Australian Government Assistance for Kiwis in Australia

Now, here’s when your visa/residency status comes in (see our VISAS AND RESIDENCY section if you’re not sure what kind of visa you have) – Australia and New Zealand have something called a “reciprocal agreement” (or the International Social Security Agreement), which means that from 2002, Kiwis in Australia on a Special Category Visa (both Protected and Non-Protected) could access the Age Pension, the Disability Support Pension (if “severely” disabled) and the Carer Payment (if you are caring for someone that receives the Disability Support Payment).

Kiwis with a Protected SCV have access to a wider range of Australian government benefits than those on a Non-Protected SCV, so the below is mostly aimed at those on a Non-Protected SCV. However, all these payments have specific requirements, some of which are the same as in New Zealand. We have outlined the requirements briefly below, but you may need to seek advice from a welfare advocate centre or social worker if you have trouble with the Centrelink process, which can be tailored specifically to your situation.