About Benefit Buddy
What this site is
Benefit Buddy helps people get a rough idea of the Centrelink payments they might be able to get. It’s free, and it’s an independent guide. It isn’t run by, or connected to, Services Australia.
Who runs it
Benefit Buddy is an independent project. It isn’t run by a government agency, a bank or an insurer, and it doesn’t sell financial products or take commissions.
How we try to keep it accurate
The rates and limits come from Services Australia and the Department of Social Services, and we last checked them on 5 November 2026. Every calculator shows its working so you can see how a figure was reached, and each page lists what it leaves out. See what changed at each update.
Sources
- Services Australia (opens in a new tab)
- Department of Social Services: Guide to Social Security Law (opens in a new tab)
- Department of Social Services: payment rates lists (opens in a new tab)
Contact and report a problem
Spotted a mistake, or have an idea? Email hello [at] benefitbuddy.com.au. Please don’t send personal details such as your name, address or Customer Reference Number.
We can’t give advice about your own claim. For that, contact Services Australia, or see our free help and advice page.
Your privacy
Everything you type stays in your browser. The calculators run on your device. We don’t save your answers on a server, send them anywhere or ask you to sign in. While you move between calculators, your answers are kept in this browser tab only, so you don’t have to retype them. They’re cleared when you close the tab. If you choose to keep your My summary on this device, it’s stored in your browser until you delete it. Your browser also remembers your text-size and dark-mode choices.
To count visits, we use GoatCounter, a privacy-friendly service that doesn’t use cookies. It sees which pages are visited and basic details such as the site you came from, your browser and your country. It never sees what you type into the calculators. Read more on our privacy page.
Estimates only
The results are estimates based on the information you give and the published rates. Your real payment depends on your full circumstances and is decided by Services Australia. For an official answer, visit servicesaustralia.gov.au (opens in a new tab) or use the phone numbers on our free help page.