Fill Out Centrepay Deduction Authority (SA501) Online
Centrepay deduction authority form
Services Australia
Authorises Centrepay deductions from your Centrelink payment to cover bills and ongoing expenses.
Reviewed July 2026
How it works
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Open the form. The official PDF loads straight into the editor, no download needed first.
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Fill it out in the editor. Click anywhere to type, add checkmarks and place your signature.
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Download your PDF. Save the completed form, ready to print or submit.
Form SA501 is the Centrepay deduction authority. Centrelink customers use it to consent to a Centrepay approved business starting a new deduction, or changing an existing one, from their Centrelink payment. Centrepay is a voluntary service that pays bills and other ongoing expenses by deducting an amount from your payment before it reaches your account and transferring it to the approved business.
You can fill out SA501 directly in the Universal PDF editor. Enter your details, the business details, and the deduction arrangement, then download the completed PDF to print and sign by hand. One form covers one deduction, so a separate SA501 is needed for each arrangement you want to set up.
What is Form SA501 used for
The form authorises Services Australia to deduct a nominated fortnightly amount from a specific Centrelink payment and pay it to one Centrepay approved business. It records which service the deduction is for, when it should start, and whether it runs ongoing, until a target amount is reached, or until an end date.
The type of service determines how the deduction can be structured. Deductions for utilities, accommodation, insurance, and special interest loans can be ongoing. Services such as court fines and no interest loans must have a target amount, while services such as education expenses and child care must have an end date.
Who completes Form SA501
The form is completed by the Centrelink customer, or by a customer representative who is authorised in writing or by law to act for them. A Centrepay approved business is not allowed to complete the form on the customer's behalf, and the business declaration on the form confirms the customer filled it in voluntarily without prefilled sections.
If you want help before committing to a deduction, Centrelink's Financial Information Service officers can explain how Centrepay fits into budgeting, and independent financial counselling is available through community organisations and the National Debt Helpline.
How to fill out Form SA501
Work through the parts in order and keep the arrangement to a single business and service:
- Part A: your Customer Reference Number, name, and date of birth.
- Part B: representative details, if someone authorised is completing the form for you.
- Part C: the Centrepay approved business you want to pay, with its business Centrelink Reference Number if known.
- Part D: whether you are adding or changing a deduction, when it starts, which Centrelink payment it comes from, the fortnightly amount, and your account or reference number with the business.
- Select the single service type the deduction is for, then add a target amount or end date where the service requires one.
- Read the privacy notice, then sign and date the declaration by hand after printing.
How to submit it
Return the completed and signed form to the Centrepay approved business named on it. Do not send SA501 to Services Australia. The business lodges the deduction authority in the Centrelink system, and its staff member signs a declaration about how the form was completed.
You do not need the paper form for every change. Deductions can also be started, changed, suspended, or cancelled through your Centrelink online account, by phone on your regular payment line, or at a service centre.
Frequently asked questions
To the Centrepay approved business named at the business details question, not to Services Australia. The business lodges the authority in the Centrelink electronic system.
Yes. Using Centrepay is your choice, and you can change, suspend, or cancel a deduction at any time through your Centrelink online account, by calling your regular payment line, at a service centre, or with a new SA501.
Services Australia does not charge customers for using Centrepay. You also have the right to have any positive balance held with the business paid back to you on demand.
No. Each SA501 covers a single deduction to one business for one service type. Complete a separate form for each deduction arrangement you want.
The deduction does not always stop automatically. The form's declaration notes that if you stop using the services of the business, you should check with Centrelink to make sure the deduction is cancelled.
This page reflects revision SA501.2508. Services Australia revises its forms regularly, so confirm the current version on servicesaustralia.gov.au before completing it.
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