How to Notify Centrelink of a Death: What to Do and When

Notifying Centrelink of a death is one of the first bureaucratic tasks the family faces — and it's also one of the most consequential. Do it promptly and correctly and you protect your bereavement payment entitlements. Delay it, or miss the follow-up steps, and you risk overpayments being clawed back or missing benefits you're entitled to.

Here's exactly how the process works.

Why Timing Matters

Centrelink continues paying until it knows the recipient has died. If you don't notify quickly, payments may continue to land in the deceased's bank account. These must be repaid — Centrelink treats post-death payments as overpayments and will pursue recovery.

At the same time, notification triggers the calculation of your bereavement entitlements. The sooner you notify, the sooner the bereavement payment clock starts, and the sooner any lump sum can be assessed and paid.

Aim to notify Centrelink within the first week of the death.

What You'll Need Before You Call or Log In

Gather the following before making contact:

About the deceased:

• Their Centrelink Customer Reference Number (CRN) — usually on any letter from Centrelink, or find it in myGov
• Date of death
• The funeral director's name and contact number (useful if you don't yet have the death certificate)
• Details of what payments they were receiving

About you:

• Your own CRN and password for myGov (if notifying online)
• Your date of birth and address for identity verification (if calling)

You don't need the official death certificate to notify — a funeral director's statement or a verbal notification is enough to pause payments immediately. However, you'll need to provide the death certificate within a reasonable timeframe to finalise the bereavement assessment.

Three Ways to Notify

Online via myGov: Log into myGov and navigate to your Centrelink account. Use the "Update your details" section to report a family member's death. This is the fastest option and creates a written record.

By phone: Call the Bereavement Line on 132 300. Lines can be busy — if you're calling on behalf of a deceased parent or partner, explain this immediately so you're routed correctly. Have the deceased's CRN ready.

In person: Visit any Services Australia service centre. Take the death certificate (or funeral director's documentation) and identification for both yourself and proof of your relationship to the deceased.

What Centrelink Does After Notification

Once Centrelink records the death, several things happen simultaneously:

1. Payments to the deceased are stopped — immediately upon processing, not immediately upon your call. If payments land in the account in the interim, expect a request to repay them.

2. Your partner's payment may continue temporarily — if you were both on payments as a couple, Centrelink may continue the deceased's payment rate to you for a short period as part of the bereavement calculation, not as an error.

3. A bereavement assessment is initiated — Centrelink reviews what payments were in place and calculates whether a lump sum bereavement payment or ongoing bereavement allowances apply.

4. Your own payment rate is adjusted — your rate will transition from the couple rate to the single rate. This doesn't happen instantly; it happens at the end of the bereavement period (generally 14 weeks).

The Follow-Up Actions Most People Miss

Notification is not the end of the process. After notifying, you need to:

Check whether you need to lodge a new claim. If you weren't personally receiving any income support payment when your partner died, you'll need to actively claim one — such as the Age Pension or JobSeeker — to access bereavement entitlements. Notification alone doesn't create entitlements if you're not already in the system.

Ask about the Pension Bonus Bereavement Payment. If your partner was registered in the Pension Bonus Scheme but died before claiming the Age Pension, explicitly ask the Centrelink officer about this. The payment can reach up to $55,411.60, but the claim window is 26 weeks from the date of death. This question will not always be proactively raised by Centrelink — you need to ask.

Confirm what documents are still required. Centrelink will often request the official death certificate, evidence of the relationship (marriage or de facto certificate), and bank account details for payment. Find out exactly what's outstanding so you can provide it without further delay.

If the Deceased Was Receiving the Age Pension

Age Pension is the most common payment involved in partner bereavement scenarios. Upon death notification, Centrelink will:

• Stop the deceased's pension
• Calculate any bereavement payment owed to the surviving partner
• Transition the surviving partner from the couple rate to the single rate at the end of the bereavement window
• Adjust any concession card entitlements (such as the Pensioner Concession Card)

If you have a Pensioner Concession Card in your own name, it remains valid. If it was in the deceased's name only, notify Centrelink so they can issue you one in your own right — this affects access to prescription medication concessions and other benefits.

Other Agencies to Notify in Parallel

Centrelink is one of several agencies requiring notification. While you're making calls, also notify:

• Medicare — to cancel the deceased's Medicare enrolment and ensure your card details are updated if you were on a combined card
• Australian Taxation Office — Centrelink is linked to the ATO; you'll also need to ensure a final tax return is filed for the deceased
• Department of Veterans' Affairs — if the deceased was a veteran receiving a pension or entitlements
• Superannuation funds — to initiate the death benefit nomination process

Victoria-based families can also use the Australian Death Notification Service, which allows a single notification to reach multiple agencies simultaneously. Ask Centrelink staff about this when you call.

What to Expect on Timing

Centrelink's processing times vary. Straightforward bereavement cases are typically resolved within two to four weeks of notification. Complex cases — where there are disputes about relationship status, or where the Pension Bonus Bereavement Payment is involved — can take longer.

If you haven't heard back within three weeks, follow up proactively. Keep notes of every contact: date, time, name of officer, what was discussed. This creates a paper trail if any dispute arises later.

For a complete picture of the benefits available after a partner dies in Victoria — including property transfer options, superannuation death tax implications, and SRO land tax deadlines — the Victoria Survivor Benefits Navigator covers each step in the order they need to be taken.

See more Victoria guides →