Someone to deal with us on your behalf
If you would prefer to have someone else handle your Centrelink business on your behalf you can authorise a person or organisation to be your nominee or make enquiries only. Nominee arrangements allow you to authorise someone to act and/or receive your Centrelink payments on your behalf. Alternatively, you can authorise a person or organisation to make enquiries only on your behalf. This is referred to as a Person Permitted to Enquire.
Correspondence nominee
A correspondence nominee can do most of your business related to Centrelink services, including:
- advising of changes to your circumstances
- making enquiries
- completing and signing forms and statements
- attending appointments with you or, if appropriate, on your behalf
- receiving a copy of your mail from us.
Payment nominee
A payment nominee is a person or organisation you authorise to receive your Centrelink payments. A payment nominee:
- can only use your payments for your benefit
- must keep records of the payments they received on your behalf and how they spent the money for your benefit.
You can choose to have only one type of nominee or both. You can authorise different people for each role or the same person for both.
Authorising a person or organisation to be your nominee does not prevent you from conducting your own Centrelink business with us. Nominee arrangements are usually voluntary and can be cancelled at any time by contacting us (unless the arrangement is legally enforced, for example a court appointed arrangement).
Authorising a Person Permitted to Enquire
This arrangement authorises a person or organisation to only make limited enquiries about your Centrelink payments and services on your behalf. This is not a nominee arrangement.
Using Online services
If you and your proposed nominee are registered for online services and have the required access level, you can request the appointment of a nominee through your online account. Your nominee can use online services to complete business for you and themselves.
Register for online services
Nominees will need to register for online services. Once registered they can also subscribe to view and print Centrelink letters online.
If you are not registered, or are unable to use online services, you need to fill in an Authorising a person or organisation to enquire or act on your behalf form, and return the completed form to your nearest DHS Service Centre.