Need your Centrelink payment sooner?
You can take part of it early as a lump sum. It is your own money brought forward, not a loan from anyone else, and there is no interest.
No interest
an advance is part of your own payment early, repaid out of later payments
What this is
An advance payment brings forward part of an income support payment or Family Tax Benefit Part A and recovers it from later payments. There is no interest and no fee, which makes it the cheapest short-term option available to anyone receiving a payment, and far cheaper than the commercial products marketed at the same people. The catch is arithmetic rather than cost: the money is not additional, so it solves a one-off gap well and an ongoing shortfall badly.
Does it apply to you?
- People already receiving an income support payment or Family Tax Benefit Part A
- Anyone facing a one-off cost that lands between payments
- Not people with an ongoing shortfall, where an advance moves the problem rather than fixing it
How to do it
- Check whether your payment qualifies. Advances are available on most income support payments and on Family Tax Benefit Part A.
- Work out what you can manage. Every dollar taken now comes out of later payments, so the question is what the smaller fortnightly amount leaves you with.
- Apply through your Centrelink online account via myGov. The answer is usually quick.
- Diarise when the repayments finish, so the return to the full rate is not a surprise.
Where people lose the money
Treating it as extra money.
It is your own later payments, brought forward. Work out the reduced amount before you apply, not after.
Using advances to cover an ongoing gap.
That leaves you permanently on a reduced payment. Ring the National Debt Helpline on 1800 007 007 instead.
Taking the maximum because it is offered.
Take what the actual cost is. The repayment lands on every payment until it clears.
Questions
Does it cost anything?
No interest and no fee. It is part of your own payment paid early and recovered from later payments.
How much can I get?
It depends on your payment type and your circumstances, and there are limits on how often you can take one. Services Australia's page for your payment sets out the amounts.
How do I repay it?
Automatically, out of your following payments, until it is repaid. You do not have to arrange anything.
Is it better than a payday loan?
It costs nothing, so on price there is no comparison. A No Interest Loan is the other option worth checking, particularly for a larger essential cost.
Where these numbers come from
- Services Australia, Advance payment · read 2026-09-23
Last gone over 2026-09-23. Figures change; the link above is always the current one.
Published by Income Lab, Melbourne. Responsible for this page: Jarred Krowitz.