Calculate a Centrelink preclusion period on a Queensland settlement
MaintainedLast reviewed
Key facts
- Human involvement
- YellowClose supervision
- How AI is used
- From the lump-sum figures and dates the lawyer specifies, calculate the preclusion period as 50 per cent of the lump sum divided by the single-rate pension income-test limit at settlement, and show the start and end. Where the lawyer gives more than one settlement figure, show each result. Do not decide which Queensland heads of damage form the lump sum, and do not insert an income-test limit the lawyer has not supplied.
- What the lawyer must review
- The lawyer decides which amounts are the compensation lump sum before the 50 per cent is taken.
- A global sum without an earnings split is still treated as in respect of lost earnings.
- After a contested court award, the calculation page uses the loss-of-earnings amount.
- Explain the period to the client before they accept.
- Written for / version
- Queensland versionQLDVIC
Rules that apply
The document starts from the task name. Change it if this piece of work is different.
The work product
Forum. Centrelink compensation recovery on a Queensland personal injury settlement
Produce. A preclusion workings sheet for each settlement figure the lawyer specifies.
Have ready. Proposed settlement figures, by head if the lawyer has split them; Date of injury; End date of any weekly compensation; Single-rate income-test limit at the settlement date.
Example of the limit. Illustrative example: The lawyer gives two global figures and the current income-test limit. The sheet shows two week counts and two end dates. It does not say which figure to accept.
Stop and hand it back when
- The income-test limit is not the figure for the settlement date.
- The lawyer has not said whether the payment is a settlement or a contested court award.
Sources for this task were checked on 2026-10-23.
Who does what
| Role | What they do |
|---|---|
| Assistance | From the lump-sum figures and dates the lawyer specifies, calculate the preclusion period as 50 per cent of the lump sum divided by the single-rate pension income-test limit at settlement, and show the start and end. Where the lawyer gives more than one settlement figure, show each result. Do not decide which Queensland heads of damage form the lump sum, and do not insert an income-test limit the lawyer has not supplied. |
| Lawyer | Set the scope, supervise the work closely, verify every part relied on, resolve omissions and exceptions, and approve the exact output. |
Checklist
- Use the income-test limit at the date of settlement, supplied by the lawyer from the agency page.
- Start the period at the date of injury, or the day after periodic compensation stopped.
- If any lump sum has an economic-loss component, add the lump sums the page says are combined.
- Show the effect of each alternative figure. Do not pick the settlement.
Forms and precedents for this task
| Form or precedent | Kind | AI use | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Centrelink compensation preclusion period: figures to collect before settlement | Checklist | AI use Yellow | Worksheet for a Centrelink compensation preclusion period, using the Services Australia pages on how the period is calculated. |
| Deed of release for a personal injury damages claim | Deed | AI use Yellow | Deed of release for a personal injury damages claim in Victoria, Queensland or New South Wales, conditional on sanction or approval where the claimant cannot give a binding release. |
| Settlement advice letter before a personal injury release is signed | Letter | AI use Yellow | Letter to the injured person before a personal injury settlement is signed, with blanks for the lawyer's view on liability, the ranges, the recommendation, and the costs figures required before settlement. |
| Settlement distribution statement for a personal injury claim | Checklist | AI use Yellow | Statement the client receives showing the gross personal injury settlement, the costs, the disbursements and the statutory amounts the lawyer has sourced, and the resulting net sum. |
| Client checklist after a personal injury settlement | Checklist | AI use Yellow | What a client does after a personal injury settlement is signed: Medicare, Centrelink, the NDIS, tax, and money held for a child. |
| Services Australia information request: which official form to use | Checklist | AI use Yellow | A file checklist for asking Services Australia for Medicare claims history, a notice of past benefits, or Centrelink information. |
Signed-in accounts can read the full text of each one. All precedents.
Sources
- Services Australia: how preclusion periods are calculated · 2026-10-23
- Services Australia: how lump sum compensation is treated · 2026-10-23
Health, wage and benefit records stay in a firm-controlled tool. Check ASCR r 9, APP 11, and whether a disclosure is notifiable under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).
The calculation page, updated 5 December 2025, says the number of weeks is 50 per cent of the lump sum divided by the single-rate pension income-test limit at settlement. It does not print that dollar limit.
The lump-sum page lists components that can include economic loss, non-economic loss, pain and suffering, impairment, medical expenses, rehabilitation and solicitors' costs. An injury scale value amount is not automatically left out.