The Department of Human Services provides social security payments and services through Centrelink. Centrelink helps newly-arrived permanent residents look for work, find courses or training and with the process for overseas skills recognition. Contact Centrelink to find out if you are eligible for a social security payment. Depending on your visa, there may be a waiting period before you can receive payments.

If you are eligible, payments may be made from the day you contact Centrelink. To be paid from the day you arrive in Australia, you or someone on your behalf—for example, your Humanitarian Settlement Services (HSS) provider or proposer—must contact Centrelink on the day you arrive and lodge a claim within 14 days.

Humanitarian entrants may be eligible for a Crisis Payment in addition to other social security payments. If you arrive under the Humanitarian Program you must:

 claim within seven days of arriving in Australia, or
 contact Centrelink with the intent to claim within seven days of arrival and lodge a claim within 14 days of that contact.

If you have children, you may be eligible for Government-funded payments for the cost of raising children (see www.humanservices.gov.au/ftb) or for child care fees (see www.humanservices.gov.au/childcare).