Welfare Rights Centre (WRC) is a community legal centre that helps people who have a problem with Centrelink. We specialise in social security law and family assistance law.

WRC provides free legal information, advice and representation to NSW residents who have been adversely affected by Centrelink decisions. We help people navigate the social security review and appeals system, including Centrelink internal reviews and the Administrative Review Tribunal. We host regular community worker training sessions to improve knowledge and understanding of social security law in the community.

WRC assists NSW residents experiencing problems with Centrelink payments. We prioritise people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, experiencing or at risk of domestic and family violence, migrants and refugees, First Nations people and people who are not getting a social security payment and have no other source of income. We also support members of the HESTA superannuation fund and members of our Trade Union Partner program.

 For social security assistance outside of NSW, visit Economic Justice Australia’s list of member centres. If you are a member of HESTA and live outside of NSW you can still request WRC’s help.

If you need help with a Centrelink issue, our intake phone line 02 9211 5300 or 1800 226 028 (toll-free), is open on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9:30am-12:30pm. Alternatively, you can lodge an online request any time and we will call you back as soon as we are able.

WRC represents some clients at the ART. When we decide who to represent we consider whether our involvement is likely to lead to a good outcome, whether the client has the ability to self-represent and the workload of our lawyers. These decisions are made at meetings with all our lawyers, including the Principal Solicitor.

No. Our services and legal advice are free.

Community workers can refer clients by either using our online inquiry form or calling our service during intake hours on 02 9211 5300 or 1800 226 028 (toll-free), Mondays and Wednesdays from 9:30am-12:30pm

No, we only support people with Centrelink problems. See our page of links to other organisations that may be able to help.

Welfare Rights Centre deals with rejections of claims for Centrelink payments, suspensions and cancellations of Centrelink payments, and Centrelink debts. We help people with other adverse Centrelink decisions such as Compensation Preclusion Periods, member of a couple decisions, care of children decisions and asset hardship decisions. We do not help people apply for Centrelink payments.

Do not ignore a debt notice from Centrelink. Contact Centrelink within 28 days of receiving the notice to either pause the debt or start making repayments. If you do not contact Centrelink they may charge you interest on the debt and begin to take 15% of your income support payment. You can contact Centrelink’s debt recovery line on 1800 076 072 – Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm, or Centrelink’s Indigenous debt recovery line on 1800 138 193 – Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. If you believe your debt is unfair or incorrect, you should seek legal advice before you appeal. Debts may go up when further investigated. For more information, see our Centrelink Debts Factsheet.

We do not help people claim the Disability Support Pension (DSP). We may be able to help if your DSP claim has been rejected. WRC has a range of resources available to support applications for the Disability Support Pension.  Online resources include our factsheet, impairment tables and template letters for doctors. We provide annual community worker training to support community workers to help their clients with DSP matters.

Use the Centrelink payment and service finder tool to find out what payments you may be eligible for.

Keep records of the dates, times, names and receipt number of any interactions with Centrelink. Try to include all requested documentation with the original application and keep copies of all original documents.  Do not wait to lodge an application because if your claim is successful, it will be back dated (paid) based on the original application date.

The Services Australia website has detailed information on all Centrelink services and payments. Visit our Information Hub for factsheets and information about common Centrelink issues.

If you do not agree with a decision Centrelink has made that affects your Centrelink claim or payment, you have a right to ask for the decision to be reviewed. See this factsheet on reviews and appeals.  If you have received a debt notice and believe your debt is unfair or incorrect, you should seek legal advice before you appeal. Debts may go up when further investigated. For more information, see our Centrelink Debts Factsheet. If you are unhappy with delays, communication or how you have been treated by Centrelink you can lodge a complaint with Centrelink, complain to the Commonwealth Ombudsman, or talk to your local Federal Member of Parliament.

Our Community Worker training program is made up of online webinars, face to face workshops and an annual Disability Support Pension Community of Practice program.

Our Community Worker training sessions are open and free to all. We focus on training community workers to equip them with the knowledge required to understand how Centrelink works and to support diverse clients navigating the social security system.

Yes. You can watch WRC's most recent Community Worker Training Webinars.

You can register for any Community Worker Training session online. If there are no current sessions open for registration, you can sign up to our newsletter and you will receive notice of any up & coming online webinars or workshops.

Our work seeks to address the systemic problems within the social security system and highlights the importance of equitable access to Centrelink as a means to meet people's needs, enabling them to live with dignity and participate fully in the community. We work with our national peak organisation Economic Justice Australia to bring about law reform and systemic change.  Find out more about our advocacy work and priorities for 2024-2025.

Economic Justice Australia is the peak advocacy organisation representing over 20 community legal centres providing specialist social security legal assistance throughout Australia. Welfare Rights Centre is an EJA member centre, and we regularly meet through events chaired by EJA to discuss key issues, develop policy positions, and participate in research to further our law reform goals. We provide resources created by EJA on our website.