Rise in inflation has led to an increase in the price of all the essential items. This is affecting specially those individuals who are either retired or have fixed or low income. That’s why the Centrelink authority of Australia has decided to make an increase of $400 in the pensions provided to the retirees of the nation. People who receive pension from Centrelink are going to see an increase of $400 in their pensions. Let’s dive more into the $400 Centrelink Payment Benefit in this article.
$400 Centrelink Payment 2024 for Pensioners
The Centrelink who is authorized for the social security benefits in Australia has announced the $400 increment in the payment amount of the pensions. People who are 65 and above are eligible for pension in Australia. This increment has been made with the motive of alleviating financial pressure from the retirees.
As we know, once an individual reaches their pension age, they are left with very few sources of income. Increasing inflation has also made the situation worse. Therefore, this increase in the pension payment has played a significant role in supporting the pensioners of Australia.
Highlights of $400 Centrelink Payment in 2024
Article | $400 Centrelink Payment 2024 |
Country | Australia |
Authority | Centrelink Social Security Agency |
Frequency of Payment | Typically once in two weeks |
Increased Amount | $400 |
Beneficiaries | Pensioners of the nation |
Post Category | Government Aid |
Official Website | Service Australia |
Eligibility Criteria
The payment is available to the people who have retired and are 65 years old and above. However, to qualify the pension payment, the pensioners have to meet these below standards:
- Age Criteria: The retirees who are 65 years old or above.
- Residential Status: The people who are applying for the pension must be living in the country Australia.
- Income Tax Return: Every applicant must have filed their income tax return of previous years before the remittance.
- Income Criteria: The income of the pensioners are also taken into account. Therefore, their income must be in a certain range which was set by the government.
- Spouse Eligibility: If the spouses of the Australian citizens are living in Australia for at least 10 years can also apply for the pension.
- Widows and Surviving Spouses: Widows and surviving spouses are also eligible for the pension payment.
Payment Rates
The payment rates are calculated according to your living situation whether you are living single or as a couple. If there is a separation between law partners then they will receive pension as an individual from the date of their separation. The detailed information of payment rates are mentioned below:
For Individuals:
Particulars | Current Amount | Increased Amount |
Maximum Base Rate | $1002 | $31.00 |
Maximum Pension Rate | $80.70 | $1.40 |
Energy Supplement | $14.10 | – |
Total (per fortnight) | $1096.70 | $32.70 |
Total Annually | $28514 | $850 |
For Couples:
Particulars | Current Amount (individually) | Current Amount (Combined) | Increased Amount (individually) | Increased Amount (Combined) |
Maximum Base Rate | $755.60 | $1511.40 | $23.40 | $46.80 |
Maximum Pension Rate | $60.40 | $120.80 | $1.40 | $2.60 |
Energy Supplement | $10.60 | $21.20 | – | – |
Total (per fortnight) | $826.70 | $1653.40 | $23.70 | $49.20 |
Total Annually | $21494 | $42988 | $642.20 | $1284.20 |
Application Process
Retirees who currently receive pension need not to apply again. However new retirees and those who are about to retire need to apply for the pension. Follow these below steps to apply for the payment:
- Account Creation: People who have not created their account on the official website of MYGov need to create an account first. After creating an account, they need to link it with their Centrelink account.
- Payment and Claim: After successfully linking your account, select the “payment and Claim” option on the main menu dashboard.
- Manage Payment: The beneficiaries will see the options of “Manage Payment” and “Manage Advanced Payment”, they can select one or can select “Centrelink Pension”.
- Fill out the application form: After choosing the option of pension the claimants will be redirected to the application form where they need to fill out all the necessary information on the portal.
- Type of Benefit: Claimants can select the type of payment they want to request for from the drop-down list.
- Payment Amount: Enter the payment amount that you want to claim.
- Confirmation: After successfully submitting the form, a confirmation message will pop up.
Home Page | https://www.easthamptonchamber.com/ |
FAQs about $400 Centrelink Payment 2024
The main purpose of this increase was to provide financial support more efficiently to the pensioners of the nation. Due to increasing inflation, it was an important step that the Centrelink Authority has taken.
The payment is made to the pensioners once in two weeks (fortnightly).
The retirees who are 65 years old and above are entitled for the Centrelink pension in 2024.