A huge number of fake websites, mostly being aimed at mothers, young families and the elderly/disabled, are popping up claiming that Centrelink is about to put a 2025 one off payment into your bank account THIS IS 💯 A SCAM There is no advance payment, stimulus payment, etc coming from Centrelink.
The Federal Government has approved a single $1,100 cost-of-living payment for eligible Centrelink recipients. The goal: provide immediate financial assistance amid rising living costs driven by inflation, high utilities, rent increases, and everyday expenses.
We can confirm there are NO one-off payments due to be made by Centrelink.
Some government payment rates and limits will rise in September 2025 as a result of indexation.
The Centrelink $1144 payment refers to a significant cost-of-living boost available to eligible Australians receiving key income support payments such as JobSeeker, Age Pension, Disability Support Pension, and others.
The government has confirmed that no further Cost of Living Payments are planned for 2025. This means there will not be a new payment (such as the rumoured £450 payment) this year.
Likely Eligible Groups:
Age Pension recipients. Disability Support Pension (DSP) recipients. Carer Payment beneficiaries. Part pensioners (depending on income and asset thresholds)
Centrelink payments have been indexed by 2.4% to keep pace with inflation. This adjustment affects various payments, including the Age Pension. The income and asset thresholds for Centrelink payments have also been increased.
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has announced a special $680 one-time payment for 2025, designed to support low-income individuals and families dealing with rising living expenses. This initiative is part of the government's program to reduce financial stress, offering direct cash support to qualified taxpayers.
What is the social welfare Christmas bonus? For 2025, the Christmas Bonus equalled 100% of the normal weekly payment for eligible long-term recipients. The Christmas Bonus was paid in the first week of December to people getting a qualifying social welfare payment.
Universal Credit standard allowances will receive an additional uplift of 2.3% as specified in the Universal Credit Act 2025. The basic and new State Pensions will be uprated by 4.8% from April 2026, in line with the annual increase in the Average Weekly Earnings (AWE) index for May–July 2025.
Getting the State Pension qualifies you for the Christmas Bonus. Pensioners can still receive the £10 payment if they also get another qualifying benefit such as Pension Credit, Attendance Allowance, or a disability benefit. If you receive more than one qualifying benefit, you still only receive one bonus.
If your balance is less than $4000, your balance may be topped up to $4,000 if it hasn't been topped up in the last 2 years. You'll also get a one-off boost to your Work Bonus balance of $4,000 if you meet all the following: you were over Age Pension age and getting a Work Bonus eligible payment before 1 December 2022.
The Government is extending energy bill relief to the end of 2025 for every household and around one million small businesses. The Government will provide around $1.8 billion in additional payments on top of the nearly $5 billion of bill relief being delivered so far.
The boost supports those most affected by cost pressures, including job seekers, pensioners, carers, and low-income families nationwide.
Note:
Centrelink payments to rise
The maximum basic rates of Youth Allowance and Austudy for singles over 18 who live away from home will increase by $13.90 per fortnight to $677.20.
Pension increases for 2025 varied, with U.S. Social Security seeing a 2.5% Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) in January, while some state/local pensions (like NY State) had smaller increases (e.g., 1.2%) and different schedules, and federal COLA estimates for 2026 were announced later in 2025 (around 2.8%). Key changes included higher IRS limits for retirement plans and increased Social Security taxable maximums for 2025, with varying boosts based on inflation data for the prior year.
The Christmas Bonus will be paid the first week of December 2025 to people getting a qualifying social welfare payment (see below). The Bonus is normally paid with your social welfare payment. This means you will get the Christmas Bonus on the same day as your social welfare payment.
payments totalling €370 million issued from today
The Minister for Social Protection, Dara Calleary, has announced the details for the Christmas Bonus, which will be paid to approximately 1.5 million people this week including pensioners, carers and people with disabilities.
Who Will Receive the $1,100 Centrelink Bonus. The bonus will be automatically issued to eligible Australians receiving approved Centrelink payments. Those expected to qualify include: Age Pension recipients.
The government has announced changes to Age Pension payments from 20 September 2025, including a lift on the previously frozen deeming rates by 0.5% and an increase to the Age Pension of up to $29.70 for singles and $22.40 each for couples.
In November 2025, widespread claims circulated across social media suggesting that Australian seniors would receive a one-time $1,900 Centrelink payment. While the figure gained rapid attention, no such bonus or lump-sum payment has been announced or approved by Services Australia or the Department of Social Services.