Changing address for customers in care of a state guardianship authority 102-03010080

This document outlines information which must be taken into account prior to changing the address of a customer who is the responsibility of the Protective Office or Guardianship Authority (which may also be known as the Protective Commissioner, or Guardianship Board).

Change of address

As a change of address can affect a customer's qualification for, and rate of, payment, Centrelink must have a record of the current address details for all customers. When a customer changes their address, either temporarily or permanently, Centrelink must be notified of this change in circumstances within 14 days of the customer moving.

Note: Centrelink can accept information from any source about a customer's circumstances without confirming or disclosing that the person is a customer of Centrelink. However, before action is taken on the information provided, staff must be confident that the person providing the information is competent to provide accurate information.

Protective Office/Guardianship Authority

In some cases, the Protective Office/Guardianship Authority is responsible for overseeing the affairs of a person who is deemed to be legally unable to competently handle their own affairs. The level of involvement by this authority can vary from simply watching over the person, to total control of the person's activities. In most cases the authority handles the financial affairs of a person, and in some instances, the customer's record may show the Protective Office/Guardianship Board (or other state based name for this authority) as the customer's address. In this case, the Protective Office/Guardianship Board is the customer's Correspondence nominee.

If a customer who is under the responsibility of this authority contacts Centrelink to change their address (or any other circumstances), the information should be taken and confirmed with the State authority before the record is updated.

Related links

Accepting information from nominees

Changing address (CLK)

Obligations of nominees