factsheet
Crisis Payment
This factsheet explains who can receive Crisis Payment.
 What is Crisis Payment?
Crisis Payment is a one-off Centrelink payment you can get if you:

have to leave your home due to extreme circumstances;

remained in your home after a family member left or was removed due to domestic
violence;

are released from prison;

are released as an involuntary patient from a psychiatric hospital; or

arrived in Australia on a qualifying humanitarian (refugee) visa.
 General rules for all types of Crisis Payment
To qualify for Crisis Payment you must be:

in “severe financial hardship”;

living in Australia; and

eligible for another Social Security pension or benefit (including Special Benefit).
You must also lodge a claim form at Centrelink within the time limits (see below for details).
 People who leave home due to “extreme circumstances”
To get Crisis Payment due to extreme circumstances you must have left your home (and intend to
establish a new home) because of “extreme circumstances” such as:

domestic or family violence;

abuse of some kind (eg verbal, psychological or sexual abuse); or

health risks (eg flooding of your home or a factory fire in the vicinity of your home).
These are only examples of what is an “extreme circumstance”. If you are forced to leave your
family home for other reasons you should see if you are eligible for Crisis Payment.
 Victims of domestic violence who remain in their homes
Crisis Payment can be paid to a person who remains in the home after a family member leaves or
is removed because of domestic violence. To get Crisis Payment in this situation you must:

have been subjected to domestic violence by a family member who left or was removed
from the home because of the violence; and

have been living with the family member at the time of the violence; and

continue to live in the home.
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 People released from prison or a psychiatric hospital
To get Crisis Payment after release from prison or a psychiatric hospital you must have been detained
for at least 14 days.
 Qualifying humanitarian (refugee) visa holders
To get Crisis Payment as a newly arrived refugee, you must have arrived in Australia for the first time
as the holder of one of the following visas:

subclass 200 – Refugee;

subclass 201 – In-country Special Humanitarian;

subclass 202 – Global Special Humanitarian;

subclass 203 – Emergency Rescue; or

subclass 204 – Women at Risk.
 What does “severe financial hardship” mean?
You are considered to be in “severe financial hardship” if your savings are less than your fortnightly
rate of Social Security payment.
 How much is Crisis Payment?
Crisis Payment is equal to one week’s payment of the basic rate of Social Security payment which you
would normally receive, not counting Rent Assistance or payments for children.
 Can I get Crisis Payment as well as my normal Social Security payment?
Yes. Crisis Payment can be paid at the same time that you get your normal fortnightly Social Security
payment (eg Newstart Allowance, Youth Allowance or Parenting Payment). In fact, you must qualify
for a Social Security payment to get Crisis Payment.
 Can I get Crisis Payment more than once?
There is no limit on the number of times you can get Crisis Payment if you receive it due to being
released from prison or from a psychiatric hospital.
You can only get four payments of Crisis Payments for extreme circumstances or domestic violence in
any 12 month period.
 Time limits for lodging a claim for Crisis Payment
To get Crisis Payment you must lodge a claim form at Centrelink. You must contact Centrelink and
register your intent to claim Crisis Payment within seven days of being released from prison or a
psychiatric hospital, or leaving your home due to extreme circumstances. You must then lodge your
claim form within 14 days of the day that you contacted Centrelink to register your intent.
If you left your home due to an “extreme circumstance” the seven day period starts on the day that you
decide that you cannot return to your home.
If you remained in your home after a family member left or was removed due to domestic violence, the
seven day period starts when the family member leaves or is removed from the home.
If you are being released from prison or from a psychiatric hospital, the seven day period starts when
you are released. You can also register your intent to claim up to 21 days prior to release.
If you are a holder of a qualifying humanitarian (refugee) visa your seven day period starts when you
arrive in Australia.
 Appeal rights
If you think a Centrelink decision is wrong you have the right to appeal against it.
Appealing is easy
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and free. To appeal simply tell Centrelink that you are not happy with its decision and that you would
like to appeal to an Authorised Review Officer (ARO). It is best to lodge an appeal in writing and you
should keep a copy of your appeal letter. However, you can lodge an appeal over the telephone.
The ARO is a senior officer in Centrelink who has the power to change the original decision. Many
people are successful at this level.
You can appeal to an ARO at any time. However, to receive back pay from the date you were affected by
the original decision, you must appeal to an ARO within 13 weeks of receiving written notice of the
original decision. If you appeal more than 13 weeks after receiving the notice and you are successful, you
will only receive back pay from the date you appealed.
If you think the ARO decision is wrong you can appeal to the Social Security Appeals Tribunal (SSAT).
The SSAT is independent of Centrelink.
You have further appeal rights to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal and the Federal Court. Time limits
apply.
For more information on appealing see the factsheet “Appeals – how to appeal against a Centrelink
decision” and the guide “Appealing to the Social Security Appeals Tribunal".
 Interpreters
If you think you need an interpreter, or if you feel more confident with an interpreter, you should use one
of the three free available interpreter services.

Most Centrelink offices have interpreters available at regular times each week. Your local
Centrelink office can tell you about their available languages and times.

You can telephone the Centrelink Multilingual Call Centre on 131 202 and speak to a bilingual
Centrelink officer.

You can also call the free Telephone Interpreter Service (TIS) on 131 450 and ask for an
interpreter.
Please note: This factsheet contains general information only. It does not constitute legal advice. If you
need legal advice please contact your local Welfare Rights Centre/Advocate.
Welfare Rights Centres are community legal centres, which specialise in Social Security law,
administration and policy. They are independent of Centrelink. All assistance is free.
This factsheet was updated in June 2010.
www.welfarerights.org.au
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