$255 Cost of Living Relief Australia in April 2025: Who will get it? Check Eligibility & Payment Date

On: Wednesday, April 16, 2025 8:42 AM

$255 Cost of Living Relief Australia in April 2025: Who will get it? Check Eligibility & Payment Date

Over to past few years, Citizens of Australia have been suffering from the increase in inflation, where interest rates have risen, and rising daily expenses. In that situation, the government like gives relief to the citizens through financial assistance. At the beginning of the year 2025 $255 Cost of Living Relief Payment was given as an assistance amount in this episode. Which is mostly appreciated by the people
But now, in April 2025, many types of rumors and questions are coming out about it. Will this amount be given again? Who got this assistance? And what financial help is available now? Let’s understand this in simple language.

What is the $255 Cost of Living Relief Payment?

The Australian government gave a one-off assistance amount of $255 in January 2025. Its purpose was to reduce the rising inflation, the increase in the prices of essential commodities, and the economic pressure on the people to some extent.

This amount was tax-free and non-reportable. That is, you did not need to show it in the tax.

The most important thing – no one needed to apply for this. If you were eligible, then this amount came directly to your bank account.

Who got this $255 assistance?

The government had decided that this amount will be given only to those people who are holders of an eligible Centrelink payment or a special concession card.

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Centrelink payment recipients:

Age Pension
Disability Support Pension
JobSeeker Payment
Parenting Payment
Youth Allowance
Carer Payment
Veteran’s Payment or Service Pension

Concession Card holders:

Pensioner Concession Card
Commonwealth Seniors Health Card
Veteran Gold Card

If both people in a couple were eligible, then both got $255 separately.

Will we get $255 again in April 2025?

The important thing here is that there is no new payment of $255 in April 2025.
This was just a one-time relief, which was given in January 2025.
However, the government has admitted that the pressure of inflation and expenses still remains on the people. For this reason, a new bonus of $280 has been announced in April 2025.
This bonus will also be given to those people who are eligible through Centrelink payment or a concession card.

How is the government giving other help?

The Australian government is giving many types of relief to reduce the impact of inflation. Let’s look at some of the key measures:

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1. Increases to pensions and allowances (effective from March 2025)

Age Pension (Single): now $1,149 per fortnight
Age Pension (Each person in a couple): $866.10 per fortnight
JobSeeker (Single): now $789.90 per fortnight
Parenting Payment (Single): increased to $1,030.30 per fortnight

2. Increases to Rent Assistance

Individuals living alone (without children): now maximum $212 per fortnight
All of these increases will be reflected directly in your Centrelink payment, as they are applied automatically.

How to make sure you don’t miss out on your relief money?

If you’re wondering if you’re supposed to receive the money and you’ve missed it, follow these 4 simple steps:

Keep your myGov and Centrelink profiles up to date:
Refresh your bank account and contact details on myGov regularly.
Don’t believe social media rumours:
Only trust information from official websites like servicesaustralia.gov.au.
Turn on alerts:
Subscribe to updates from Services Australia via myGov.
Contact a Centrelink office:
If you think you were eligible but didn’t receive the money, call or visit a Centrelink office.

True stories: The real value of relief

“With that $255, I was able to pay my electricity bill and buy groceries for the week. It was a huge relief for me,” says Judith M., an elderly woman from Brisbane.

On the other hand, Anthony L. of Melbourne, who is a single dad, said —

“I didn’t even know that this was going to come. One day I checked my account and the money had arrived. I think the government should do more of this.”

Such true incidents show that even small help from the government can make a big difference in the lives of common people.

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What do economic experts say?

Dr. Alice Carmichael, a senior economist at the Australian Policy Research Center, says —

“People do feel relieved by immediate help, but they need permanent solutions. Long-term measures like tax reform, affordable housing, and discounts on energy bills are more important.”

According to her, the government should give such temporary bonuses, but should also work on bigger policies.

Conclusion

The $255 Cost of Living Relief Payment offered in January 2025 provided much-needed financial support to eligible Australians struggling with rising living expenses. However, this was a one-off payment and will not be repeated in April 2025. Instead, the Australian Government has introduced a new $280 bonus payment for pensioners and concession card holders in response to ongoing cost pressures.