Centrepay Reform: Discussion Paper

Submission Date: 10 July 2024

The Australian Consumer Law Committee (ACLC) of the Law Council of Australia’s Legal Practice Section welcomes the opportunity to provide a response to the Discussion Paper on Centrepay reform, published by Services Australia in May 2024.

As noted in the Discussion Paper, Centrepay is a voluntary and free bill paying service, offered by Services Australia for Centrelink customers. Centrepay currently supports more than 600,000 customers to pay for goods and services across more than 15,000 businesses.¹

Members of the ACLC are lawyers with extensive expertise in consumer protection law from a broad range of different practice types, including private practice, the independent bar, legal aid, community law, legal services in remote and regional communities and academia. This response has been primarily informed by ACLC members with frontline experience assisting Centrepay customers in their dealings with suppliers of goods and services that are defined as ‘approved providers’ under the Centrepay scheme.

The ACLC commends Services Australia for undertaking this important review process. Through its contribution to this review, the ACLC seeks to assist Services Australia to meet the needs and expectations of the community, especially those of vulnerable social security recipients, who rely on Centrepay to meet their essential service needs.

^{1 Services Australia, Centrepay Reform (Discussion Paper, May 2024), 3.}

Last Updated on 03/03/2026

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