Welcome to the Human Services Portfolio

The Human Services Portfolio is about people and the services we may need at different stages of our lives.

It consists of the Portfolio Department of Human Services—including the Child Support Agency and CRS Australia—and the Human Services agencies: Centrelink; Medicare Australia, and; Australian Hearing.

Together the Portfolio Department and the Human Services agencies work to improve government social and health-related services to all Australians.

Human Services Portfolio Budget 2010-11

Human Services Agencies

  • The Child Support Agency (CSA) provides support to separated parents to provide the financial and emotional support necessary for their children’s wellbeing.
  • CRS Australia helps people with a disability, injury or health condition to get and keep a job, by providing individualised vocational rehabilitation, and helping employers to keep their workplaces safe.
  • Centrelink delivers a range of government payments and services to Australians, including retirees, families, carers, parents, people with disabilities, Indigenous people, and people from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, and provides services at times of major change.
  • Medicare Australia looks after the health of Australians through efficient services and payments, such as Medicare, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register and the Australian Organ Donor Register.
  • Australian Hearing provides a full range of hearing services for children and young people up to the age of 21, eligible adults and aged pensioners, and most war veterans.

Caretaker Arrangements

On 19 July 2010 the Australian Government assumed a caretaker role, with an election to be held on 21 August 2010. Information on Human Services Portfolio websites will be published in accordance with the Guidance on Caretaker Conventions circulated by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.

Centrelink and Medicare Australia in one place

As part of the Government’s service delivery reforms, people will soon be able to access more Centrelink and Medicare Australia services under one roof.

Centrelink and Medicare Australia already offer side-by-side services in 19 communities across Australia. This will be expanded from July 2010, when further Centrelink and Medicare Australia offices begin to co-locate.

Our co-located sites bring services together in one place and make it easier for people to deal with Government.

Single website for Human Services Budget information

The 2010-11 Commonwealth Budget was announced on 11 May. Some initiatives may affect those who use Centrelink, the Child Support Agency or Medicare Australia.

We have made it quick and easy to access the information that matters to you by providing a single website for these agencies.

See Human Services Budget 2010-11.