The Australian Government is committed to progressively reforming the welfare and family assistance payment system. The Government believes that the first call on income support payments should be life essentials and the interests of children.
Income management works by ensuring a percentage of income support and family assistance payments cannot be spent on excluded goods, including alcohol, home brew kits, home brew concentrates, tobacco products, pornographic material and gambling goods and activities. Money that is not spent on excluded goods is available to be spent on necessities, including food, housing, utilities, clothing and medical care. There is no restriction on use of the proportion of a person’s payments which is not income managed.
Income management does not change a person’s payment entitlements; it only changes the way they receive their payments.
Find out how income management works in your local area.
More Information
Find out more about income management:
- humanservices.gov.au
- talk to your local Department of Human Services—Centrelink Income Management Contact Officer
- call the Income Management Line (for clients only) on 132 594.