The Guides to Social Policy Law is a collection of publications designed to assist decision makers administering social policy law. The information contained in this publication is intended only as a guide to relevant legislation/policy. The information is accurate as at the date listed at the bottom of the page, but may be subject to change. To discuss individual circumstances please contact Services Australia.

3.10.3.80 Changing a payment delivery day

General information

A recipient may request a change in payment delivery day (1.1.D.55). This will result in a change in the entitlement period. (1.1.E.125). Payments can only be delivered on a weekday, not Saturday or Sunday.

Where a recipient has had a change in their payment delivery day, they will be paid an adjustment payment (1.1.A.65) in order to get them onto a new payment cycle.

Partnered recipients

Generally, recipients with a partner (1.1.P.85) will have their entitlement periods aligned. This ensures as far as possible that changes in circumstances affect each of the couple from the same point in time.

If one member of a couple is already in receipt of a social security payment any claim by the other partner will result in their entitlement periods being automatically aligned.

Where both members of the couple (1.1.M.120) are recipients they will generally need to have their entitlement periods aligned.

However, due to current processing requirements of financial institutions, recipients on different payments may have different payment delivery days although their entitlement periods are aligned. They will either both have the same delivery day or consecutive delivery days.

Act reference: SSAct section 23(1)-'social security payment'

Policy reference: SS Guide 3.10.2.30 Alignment of an entitlement period for partnered recipients, 3.10.2.70 Changing an entitlement period, 3.10.3.10 Timing of payment delivery, 3.10.3.60 Partnered recipients - payment delivery, 2.2.5.30 Determining member of a couple relationships

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