporting periods

Table 2

Item

Description

1

Which customers can use this service? + Read more ...

Check the customer's Reporting Regime Summary (RPRS):

  • Report Type must be EAN or S19
  • Frequency must be 2WE

The system checks if the customer is, or is not, a statement reporting customer. Future reporting dates do not show if the customer does not need to report.

Eligible customers can use the Report employment income service to advise if they have received their first payment after starting work. When they can update their paid income, this will turn on fortnightly reporting.

2

How many reporting dates show? + Read more ...

Up to 6 reporting dates and reporting periods show.

A message tells the customer they need to report every 2 weeks on the dates shown.

If a customer is on variable reporting, only the dates within the next 12 weeks will show.

3

The page says I am not required to report + Read more ...

The customer may have been changed to Lodgement not Required.

Check the Reporting Regime Summary (RPRS) screen and advise the customer.

Reinforce to the customer the need to advise any future changes of circumstances, including if they start paid employment again, within 14 days of the change occurring.

4

I thought I was due to report on the 9th, but the page says the 8th + Read more ...

Holiday processing can affect the reporting date.

In this case, the customer needs to report early.

Check the RPRS screen, Payment Summary (PS) or Payment Details (PD) screens. Advise the customer.

5

The page says 'it's too late for me to report online' + Read more ...

Customers should report within 13 days of their reporting date. If the customer misses 2 reports in a row, their payment will automatically cancel.

The customer must contact Services Australia to speak to a Service Officer. They may ask for a review of the decision if their payment has been cancelled.

If the customer is a jobseeker, follow the late lodgement process.

For all other customers, update their record and restore payment if they give a suitable reason for not reporting on time and are contacting within 13 weeks of the cancellation being notified. Encourage them to complete all of their outstanding reports using the REI service.

If the customer does not contact in relation to the cancellation within 13 weeks of notification, their payment cannot be restored. They will have to complete a new claim if they want to get payments again.

Action the request for a review.

View and update employment income

Table 3

Item

Description

1

Working age customers + Read more ...

  • One off income is employment income recorded with a frequency of IOP (income for one period) or LOP (long period) in the last 2 weeks. LOP is the frequency used for all confirmed STP income
  • Reporting frequency. Most job seekers and other customers with paid employment income report fortnightly. Some report less often, every 4 to 12 weeks
  • These customers are eligible for Working Credit or Income Bank

2

Pensioners of Age Pension age + Read more ...

  • One off income is employment income recorded with a frequency of IOP (income for one period) or LOP (long period) in the last 2 weeks. LOP is the frequency used for all confirmed STP income
  • Reporting frequency. They can be either:
    • stimulus customers who must contact on their Entitlement Period End Date to be paid
    • notification reporters who must notify changes to their circumstances (including employment income) within 14 days of the change

Continuing income is stable income recorded with a frequency of 1WE, 2WE or MTE where eligibility for an income frequency exemption has been met.

These customers are not eligible for Working Credit. They may be eligible for Work Bonus.

3

Income excluded + Read more ...

This service will not show the following types of income from all employers (STP and non-STP):

  • income from self-employment
  • superannuation pensions
  • foreign income
  • professional fees
  • income assigned by another person

The following types of income will also not show for non-STP employers:

  • leave payments
  • compensation payments
  • royalties or industry bonuses
  • some allowances paid by an employer for work-related expenses (but if the allowance is more than the actual expense, the extra amount is included as employment income)
  • remuneration for professional sport and sales commissions

Customers can view the income types above using the Manage income and assets service.

4

When no record shows + Read more ...

If the partner had no income and the customer does not have permission to enquire, the following message shows: 'You have/Your partner has no current employment income recorded. If you need to report changes to your income, please contact Centrelink'.

5

View Employment income details + Read more ...

Details come from the Employment Income Summary (EANS) screen.

Customers can view income reported in the last 6 reporting periods via the View and update employment income option. Customers can update income from non-STP employers reported during this period.

Customers can select View details or Edit for the relevant previous reporting period.

The previously confirmed information displays under headings of Gross Pay and Hours.

The details will show the income and hours relevant to the customer (My Pay) and their partner (Partner’s Pay).

  • Employer name/Alias name. Confirmed or matched pre-filled Single Touch Payroll (STP) employer name and Australian Business Number (ABN) or Withholding Payer Number (WPN) or Employer Alias Name will show from the EANS screen
  • Gross assessable income and date paid as reported
  • Hours worked

6

Previous reporting period looks wrong + Read more ...

An example would be that the amount covers more than the last fortnight.

The system checks for the customer's reporting periods over the last 12 weeks. It then displays employment income for those reporting periods.

As the customer did not need to report for a period, the system shows them details from an earlier period.

Check the RPRS screen to see if the customer's reporting regime has changed.

7

Reported amounts look wrong + Read more ...

The system adds up income reported for a period. Employment income may be apportioned over reporting periods. For example, the customer reports every 2 weeks but their employment income is paid monthly.

Amounts not treated as employment income are excluded. These include certain types of allowances (for example, reimbursement of customer's expenses to perform employment, see Assessment of employment income for Centrelink payments.)

Foreign Income does not show. Check the Foreign Income Paid Details (FEIP) screen.

Tell the customer that the income is the total of all amounts declared for the period shown.

Job seekers unable to meet mutual obligation requirements

Table 4

Item

Description

1

Job seekers temporarily unable to meet mutual obligations + Read more ...

Job seekers temporarily unable to meet their mutual obligation requirements can advise when they report.

Customers can advise of the reasonable excuse through their Centrelink online account, the Express Plus Centrelink mobile app, or when they contact, and staff use the Earnings and Reporting workflow.

For more information, see Reporting employment income online.

Stopped work

Table 5

Step

Action

1

Access menu option + Read more ...

Sign in to myGov and select Centrelink.

Select either:

  • the Report income task from the homepage
  • MENU then Income and assets > Employment income > Report employment income

2

No employment income + Read more ...

When customers stop working for a Single Touch Payroll (STP) employer, STP cessation data may be shown to customers during reporting. If the customer confirms cessation of work, and is in receipt of a payment not subject to mutual obligation requirements, they will be taken off statement reporting after 6 fortnights, unless the customer and/or partner has other employment income.

Customers who do not have mutual obligation requirements and have ceased work for a non-STP employer will be changed to a notification reporter when there are no longer 2 instances of employment income in the last 6 entitlement periods.

3

Review and submit + Read more ...

The customer will be able to review the information provided and edit any details if required.

Before being able to submit their report, a declaration advises the customer of their obligations. The customer needs to select the declaration checkbox to continue and select Submit.

If the customer accepts the declaration:

  • they are declaring the information they are providing is true
  • they will no longer have to report fortnightly

They are advised they must inform the agency if they start work again.

View details in Customer First

Table 6: How to view details after Youth Allowance (student), ABSTUDY and Austudy customers have updated their employment status online.

Step

Action

1

Online Interaction Summary screen + Read more ...

In the customer's record, go to Workspace. Scroll down to the heading Customer Online Account.

Select the relevant interaction.

Information displays as on the customer’s receipt page when they updated their employment income online.

The details depend on whether the customer has updated their employment status.

2

Commenced work + Read more ...

If the customer advises they or their partner started work, the following information displays:

  • information the customer provided (copy of their receipt)
  • date(s) they or their partner were paid employment income
  • employers, income and hours worked in previous reporting periods
  • whether their partner's reporting requirements were changed

View details in Process Direct

Table 7: How to view details after AGE, CAR and PP (single and partnered) customers have updated their employment status online.

Step

Action

1

Inbox tile + Read more ...

If online updates are not successful, and the customer is advised to contact Services Australia, staff can action this in Process Direct.

The work item can be located in 2 ways from the Inbox tile:

  • Under Main category, select Change of circumstances
    • Search for the Customer Reference Number (CRN)
  • Under Claim ID
    • Search for the customer’s interaction receipt number. This can be located in Notes section

Select the Update Report Regime under the work item list. This will open the customer record in Process Direct.

Select the arrow icon Show the claim overview from the menu bar at the top left of the screen to open slider.

Information on the slider displays as it does on the customer’s receipt page when they updated their employment status online.

2

Notes + Read more ...

The customer’s current status on the record before their online update, will display whether they:

  • have mutual obligation requirements
  • are working and have continuous income
  • are a stimulus or variable reporter
  • are allowed to update their reporting regime