Payments & services

Payment Finder

Explore payments based on your situation.

Exceptional Circumstances Relief Payment

We provide payments to support you if you live in rural and remote areas. There are payments and services for eligible farmers dealing with the impacts of climate change or needing extra assistance with the farm business. We can also help with some of the costs of raising children parents in rural and remote areas.

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Support for families

The Transitional Farm Family Payment assists farm families who are experiencing financial difficulty to manage the impacts of climate variability and market fluctuations regardless of location. Income support is paid fortnightly to low-income farm families to assist with basic household needs and improve long term financial security for a period of up to 12 months.

We provide payments to help parents with the cost of child care, and also with the additional costs of educating their children. The Paid Parental Leave scheme provides financial support to eligible working parents when they take time off work to care for a newborn or recently adopted child. There are two payments available under the scheme:

Parental Leave Pay and Baby Bonus cannot be paid for the same child. If you think you are eligible for both, you can choose which payment is the best financial decision for your family by using the Paid Parental Leave Comparison Estimator

The Child Care Benefit helps cover the cost of approved child care, including long day care, family day care, occasional day care, and before- and after-school care. The Child Care Rebate is paid in addition to the Child Care Benefit and covers some out-of-pocket child care expenses for those who are working, training or studying.

The Assistance for Isolated Children Scheme helps if you are a parent of carer of school aged children who cannot go to an appropriate state school because of geographical isolation, disability or special health need.

Accessing government services

We have over 580 Agents and Access Points offer a broad range of government services in rural, regional and remote communities where you can:

  • access Centrelink services, Medicare telephone claiming facilities and other government information
  • use our computer, phone, fax and photocopier for your government and job seeking needs.

To find your nearest Agent or Access Point go to Find Us.

Our Mobile Service Centres help people in rural and regional communities who might not otherwise be able to access Government services. The Mobile Service Centres can help you get the payments and services you may be entitled to.

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.

Australian Apprenticeships provides information and resources about Australian apprenticeships and the support available.

Australia.gov.au connects you to information and services across Australia including support for people in rural and regional Australia.

My skills aims to connect students and employers with training organisations and provides information about Vocational Education and Training (VET) and Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) in Australia.

Study Assist provides information to current and prospective students about Australian Government assistance for financial tertiary study including information about subsidised fees and government loans.