Living with illness or disability
Services and payments are available to help those who have an illness, injury or a disability that prevents them from working. Extra support is also available to find a job or to get training that will increase the chances of finding work.
Who does this information apply to?
This applies to people:
- unable to work because of a disability, illness or injury
- temporarily unable to work because of a medical condition
- who have a disability or are ill or injured but able - with extra help - to do some work, study, train or volunteer
Financial support
CRS Australia provides employment and assessment services to people with a disability, injury or health condition. Find out more at www.crsaustralia.gov.au
If you have a disability, illness or injury that affects your ability to work, you may be able to get payments from the Centrelink program to help you out. The amount and type of payment or service depends on your age, how much work you can do and what help you need to get a job or education and training.
If you are temporarily unable to work because of a medical condition, you can also get financial help from the Centrelink program.
If you can do some paid work, study, training or volunteer work, you can get money and other support through a range of services, including help if you find it hard to keep a job because of your disability.
More information
- Centrelink website - Illness or disability
Mental health
Around one in three Australians will experience a mental illness at some stage in their lives.
Mental illness
- has a high human cost on the people with the illness, family, friends, and colleagues
- can take various forms, has varying shades of severity and affects different people in many different ways, and
- can occur at any point in someone's life but is more common during the teenage years and after age 50.
The Department of Human Services supports the National Mental Health reform and provides a range of services to customers with mental health issues.
More information
- Centrelink website - Illness or disability
- Centrelink website - Social Work Services
- Mental health and wellbeing website - Mental Health in Australia
Health services
If you have a disability or a serious illness, you might need extra medical services. If you need to see a doctor often, have regular tests or take a lot of medication, you could end up with large medical bills.
The Medicare Safety Net and Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) Safety Net can help you with this. Once you qualify for a safety net threshold, visiting your doctor, having tests or buying PBS medicines will be less expensive or free.
If you or your family pay for private health insurance, you can get the Australian Government's Private Health Insurance Rebate on your premiums.
More information
Medicare website