Centrelink Loans, a form of quick cash loans, are designed for individuals who are receiving Centrelink payments. You have various options at your disposal, including short term loans, bank loans, and credit assistance from government schemes.
There are a few types of loans available to individuals receiving Centrelink payments.
Payday Loans carry a small loan amount, usually under $2,000, although some lenders might be willing to offer you up to $5,000 as a payday loan. Some lenders also refer to payday loans as cash loans.
There are multiple financial service providers offering personal loans in Australia. You might approach specialized personal loan providers, banks, and also credit unions if you wish to apply for a personal loan. However, each lender has unique lending criteria for applicants receiving Centrelink payments, and all of these conditions must be fulfilled to qualify for a personal loan. Usually, lenders will not accept your application if the Centrelink payments you receive amount to more than 50% of your total monthly income.
Bank overdrafts present the easiest and quickest way Centrelink payment recipients can receive an instant loan. This service should be available if you maintain a good relationship with your bank. Your bank will likely set a limit on the total amount you may borrow above your account limit, and you can simply withdraw up to this limit through your regular bank account.
Many car lenders provide secured car loans that allow you to purchase a vehicle, old or new, by keeping the purchased vehicle as collateral against the total loan amount. Once the entire loan obligation has been paid off, the ownership of the car is transferred to you. Since the loan is already secured against the vehicle, lenders are willing to accept borrowers that rely on Centrelink payments to supplement their regular income.
You might want to consider some community programs that are available to Australians who receive Centrelink payments. These include the following:
Pensions Loans Scheme No Interest Loans Scheme (NILS) Concession Cards Service’s Relief Trust Fund NAB StepUP Centrelink Cash Advance Good Money FairloansCentrelink Loans work in the same way that most short term loans operate in Australia. Since you rely on Centrelink payments to supplement your income, the options available to you might be limited as some lenders might conclude that you are unable to afford the loan. However, as long as more than 50% of your income comes from regular earnings, you are likely to qualify for many types of short and medium-term loans, depending upon your affordability.
Since you have a compromised financial situation due to reliance on Centrelink payments, lenders will likely charge you the highest interest expense as allowed under Australian law. For short-term loans, this could amount to a maximum of 20% one-time establishment fee and a 4% monthly fee on your loan principal. Some lenders might charge you a lower rate, however, this decision is entirely on the lender’s discretion.
As far as repayments are concerned, lenders will offer you options to repay the loan amount either on a weekly, fortnightly, or monthly payments basis. You should choose the option that is the most affordable one. Some lenders might not accept your application if each repayment amount is more than 20% of your Centrelink payments.
Every lender operates in a unique manner when it comes to accepting loan applications, giving importance to different aspects of the applicant’s financial condition. To ensure you only apply for loans where you have the highest chance of getting accepted, make sure you check the following with your chosen lender.
Ensuring you fulfill the eligibility criteria of your chosen lender is crucial. If you don’t fulfill even one of these eligibility criteria, you are likely to not qualify for the loan. However, even if you do fulfill all the stated criteria, your loan application might still be rejected for some other reason.
Some lenders might explicitly state on their website that they accept Centrelink recipients. However, if such disclosure is not made, a lender might still offer cash loans for centrelink customers with bad credit. You should confirm the position of the lender by contacting them and confirming whether you may qualify for a loan with them if your income is partially or fully supported by Centrelink payments.
Generally, the following eligibility criteria must be met if you wish to qualify for a Centrelink Loan with lenders in Australia. You must:
Be over the age of 18 Hold a permanent resident or citizenship status in Australia Have a regular income, more than 50% of which should come from sources other than Centrelink payments or other government benefitsThe following lenders are known to accept applicants that receive Centrelink payments, although some have a few conditions that must be met to qualify.
|
Lender |
Other Conditions |
|
Cash Converters |
The amount of each repayment should not exceed 20% of the applicant’s gross income for the period between each repayment. |
|
Cash Stop |
Generally accepting applications from borrowers receiving Centrelink payments. |
|
ClearCash |
Each application is reviewed individually based on the lender’s unique criteria. |
|
Credit24 |
Centrelink payments should not amount to more than 50% of your total income. |
|
Ferratum Loans |
Centrelink payments should not amount to more than 50% of total income or more than 20% of each scheduled repayment. |
|
Good to Go Loans |
Each application is reviewed based upon its own individual factors. |
|
Nimble |
Total Centrelink receipts should not be more than 50% of the total gross income. |
|
Speckle |
Applicant should be commanding more than $30,000 in gross annual income, exclusive of all benefits received from the government. Also, total income should not include more than 50% coming from Centrelink payments. |
Most short-term and medium-term loan providers will disburse the loan amount within a few hours of accepting your loan application.
Helps Pay Urgent Or Unexpected ExpensesThese are emergency cash loans for Centrelink customers that can help supplement your income in times of dire financial emergencies.
Simple And Fast Application ProcessApplying for a Centrelink loan should take under 15 minutes, provided you have all the required information readily available.
Good Variety Of LendersThere are many lenders in Australia that provide loans to applicants receiving Centrelink payments. This variety increases your chances of getting approved for a loan, although it does not guarantee it.
Affordable RepaymentsReliable lenders ensure you are able to comfortably afford the loan repayments as they become due. Hence, you are not burdened with unaffordable loan repayments for the duration of the loan term.
Centrelink loans often carry high interest expense due to the increased risk posed by your reliance on Centrelink payments that helps you meet regular expenses.
Lenders Might Accept Application Even When It’s UnaffordableSome lenders might accept your loan application even after making the assessment that you are unlikely to afford the scheduled repayments. Hence, make sure you verify the credibility of the lender before applying for a loan. This can be done through G'day Loans or by conducting your own research.
Applying for a Centrelink loan is easy. Most lenders offer online application forms that can be filled and submitted in under fifteen minutes. You should have the following information readily available to save time.
ID documents, including driver’s license or Medicare card Full name, contact information, and residential address Employment information, including employer name, employment status, income amount, and employer contact information Bank statements, preferably for the past 90 days Information pertaining to any other loan obligations currently outstanding with other lenders Centrelink information, including the amount of payment being received Information pertaining to any other government benefits being receivedOnce you have chosen a lender, go to its website to access the online application form. Fill out all the required information as accurately as possible, and submit the application. The lender should get back to you, either requiring further documentation or with a loan decision. If your application is approved, the requested loan amount will be disbursed to you within a few hours.
You can get personal loans, cash (payday) loans, car loans, bank overdraft, and a few other types of loans while receiving Centrelink payments.
Generally, loan amounts between $300 to $10,000 are available to applicants receiving Centrelink payments. However, please note you are likely to qualify only for the loan amount that the lender deems affordable considering your financial condition. Additionally, you should be careful and ensure you would be able to comfortably afford each scheduled loan repayment when it becomes due. Failing to make loan repayments on time can severely jeopardize your credit history and make it tougher for you to qualify for a loan moving forward.
You may go on www.servicesaustralia.gov.au to learn more about the assistance schemes available to Centrelink recipients.
You may contact Centrelink to give you an advance payout in case you must meet an urgent expense. Call 136 150 for more information.
Check your options before you borrow:
* This statement is an Australian Government requirement under the National Consumer Credit Protection Act 2009.
The Government’s MoneySmart website shows you how small amount loans work and suggests other options that may help you.
* This statement is an Australian Government requirement under the National Consumer Credit Protection Act 2009.