Payment and Service Finder 133-17022400

Access Payment and Service Finder from:

• Payment and Service Finder website page. The Resources page contains a link to the service
• Centrelink online account - from the homepage MENU, select Payments and claims, then Claims, and Payment and Service Finder
• Customer First - Workspace, select Customer Online Account, then Payment and Service Finder

Select the options that best describe the user's situation.

Some questions will have a question mark icon. The user can select this for more information about the question.

A disclaimer advises the user that Payment Finder results:

• are a guide only and do not guarantee eligibility for payments
• do not take into account all their circumstances

Users can look for payments or services.

For:

• payments, go to Step 3
• services, go to Step 5

The Payment and Service Finder takes about five minutes to complete.

If users access the Payment and Service Finder in their Centrelink online account, they can choose at the beginning of the service to prefill certain details from their record.

The following disclaimer shows before the user selects Begin:

‘The results of this estimator are a guide, and do not guarantee your eligibility for payments. The estimator does not take into account all of your circumstances. Before you continue, please read this important information about the Payment Finder.’

When they select important information, a new window opens that shows more disclaimer information,

‘The results from this service are indicative only and are not a guarantee of payments.

Based on the information you provide the service will suggest payments for you to explore further. If any information you provide is incorrect, the payments displayed could also be incorrect. Changes to policy, the law, your circumstances and future events may mean that the payment you actually receive differs from the results provided

For a wide range of reasons the results generated by the service may not be accurate in particular cases, for example, the service does not take into account:

• if you are repaying any money to Centrelink, or have had your payment reduced, or;
• the complete assets test, or;
• if you are subject to a waiting or preclusion period, or;
• if you are paid under an International Social Security Agreement, or;
• if you are overseas.

The Australian Government:

• disclaims, any representations and warranties, express or implied, of any kind in respect of the Service, and;
• shall not be liable for any loss or damage whatsoever (including loss or damage caused by human, technical or processing error or malfunction, or negligence of any kind or loss or damage that is incidental or consequential) arising out of or in connection with any use of, or reliance on the Service.’

The user needs to select I understand to close the disclaimer and continue.

The service asks the users questions about:

• Residence
• Relationship status
• Age
• Accommodation
• Work or study circumstances
• Family circumstances
• Health circumstances
• Other circumstances
• Crisis situations
• Farmer, Rural, Indigenous identity, Australian residency and refugee status, recently arrived in Australia
• Income and assets

The results Payment and Service Finder provides are a guide only. Tell the user the service:

• does not consider all circumstances, and
• is not a guarantee of payment eligibility

The user selects Show results after they enter all answers.

Based on the answers given, the service shows payments and concession cards the user may want to explore.

Each payment or concession card option shown includes a summary and a link to a Find out more option to select.

Payments that can be estimated will also provide an Estimate rate now option to select.

Users can:

• change their answers by selecting Change
• select View services if there are also other services in their area that can help them in addition to the payments listed

This page shows a list of payments that may be available based on the user's answers.

It may include payments or benefit types, for example:

• Youth Allowance - Student
• JobSeeker Payment
• Low Income Health Care Card
• Medicare safety net

The payments listed include basic information, including:

• a description of the payment
• eligibility basics
• a link to more information on the Services Australia website about the payment
• a link to estimate their rate of Centrelink payment (if applicable)

Users can learn more about government and community organisation support in their state or territory that may help them.

The service asks the user to select their state or territory and then any of the following categories:

• Disability and carers support
• Education
• Employment
• Family and domestic violence
• Health
• Housing
• Legal services
• Mental health
• Money
• Older Australians
• Raising Children
• Relationships
• Separated parents
• Travelling

The user can select more than one category.

After answering the above, they then select:

• Next, and
• Show results

Based on their answers, services show that the user may want to explore.

The services show in categories, with links the users can access.

Users can:

• change their answers by selecting Change
• select View payments to go to the Payment Finder

The results the Payment and Service Finder shows are a guide only. Tell the user the service:

• does not consider all their circumstances, and
• is not a guarantee of payment eligibility

Payments may include:

• ABSTUDY
• Age Pension
• Austudy
• Carer Payment
• Child Care Subsidy
• Disability Support Pension
• Family Tax Benefit
• JobSeeker Payment
• Parenting Payment (single and partnered)
• Special Benefit
• Tertiary Access Payment
• Youth Allowance (student and jobseeker)

The service provides the user with options including:

• estimating their child support entitlement as part of this calculation
• Rent Assistance (if included as a component of a payment listed above)
• comparing Family Tax Benefit with Youth Allowance/ABSTUDY payments

Users can select Estimate rate now, then Begin. The service will estimate the amount of payment.

It will then prompt them to answer some extra questions. These questions will vary depending on the payment type.

The questions may ask details about:

• income (for example, employment income, income streams income, real estate income, other Government payment income, compensation income, direct deduction income or any other income)
• assets (for example, savings/bank account balance, shares, managed investments, real estate assets, foreign assets, household contents, motor vehicles or any other assets)
• independence (for example, if estimating for Youth Allowance - Student payment)
• family income estimate (if estimating for Family Tax Benefit)
• parent/guardian details (for example, if estimating for Youth Allowance - Student payment)
• family circumstances
• family member details. For example, when estimating for Youth Allowance - Student payment, the service asks about other people who are dependent on the same parent/guardian

Users can select Show results after answering the above.

Based on the answers given, an estimated payment rate per fortnight shows.

Users can also:

• see a breakdown of the estimate
• read more information
• estimate again to go back and review what they provided
• estimate another payment using the details already provided

The rate estimator is not a standalone service. Users can only access it by answering the Payment Finder questions first.

When the user completes the questions, the results page shows. This includes possible payments and a net estimate of the rate.

Learn more provides a link to further information, including how to claim online.

Back to Payment Results allows the user to select another payment to estimate. The responses they gave will prefill into the estimator where possible. This means the user will not have to re-enter details.

If the user wants to start again, they can select Estimate again.

Users who access Payment and Service Finder through their Centrelink online account will get a link to start an online claim.