Dealing with Centrelink

After the death of a family member from cancer, the financial side of grief often hits in waves. You may not be able to work, you may be supporting children who have lost a parent or sibling, and the income that used to keep the household running may have stopped.

Centrelink payments that may apply for grieving families include the Bereavement Payment (a lump sum after the death of a partner or dependent child, paid through Centrelink), the continuing partner pension or allowance entitlements, JobSeeker Payment with a medical exemption if you cannot work due to grief affecting your mental health, Family Tax Benefit Part A and Part B for surviving parents with dependent children, and Pensioner Education Supplement. Centrelink also offers a Bereavement Notification service that flags the death across linked services so you do not have to make multiple separate calls.

When you are grieving, paperwork and government systems are the last thing you have energy for. Cancer Hub’s intake team can help you work through what you may be eligible for, what to apply for first, and what to do about the things that need to stop.

Call 1800 431 312 or visit cancerhub.org.au/get-support.

After the death of a family member from cancer, financial help is available both for the immediate bereavement period and for the longer adjustment that follows.

Centrelink offers the Bereavement Payment (a lump sum after the death of a partner or dependent), continuing entitlements for partners and dependants, JobSeeker Payment with a medical exemption, Family Tax Benefit Part A and Part B for surviving parents, Pensioner Education Supplement, and Crisis Payment for severe financial hardship. The Centrelink Bereavement Notification service flags the death across linked services so duplicate paperwork is reduced. On the charity side, Financial Assistance (Redkite), accessed through Cancer Hub, may help with essential family costs depending on your circumstances.

Grief and admin do not mix well. The most useful thing you can do is let someone else help you map out which payments to apply for, in what order, and what supporting documents you will need. The Cancer Hub intake team can do that with you.

Bereavement Payment is a Centrelink lump sum after the death of a partner, dependent child, or person you were caring for. You claim it through Centrelink, usually within 14 weeks of the death.

Eligibility depends on your relationship to the person who died and whether you or they were receiving a Centrelink payment at the time. The Bereavement Notification service lets you tell Centrelink once and have the death flagged across linked services — Medicare, the Australian Tax Office, and other agencies — so you do not have to make multiple separate calls. To start, contact Centrelink directly or use the Bereavement Notification form on the Services Australia website. The Cancer Hub intake team can help you work through what to claim first and what supporting documents you will need.

Bereavement admin is one of the cruellest parts of grief — paperwork at the worst possible time. You do not have to do it alone. Grief and Bereavement Support is also available through Cancer Hub.

Call 1800 431 312 or visit our support page to see how you can get in touch.

If your partner was receiving a Centrelink payment at the time of death, the rate may continue at a bereavement rate for up to 14 weeks. Your own entitlements may also adjust depending on your circumstances.

Specifically, if your partner was on a pension (Age Pension, Disability Support Pension, Carer Payment), you may receive a bereavement period of up to 14 weeks at the higher couple rate before transitioning to your own payment. If you were not on a Centrelink payment yourself, you may need to apply for JobSeeker Payment, Parenting Payment, or another income support payment after your partner’s death. Family Tax Benefit Part A and Part B continue for surviving parents with dependent children, often with rate adjustments. The Pensioner Concession Card or Health Care Card may also apply. Grief and Bereavement Support is available alongside the financial admin.

Working out which payments continue, which need to be applied for, and which need to be stopped is a lot. The intake team can help.

Call 1800 431 312 or visit our support page to see how you can get in touch.

Centrelink offers a Bereavement Payment lump sum that can be used toward funeral costs, plus the Funeral Bond exemption and (in some cases) the Pension Bonus Bereavement Payment.

If you are on a low income, the Department of Social Services may offer additional support. Some state-based programs cover funeral costs for low-income families – these vary by state. Financial Assistance (Redkite) may help with related family expenses in the period after a death, depending on circumstances. Funeral insurance and funeral bonds, if your family member held them, will operate separately from Centrelink.

Funeral costs in Australia can run into many thousands of dollars at a time when household income has already taken a hit. There are options. The Cancer Hub intake team can help you understand what may be available for your situation alongside the bereavement payments you may already qualify for.

Call 1800 431 312 or visit our support page to see how you can get in touch.

Family Tax Benefit Part A and Part B continue for surviving parents with dependent children, usually with rate adjustments based on your new household income.

You will need to update your circumstances with Centrelink — partner status, income, household composition — and your payment will be recalculated. If you were not previously claiming Family Tax Benefit because your partner’s income was too high, you may now qualify. Centrelink also offers the Bereavement Notification service to update multiple agencies in one go. Parenting Payment may also apply if you have children under 6 (for single parents) or under 8 (for partnered parents who are now single). The Pensioner Concession Card and Health Care Card may apply alongside, reducing costs for medicines and utilities.

Family Tax Benefit is one of the payments that often gets adjusted upward after a partner’s death — but only if you update Centrelink. Do not assume the system will catch it.

Call 1800 431 312 or visit our support page to see how you can get in touch.

The standard Bereavement Period for Centrelink payments is up to 14 weeks after the death of a partner, during which time the deceased’s pension or allowance may continue to be paid at a bereavement rate.

After the 14 weeks, you transition to your own ongoing income support – JobSeeker, Parenting Payment, Age Pension, Disability Support Pension or another payment depending on your circumstances. Family Tax Benefit continues ongoing for surviving parents with dependent children. One-off payments like Bereavement Payment lump sum and Crisis Payment for severe hardship are not ongoing. Some entitlements (Pensioner Concession Card, Health Care Card) continue based on your new payment status.

The 14-week bereavement period is a financial buffer, not a long-term answer. Use the time to get your ongoing income support sorted with the intake team’s help.

Call 1800 431 312 or visit our support page to see how you can get in touch.