Payments for people living with illness, injury or disability

We provide payments and services to help you if you have an illness, injury or a disability that means you cannot work, or can only do a limited amount of work.

Financial support for people sixteen years and above

Disability Support Pension provides financial support if you have a physical, intellectual or psychiatric condition that prevents you from working, or if you are permanently blind.

Sickness Allowance is a short-term payment if you are employed or self-employed, but temporarily cannot work or study because of a medical condition. In some cases full-time students can also get Sickness Allowance.

Mobility Allowance helps if who have a disability, illness or injury to participate in approved activities. The allowance helps with transport costs if you cannot use public transport without substantial assistance, either permanently or for an extended period.

The Pensioner Education Supplement helps you improve your chance of finding a job through study by helping with the ongoing costs of full-time or part-time study in a secondary or tertiary course. The amount of your supplement is based on your study load and the qualifying pension or payment you receive.

There is extra support available to help you find a job, study or train. Read more about these services.

Financial support for children

Child Disability Assistance Payment is an annual payment that helps parents with the costs of caring for a child with a disability.

The Youth Disability Supplement provides additional financial support to young people with a physical, intellectual or psychiatric disability who receive certain income support payments.

Other assistance

Health care

The Continence Aids Payment Scheme helps eligible people with permanent and severe incontinence meet some of the costs of incontinence products.

The External Breast Prostheses Reimbursement Program provides a reimbursement of up to $400 for new or replacement external breast prostheses for women who have had a mastectomy as a result of breast cancer.

Digital TV switchover

Australia is switching off analog TV signals and converting to digital TV. Department of Human Services and Department of Veterans’ Affairs customers may be eligible for the Household Assistance Scheme to help make the change to digital TV.

Telephone Allowance

Telephone Allowance helps with the costs of having a telephone and home internet service. Your eligibility will be assessed when you make a claim for certain Centrelink payments.

Other government and community support services

There are a range of government and community organisations that provide support services and useful information you may find helpful.

Disability Services Australia provides information on employment and community support services for people with a disability.

Health Insite provides information on maintaining health and wellbeing.

JobAccess offers help and workplace solutions for people with a disability looking for work and their employers.

Lifeline provides access to online, phone and face to face crisis support and mental health related services.