Urgent Centrelink deadline for young Australians to avoid payment suspension

Students and apprentices across Australia could see their welfare payments suddenly stop unless they respond to a critical Centrelink letter before Christmas. See how to avoid losing out.

Australians who receive the Youth Allowance or ABSTUDY have been warned not to miss a crucial deadline or risk having their payments stopped or suspended.

Centrelink will send a letter to help work out recipients’ payment rates – which may increase or decrease depending on how much parents or guardians get.

See what you need to know below.

Young Aussies have been warned not to ignore a letter or they will be at risk of losing their payments. Picture: Supplied

WHAT IS THE LETTER?

The letter explains how those entitled to Youth Allowance or ABSTUDY need to update Centrelink with the income of their parent or guardian – as this impacts the amount received.

Depending on how much parents or guardians earn, payments may increase or decrease.

Services Australia said: “If you get Youth Allowance or ABSTUDY, and we sent you a letter asking for your parents’ or guardians’ income, it’s time to get it to us.”

I GOT THE LETTER: WHAT DO I DO?

If you got the letter, this means you need to update Centrelink with your parents or guardian’s income.

This can be done by using the password that will be enclosed in the letter and following the steps provided which will take you to a specific website.

“Your parent needs to use the one-time code in your letter to send us their details online,” Services Australia added.

I DIDN’T GET THE LETTER: WHAT DO I DO?

If you didn’t get the letter then this means that your Centrelink is already fully up to date.

The Australian government has all the information they need and you do not need to do anything.

Centrelink may require updated information for students receiving Youth Allowance or ABSTUDY. Picture: Supplied

IS THERE A DEADLINE?

The due date will be outlined in the letter – if you do not update your details by the stated time then your Youth Allowance or Abstudy payments might stop.

If your payments have been suspended you are still able to update you details by mid-December for Youth Allowance.

Those on ABSTUDY are able to respond to the letter by December 31.

However if you skip these deadlines your payments can be revoked entirely.

WHAT IS YOUTH ALLOWANCE?

Youth Allowance is a fortnightly payment from Centrelink that helps young Australians cover living and study costs while they’re studying, training or completing an apprenticeship.

It’s available to people aged 16 to 24 who are full-time students, Australian Apprentices, or looking for work.

How much you receive depends on whether you live at home or away from home, and on your income and assets – plus your parents’ income, which is what the letter is detailing.

Currently, the maximum rate is about $663 a fortnight for those living away from home and $472 a fortnight for those living at home.

Students are expected to respond to the letter by mid-late December. Picture: Supplied

WHAT IS ABSTUDY?

ABSTUDY is a government payment that helps Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students with the costs of studying or training.

It provides financial support for those in secondary school, TAFE, university, or doing an apprenticeship.

Depending on your situation, ABSTUDY can help cover things like living expenses, travel to and from home, books, and tuition fees.

Like Youth Allowance, how much you receive depends on factors such as your age, income, and whether you live at home or away.

The goal of ABSTUDY is to make it easier for Indigenous students to stay in education without financial barriers.

Originally published as Urgent Centrelink deadline for young Australians to avoid payment suspension