What happens to my pension when I die?
In the event of your death, a family member should let us know by calling 1300 001 877. We need to stop your pension payments as this will prevent overpayments which your family or estate would need to repay. Even if your spouse and/or children are eligible for a pension, your pension payments must stop before we assess any further benefits payable. If your family does not notify us of your death your pension payments will still be stopped as we conduct a regular matching process with all registered deaths in Australia. As soon as your family contacts us we will send them an application form. They then can apply for a pension and, if eligible, benefits will then commence for your family. Your eligible spouse and/or child/ren is entitled to receive a pension that is a percentage of the pension being paid to you at the time of your death. The application process may take time, so please ensure your family member is made aware that they must complete and return the application as soon as possible to minimise delays.
It is important to remember that you cannot determine by way of your Will or Testament who is eligible for a spouse or child’s pension if you die. Eligibility will be assessed on the information provided in the application.
When your family member completes the application form they will need documents to prove their identity to us.
The list of documents on this page can be accepted as identification. Please take note of who can certify these documents. This information is on the application form. Correctly certified documents will ensure that there are no delays in processing the benefit.
Certified documents are required, you must provide one document from column A or one document from column B plus one document from column C. For example, your spouse could give us a certified copy of their Driver’s licence (from column A) or a certified copy of their birth certificate (from column B), and a certified copy of an electricity bill (from column C).
| A | B | C |
|---|---|---|
| Driver’s licence or permit issued by State or Territory or foreign government | Birth Certificate or Birth Extract, issued by an Australian or foreign Government (either in English or accompanied by English translation prepared by an accredited translator) | Copy of a rates bill with the same address and name as on the application |
| Passport (current or expired by less than two years) | Australian Citizenship certificate | Copy of an electricity or gas bill with the same address and name as on the application |
| An identification or proof of age card issued by a State or Territory, containing a photograph | Citizenship certificate issued by a foreign country (either in English or accompanied by an English translation prepared by an accredited translator) | Copy of a tax return letter from the Tax Office with the same address and name as on the application |
| A national identity card, containing a photograph, issued by a foreign government (either in English or accompanied by an English translation prepared by an accredited translator) | Pension or other social security/DVA benefit card | A letter from Centrelink or DVA with the same address and name as on the application |
| ADF Discharge papers | For a person under the age of 18, a letter from a school principal, within three months of application, stating the name of the student, residential address and period of time the student attended the school |