At certain times in your life you may face circumstances or situations that make it difficult for you to generate enough income to meet your needs. Events like losing your job, or being made redundant, are, unfortunately, becoming more common. Other situations like having a disability that makes it hard to find or perform work, a large family with numerous mouths to feed, or losing your partner, can also be times when you may be in need of help.

The Australian Government established Centrelink for exactly this purpose: to help people become self-sufficient and to support those in need. Centrelink can provide assistance in a number of ways, including:

• Providing you with income through lump sum or ongoing payments
• Discounting health care and public transport through Health Care Cards
• Supporting you through services like health care, counselling, job seeking
• Age Pension
• Allowances
• Heath Care Cards
• Rent Assistance

NB: As an extra service we provide, you can also search the Centrelink website from our site by typing keywords into the eWombat search facility in the right hand panel - quicker and easier than going to the Centrelink site itself.

For further information on each of these payments and whether you may be eligible, please call 03 9542 3200 or askus@freedomfinancialplanning.com.au