National Relay Service
The National Relay Service (NRS) makes it easier for you to contact Centrelink if you are deaf or have a hearing or speech impairment.
The NRS is a free telephone service that helps people Australia-wide who are deaf or hearing or speech impaired to telephone the wider community through a third person. The NRS operates 24 hours a day, every day of the year. There is no cost for using this service apart from the normal call costs.
When you contact Centrelink via the NRS, your call is answered by a Relay Officer who contacts Centrelink on your behalf and acts as the central communication point between yourself and Centrelink. As you type your enquiry, the Relay Officer becomes your 'voice' and reads this to the Centrelink Customer Service Adviser. The Relay Officer then listens to the response and types it back for you to read.
All calls are confidential and Relay Officers are bound by similar privacy conditions to Centrelink staff.
Next Steps
To contact Centrelink using the National Relay Telephone service:
TTY users (Voice and TTY) - a TTY phone is required to use this service.
- 13 3677 for all calls within Australia
- FreeCall 1800 555 677 for all calls within Australia to 1800 numbers.
Speak and listen users (speech-to-speech relay)
- 1300 555 727 for all calls within Australia
- Freecall 1800 555 727 for all calls within Australia to 1800 numbers.
Internet relay users
- Visit the National Relay Service website and enter the Centrelink phone number you would like to use.