Mandatory Review for Supported Living Payment

MSD must review a client's Supported Living Payment within 52-weeks of when their benefit commenced, or within 52-weeks from when the client's last Mandatory Review was completed.

Clients must respond to the Mandatory Review before their review date, or their payments will suspend.

The purpose of a Mandatory Review for Supported Living Payment is to:

• check for any changes to a client's circumstances
• determine if the client still meets the qualifications for Supported Living Payment (except for the medical qualifications, they are reviewed separately) and
• review the rate of Supported Living Payment payable.

The review checks a client's circumstances but is not a review of their health condition, injury or disability, known as a medical review. Medical reviews will take place separately.

Note the Review of Annual Income is a separate process to a Mandatory Review.

Clients also getting Accommodation Supplement or Disability Allowance have these reviewed at the same time as their Mandatory Review for Supported Living Payment.

Example: client is getting Supported Living Payment and Accommodation Supplement

Celia has been getting Accommodation Supplement since 1 December 2025.

Celia applied for Supported Living Payment, which commenced on 10 April 2026.

Because the initial Mandatory Review date is determined by the Supported Living Payment commencement date, the review date for both Accommodation Supplement and Supported Living Payment is reset to 52 weeks from 10 April 2026.

If a client is getting Supported Living Payment and Orphan's Benefit or Unsupported Child's Benefit, they will have a Mandatory Review for their Supported Living Payment at least once in a 52-week period, but it will be separate to the Mandatory Review for Orphan's Benefit and Unsupported Child's Benefit.

Note MSD may use the information provided to review any assistance the client is getting.

Clients are notified at least 20 working days before their Mandatory Review date, unless their Supported Living Payment is suspended due to the client being temporarily overseas or in prison. The notice period allows sufficient time for clients to respond to the Mandatory Review.

Note if a client's Supported Living Payment is suspended when the Mandatory Review notice is sent, they are not required to respond to their Mandatory Review until their Supported Living Payment is to be resumed.

To respond to the Mandatory Review, the client must:

• confirm or provide current information about their circumstances and
• provide further information to MSD if requested

Clients must confirm the information MSD holds is correct or provide any new information before their review date.

When a client has responded to the Mandatory Review and MSD has determined they continue to qualify for Supported Living Payment, their next review date is 52 weeks from the date their Mandatory Review was completed.

When a client does not respond to the Mandatory Review before their review date, the Supported Living Payment will suspend.

If the client does not respond to the Mandatory Review to confirm their circumstances within 8 weeks after their payments have suspended, their benefit will be cancelled.

A client can still do their Mandatory Review during those 8 weeks. However, once the benefit has cancelled, the client will need to reapply for Supported Living Payment if they still need this assistance.

A client's Supported Living Payment cannot be resumed before they have responded to their Mandatory Review during the 8-week suspension period.

If a client's Supported Living Payment suspends as a result of the client not responding to their Mandatory Review, all of their assistance will also suspend, except for the following payments:

• Child Disability Allowance
• Orphan's Benefit
• Unsupported Child's Benefit
• Childcare Subsidy
• OSCAR (Out of School Care and Recreational Subsidy)
• Guaranteed Childcare Assistance Payment

The Mandatory Review is complete when MSD makes a decision about the client eligibility for Supported Living Payment and the rate of benefit payable.

MSD will either:

• continue paying the benefit at the existing rate
• adjust the rate of benefit so the client is getting the correct rate
• suspend the benefit if there is no rate payable for a period (e.g. partner has variable income)
• cancel the benefit if the client no longer qualifies

When a client has a partner, both the client and partner's circumstances are included in the review. Changes to the partner's circumstances (e.g. income, employment, living arrangements and other factors) must be included in the Mandatory Review.

However, if a client and their partner are getting Supported Living Payment in their own right, both clients have a Mandatory Review and are required to confirm their partner's circumstances.