Advance Payments

You may be able to receive an Advance Payment (opens an external site) of $250.00 to $500.00 once in a 12-month period if you are on a Youth Allowance, Austudy or Abstudy benefit.  Other conditions may apply for other Centrelink benefits.

This advance payment is paid back by deductions from your allowance over the following six months, starting on the next fortnightly Centrelink payment date.

You can receive an Advance Payment and Special Employment Advance if you:

  • have been receiving a payment from Centrelink for at least three months before applying (in some cases, you can get an advance sooner)
  • do not owe any money to the Australian Government that is being paid back from your Centrelink benefit
  • have not received an Advance Payment within the last 12 months, and
  • you are able to repay the Advance Payment from your fortnightly payment without suffering financial hardship.

Please note that if your Youth Allowance or other Centrelink benefit stops before you have repaid your advance, you will still have to pay the money from the advance back to Centrelink.

More information

For the latest updates and application information, please see the Centrelink website (opens an external site), and its contact page (opens an external site).

Acknowledgement of Country

UTS acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the Boorooberongal people of the Dharug Nation, the Bidiagal people and the Gamaygal people, upon whose ancestral lands our university stands. We would also like to pay respect to the Elders both past and present, acknowledging them as the traditional custodians of knowledge for these lands.