Mobility Allowance (MOB) 008-05000000

To be eligible for MOB a customer must:

• be aged 16 or above
• satisfy residence requirements
• be unable to use public transport without substantial assistance because of a disability, illness, or injury, and
• need to travel to and from home for paid work, voluntary work, study, or training or to look for work

Eligibility for MOB entitles the customer to a Health Care Card (HCC), issued at grant, and reissued in July each year. Dependents of MOB recipients are not included in the HCC entitlement.

A change in the customer's relationship status has no effect on the rate of MOB paid, or their eligibility for MOB.

MOB is not income or assets tested and can be paid at 2 different rates. A customer may qualify for the standard rate or the higher rate if they meet certain additional work related requirements.

Customers can claim MOB at any time without first visiting or calling Services Australia. Customers can access the Payment and Service Finder on the Services Australia website to:

• help them determine if Mobility allowance is an appropriate payment for their circumstances, and
• start their claim

Customers can also start their claim directly by accessing their Centrelink online account.

Once registered, to start an online claim for MOB, customers must:

• Sign into myGov and access their linked Centrelink services
• Select the Payments and Claims > Make a claim > Select:
• Make a claim and
• the Disabled, ill, or injured Title
• Answer some streaming questions on the Check Eligibility screen to check if MOB is the most suitable payment for their circumstances. If the customer would not be eligible for MOB based on their answers to these questions, the online claim will refer them to the appropriate life event to complete a different online claim, if available

If a customer is unable or unsuitable to complete an online claim, for example visually impaired or does not have access to suitable technology to complete an online claim, issue the MOB paper claim. Alternatively, they can access an accessible / electronic version of the Claim for Mobility Allowance form (MA001) on the Services Australia website. They can also use assistive technology to complete the form. The Resources page contains a link to the MA001 form.

Nominees do not have access to lodge online claims. Therefore, issue correspondence nominees with a paper-based claim form to lodge a claim for MOB on behalf of their principal.

From 1 July 2013:

• people who become a participant in the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) are not eligible for MOB. See Eligibility for Mobility Allowance (MOB)
• if a customer's MOB is cancelled due to becoming a participant with the NDIS, the customer remains entitled to receive the Health Care Card (HCC). The HCC automatically re-issues every 12 months to the customer unless the National Disability Insurance agency (NDIA) advise they are no longer a participant with the NDIS

Note: NDIS My Way participants in Western Australia continue to qualify for MOB. See Cancellation and Period of Grace for Mobility Allowance (MOB).

Mobility Allowance (MOB) customers can receive a lump sum advance payment of MOB, equal to 13 fortnightly payments, once in each 12 month period.