Those of you who’ve interacted with Centrelink will probably know what I mean when I say it isn’t always a joyous experience. Whether its because you’ve found yourself without a job and in need of support, or whether you’re soon to be welcoming a new baby and need to get some paperwork in to the Family Assistance Office, the process can sometimes be pretty trying; there are queues on the phone and in the branches, and the requirements can sometimes be a bit beyond the comprehension of the average human being.
There’s where Centrelink Express Plus comes in. Once you’re a Centrelink client, you generally have some ongoing obligations, and this app makes it easier to address those, online, wherever you happen to be.
You can view your Centrelink payment history, update personal information, subscribe to online letters and upload documents all on your mobile. No need to visit an office or wait on the phone!
Express Plus Centrelink combines all of the functions and tools you used on your previous app, along with a new design and additional features. New features include a profile completion indicator to keep your details up-to-date, a task monitor, personal calendar and audio capability.
Depending on your circumstances, you can use Express Plus Centrelink to do other activities. For example:
- view and update your family income estimate
- report your income, or update your participation or study details
- if you are income managed or use a BasicsCard, you can manage your own money, see your available balances and view details about recent transactions on your BasicsCard.
The only catch is that the Centrelink Express Plus app doesn’t use the government’s new My.Gov service, so you can’t log in using your MyGov credentials; you’ll need your Centrelink Customer Access Number (CAN) and an online account password. Of course, if you don’t have these already, you can get them easily enough by calling Centrelink or popping in to visit.
This app has been out for ages, at least since 2013 when I was on Austudy. It’s a decent app (allows very easy income reporting), and allows PINs for quick access. However, unlike the Commbank app, you need to create a new one every time you install the app. So if you switch phones in the period or reset, you need to create a different one from any you previously used. I hope they fixed it since I last used it because I was on my 4th and had to choose increasingly harder to remember ones.