How to Claim Mobility Allowance if Disability Limits Your Use of Public Transport

Who can claim Mobility Allowance?

Mobility Allowance is a Services Australia payment that helps with travel costs for people whose disability, illness or injury affects their ability to use public transport and who need to travel for work, study, training, volunteering or looking for work.

Services Australia says you may qualify if you are 16 or older, meet the residence rules, have a disability, illness or injury, need help using public transport for at least 12 months because of your condition, and need to travel from home for an approved activity.

This is different from Disability Support Pension. Mobility Allowance is specifically linked to travel for eligible activities and difficulty using public transport.

What work, training or job-search activity do you need?

Your activity affects both eligibility and the rate that may apply. For the standard rate, one route is to do paid work, voluntary work, self-employment, vocational training, independent living training or life skills training for at least 32 hours every 4 weeks on a continuing basis. Other standard-rate pathways include qualifying job search through an employment services provider or meeting specified activity or mutual-obligation requirements while receiving certain payments.

A higher rate can apply in specific circumstances. Services Australia currently lists a higher rate for people receiving Disability Support Pension, Parenting Payment, JobSeeker Payment or Youth Allowance as a job seeker who also meet specified work or job-search requirements of 15 hours or more per week. If you are receiving JobSeeker Payment, see the separate guide to claiming JobSeeker Payment.

Can you get Mobility Allowance with NDIS support?

You cannot get Mobility Allowance if you have funded support from the NDIS. Services Australia also excludes people who have a vehicle from the Department of Veterans' Affairs under the Vehicle Assistance Scheme or Motor Vehicle Compensation Scheme.

This makes it important to check your current support arrangements before lodging the claim rather than assuming that having a disability by itself establishes eligibility.

What are the Australian residence rules?

On the day you claim, Services Australia says you must be living in Australia, physically in Australia and an Australian resident. To continue receiving Mobility Allowance, you must continue living in Australia as an Australian resident.

If you recently arrived in Australia as a resident, a newly arrived resident waiting period of 2 or 4 years may apply depending on your circumstances. Services Australia states that exemptions exist, so the waiting period should be checked against your individual residence status.

What evidence should you prepare?

Services Australia may need information covering four main areas:

• Identity: proof of identity, including a document showing your birth or arrival in Australia when required.
• Residence: details such as visa information, citizenship dates and periods lived in other countries when relevant.
• Approved activity: evidence of employment, voluntary work, job search, training or study. Employment evidence may need to show your employer, hours worked over a 4-week period and whether the work is ongoing.
• Medical evidence: a current report from your treating doctor may be required. It should describe your disability or medical condition and explain how it affects your ability to use public transport.

If Services Australia asks for documents as part of the claim, its supporting-documents guidance gives you 14 days to provide them. If you do not provide them, the claim may be rejected. Documents can be uploaded through your Centrelink online account or the Express Plus Centrelink app, or provided by mail, fax or at a service centre.

How do you claim online through Centrelink?

The easiest route identified by Services Australia is an online claim through a Centrelink account linked to myGov. Sign in to myGov, open Centrelink and select Make a claim or view claim status, then Make a claim. Under Disabled, ill or injury, select Get started, choose Apply for Mobility Allowance and complete the prompts.

You may need to prove your identity with Services Australia before starting the claim.

What if you cannot apply online?

If you cannot claim online, Services Australia allows you to print and complete the Claim for Mobility Allowance form, call the Disability and carers line, or visit a service centre.

These are alternative submission routes for the same Mobility Allowance claim; you do not need to create a separate benefit application merely because you cannot use myGov.

How much is Mobility Allowance?

Services Australia lists two rates from 1 January 2026. The standard rate is $122.80 a fortnight and the higher rate is $171.70 a fortnight. Which rate applies depends on the type and amount of eligible activity you do and, for the higher rate, whether you receive one of the specified Centrelink payments and meet the additional work or job-search requirements.

Services Australia also states that Mobility Allowance may continue for an extra 12 weeks in certain circumstances after eligible work, self-employment, study, training or an agreement to look for work stops.

What happens after you apply?

After an online claim is submitted, you receive a receipt confirming submission and showing the claim ID. Services Australia does not publish one standard completion time on its Mobility Allowance claim page. It will contact you if more information is required and notify you of the decision through your myGov Inbox or by mail if you do not receive electronic letters.

If you believe the decision is wrong, Services Australia says you can ask for the decision to be reviewed.

Other payments that may be relevant

Mobility Allowance serves a different purpose from income-support and carer payments. Depending on your circumstances, related procedures include Carer Payment for a person providing constant care and the Low Income Health Care Card. Each has its own eligibility rules and should not be treated as a substitute for Mobility Allowance.