Notifying Centrelink and Medicare

Why timing matters

Centrelink pays benefits in advance. If the person who died was receiving any Centrelink payment, including the Age Pension, Disability Support Pension, or Carer Payment, those payments may continue until Centrelink is notified. Any amount paid after the date of death becomes an overpayment, which the estate is required to repay.

Notifying Centrelink promptly stops this from accumulating. It also starts the process for any bereavement payments you may be eligible to receive as the surviving partner.

How to notify Centrelink

The simplest way is the Advice of Death form (SA116). One form to Services Australia updates Centrelink, Medicare and Child Support together, and should be returned within 28 days of the death.

You can also notify Centrelink directly: through myGov if the person had a linked account, in person at a Services Australia service centre, or by phone. To report a death by phone, call the Older Australians line on 132 300 and say "bereavement" when prompted. Services Australia points people to that number to report a death, whatever payment the person was receiving, and staff will transfer you if another area needs to handle it.

You will need the person's full name, date of birth, Centrelink Customer Reference Number (CRN) if available, and date of death. If you do not have the CRN, Centrelink can locate the record using the name and date of birth. Have your own identification ready as well.

Centrelink staff are generally patient and experienced with bereavement calls. You do not need to have everything organised before you call.

What payments stop after a death

Most Centrelink payments stop on the date of death. This includes the Age Pension, Disability Support Pension, JobSeeker, and Carer Payment. Any amount paid after this date is an overpayment.

Centrelink will calculate what was overpaid, if anything, and advise the estate. Keep records of all Centrelink payments received after the date of death so you can reconcile this accurately.

Bereavement payments for the surviving partner

If both you and the person who died were receiving an income support payment, you as the surviving partner may be entitled to a lump sum Bereavement Payment. It is usually worked out over the 14 weeks after the death, based on the difference between the couple rate you were paid and your new single rate, and it helps with expenses in the period after a death.

There is a deadline, and it is worth knowing because nothing prompts you. A claim for the bereavement payment can be lodged up to 26 weeks after the death. After that the window has closed.

Centrelink will often assess entitlement when you call to notify them, so in many cases nothing more is needed. Do not rely on that alone. Ask directly whether a bereavement payment applies to you, get an answer, and note the date you asked and who you spoke to. Twenty six weeks sounds like a long time, and the months after a death are not ordinary months.

Eligibility also has conditions beyond simply both being on a payment, including how long each of you had been receiving one. Whether you qualify is for Services Australia to determine, so ask them rather than ruling yourself in or out. Their number is 132 300.

If your own Centrelink payments change as a result of the death, for example if you were receiving a Carer Payment, Centrelink will assess your new situation and advise on what you may be entitled to going forward.

Notifying Medicare

Notify Medicare by calling 132 011 or through myGov. Medicare will cancel the person's Medicare card, which prevents any further claims being made in their name.

If you and the person were registered together as a Medicare Safety Net family or couple, tell Medicare that your family has changed, so your threshold is worked out against the right people. Ask where your threshold currently stands while you are on the call.

If the person had a private health insurance policy in their name, contact the insurer separately to cancel or transfer the policy.

DVA and other government payments

If the person was a veteran receiving payments from the Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA), notify DVA on 1800 838 372 (1800 VETERAN), or email Bereavement.SA@dva.gov.au. There may be ongoing payments or benefits available to the surviving partner through DVA, including the War Widow's or Widower's Pension.

For any other government payments, check myGov for accounts linked to the person's name and notify the relevant agency directly.

The Australian Death Notification Service

The Australian Death Notification Service (ADNS) at deathnotification.gov.au allows you to notify multiple government agencies and some private organisations with a single online submission. You can use it once the death has been registered. You do not need the death certificate in your hand, only the details from it.

ADNS covers a range of government agencies, including Centrelink, Medicare and the ATO, along with a growing number of banks, superannuation funds, utilities, and insurance companies. Participating organisations opt in, so the list changes over time; check the site for who is currently covered.

Using ADNS does not replace contacting individual organisations directly where specific documentation or decisions are required, but it reduces the number of separate notifications you need to make significantly.

Documents you will need

For Centrelink and Medicare notifications, you will need a certified copy of the death certificate, your own photo identification, and the deceased's Centrelink CRN or Medicare number if available. You do not need to have all of these before calling. Centrelink can find records without the CRN.

Keep a record of the date you notified each agency, the reference number provided, and the name of the person you spoke to. This protects you if there are any subsequent disputes about overpayments or entitlements.