Centrelink Bereavement Payment: How Much Is It and Who Qualifies?

When a partner dies, Centrelink payments stop almost immediately. If the household was relying on two pension payments — or even one — that sudden loss can leave a surviving spouse without enough money for groceries before the next fortnight, let alone a funeral deposit.

Understanding exactly what Centrelink provides, how fast it moves, and what you need to do to access it is one of the most time-sensitive tasks in the first two weeks after a death. This article covers the current Centrelink bereavement payment rules, how much you can expect to receive, and what the waiting period looks like.

The Bereavement Allowance No Longer Exists

A lot of older information online still references the "Bereavement Allowance" as if it's a payment you can apply for after a spouse dies. That payment was abolished in March 2020. If you're reading material that refers to it as a current entitlement, it's out of date.

Since March 2020, surviving partners who need ongoing income support must apply for either:

• JobSeeker Payment — if the survivor is of working age (under Age Pension age)
• Age Pension — if the survivor is 67 or older and meets residency and income/assets test requirements

These are separate from the bereavement payment discussed below, and they require a full application in their own right.

What the Centrelink Bereavement Payment Actually Is

Despite the name, the Centrelink "bereavement payment" isn't a grant or a compassion payment. It's a temporary income bridge — a lump sum calculated to soften the financial shock of losing a partner's income before the survivor can establish their own single payment.

Here's how it works:

Who qualifies: You are eligible for the bereavement payment if:

• Both you and the deceased were receiving eligible Centrelink income support payments (such as the Age Pension, Disability Support Pension, Carer Payment, or JobSeeker) for at least 12 months before the death
• You were a member of a couple for Centrelink's purposes — this includes de facto partners and registered relationships

How it's calculated: Centrelink calculates the total your household would have received as a couple over the next 14 weeks, then subtracts what you will receive as a single person over those same 14 weeks. The difference is paid to you as a lump sum.

This covers the gap because couple payment rates are higher per person than single rates, and the transition to single-rate payments doesn't happen overnight. The lump sum bridges those 14 weeks.

When it's paid: The 14-week bereavement period starts on the date of death, not the date you notify Centrelink. This is why you should call Centrelink as soon as possible — ideally within the first week.

How Much Is the Centrelink Bereavement Payment?

The exact figure varies depending on which payments the couple were receiving, the specific rates at the time, and how much the rate difference is between couple and single payments.

As a rough illustration: if a couple was each receiving the full Age Pension, the combined couple rate is lower per person than the single rate would be. But the widow is immediately dropped to the single rate, which means there's a sudden change in total household income. The bereavement payment is designed to smooth that transition over 14 weeks.

The total amount is different for every household. Centrelink calculates it based on actual payment records at the time of death, so there's no single dollar figure that applies universally. For current Age Pension and JobSeeker rates, the Services Australia website publishes rates updated regularly.

One important note: You do not need to wait for probate or estate administration to claim the bereavement payment. This is a Centrelink payment based on the survivor's own circumstances, not an asset of the estate.

What to Do Immediately After the Death

Step 1: Notify Centrelink as soon as possible

Call the Centrelink bereavement line: 132 300. Staff can process the initial notification over the phone. You'll need:

• The deceased's Customer Reference Number (CRN), if available
• Your own CRN
• The date of death
• The name of the deceased

Centrelink will cancel the deceased's payments from the date of death and begin processing the bereavement period.

Step 2: Gather your documents

To formally process the bereavement payment, Centrelink will eventually need:

• A copy of the death certificate (official SA Births, Deaths and Marriages certificate — not a funeral director's notification)
• Proof of your relationship (marriage certificate, relationship registration, or statutory declaration)
• Your identity documents

If you haven't yet received the official death certificate from CBS BDM, you can still initiate the notification. Centrelink can proceed on the funeral notice initially, but the full payment won't be released until the official certificate is provided.

Step 3: Apply for your new ongoing payment

Once you've notified Centrelink of the death, you will need to apply for your new ongoing income support payment as a single person. This is a separate step and involves a fresh assessment of your income and assets.

If you were previously receiving the Age Pension as part of a couple, your new single-rate pension will be assessed based on your sole income, superannuation, and property. The bereavement payment covers the gap while this is being processed.

If you're under pension age, you'll need to apply for JobSeeker. Depending on your circumstances, a short-term exemption from job search requirements may apply in the first weeks after bereavement.

What About the Pension Bonus Bereavement Payment?

If the deceased partner had deferred their Age Pension under the Pension Bonus Scheme (a now-closed scheme that allowed pensioners to defer claiming in exchange for a lump sum bonus), the surviving partner may be eligible for a Pension Bonus Bereavement Payment. This is a separate entitlement that can only be claimed by the surviving partner if certain conditions are met. Contact Centrelink directly to assess whether this applies — the rules are specific to when the deceased first deferred their pension.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Waiting too long to notify Centrelink. The 14-week bereavement window starts at the date of death. If you notify Centrelink three weeks late, you've already missed three weeks of the transition period.

Assuming the bereavement payment is enough for ongoing income. It isn't. It's a bridge. You still need to apply for JobSeeker or Age Pension as your primary income support going forward.

Using the deceased's pension payments after death. Centrelink is aware of deaths through its own data matching. Using a deceased person's Centrelink payments after death — even for one fortnight — constitutes overpayment and will need to be repaid. Some payments continue for a short period after death through system lag; if you receive a payment clearly meant for the deceased, Centrelink will request repayment.

Forgetting to update concessions. Your Centrelink CRN is linked to SA state concessions — including the Cost of Living Concession and ConcessionsSA energy discounts. Once you transition to a single-rate payment, your CRN will reflect your new circumstances. Notify ConcessionsSA and update any concession cards that relied on a couple's payment rate.

South Australia: Additional State Support

In addition to federal Centrelink payments, South Australian survivors may be eligible for:

• Cost of Living Concession (COLC): Up to $270.60 annually for eligible pensioners and low-income earners
• Household energy concessions: Up to $281.78 annually through ConcessionsSA for eligible residents
• Water rate concessions: Up to $435.30 for homeowner-occupiers, calculated at up to 30% of the total water bill

These are separate applications administered through ConcessionsSA, not Centrelink. You'll need your new Centrelink CRN and Centrelink payment reference to apply or update these concessions.

In other Australian states, the concessions landscape looks different. Survivors in New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland access energy and utility concessions through their own state programs, with different thresholds and eligibility rules. If the deceased owned property in multiple states, or if you're recently moved to South Australia, check which state programs apply to your current place of residence.

Getting the Full Picture

Centrelink is one piece of a larger financial puzzle after a death in South Australia. Beyond the bereavement payment, there may be superannuation death benefits, life insurance, state concessions, veterans' entitlements, and property title transfers to navigate — all on different timelines with different agencies.

The South Australia Survivor Benefits Navigator consolidates the full picture: what to claim, from whom, in what order, and what documents each agency requires. It covers the CourtSA probate process, Land Services SA property transfers, ConcessionsSA updates, and the Centrelink bereavement window — with exact form names, fee schedules, and the statutory deadlines that cost families money when missed.

If you're in the middle of sorting out Centrelink now, the Navigator also includes a free checklist covering the first 48 hours after a death in South Australia — including the agencies to call before you even have the death certificate in hand.

See more South Australia guides →