Changes to DSP residence rules starting in January 2012

From 1 January 2012, you will need to continue living permanently in Australia to remain eligible for DSP. If you live in another country and are paid under an international social security agreement, this change means you will need to keep living in that country or return to live in Australia. Before this change, you could live in a country other than Australia and still be eligible for DSP, as long as you returned to Australia every 13 weeks.

These changes won’t apply to you if you qualify for DSP under the provisions of a social security agreement, meet terminally ill provisions, or are exempt under 1 July 2004 portability savings provisions. To be exempt under 2004 portability provisions, you must have been outside Australia on 1 July 2004 without returning to live in Australia, and have been informed you can be paid indefinitely.

The rules for temporary absences are not changing. You will continue to be paid for up to 13 weeks of a temporary absence from Australia, provided you remain qualified for DSP. If you receive DSP under an international agreement, you can generally continue to be paid for up to 13 weeks of a temporary absence from the agreement country.

If you plan to travel outside Australia, you need to tell Centrelink as soon as possible to find out if your absence will affect your payment.

You can find out more on the Centrelink website: How long can I receive Centrelink payments and services while outside of Australia?