The SS524 Form: How an Executor Gets Information from Centrelink

The SS524 is the Executor/Administrator Request for information form from Services Australia. An executor or administrator uses it to find out where a person who has died stood with Centrelink, including any money owed in either direction. Services Australia will only release that information to the executor named in the will, the Public Trustee, a court or the administrator of the estate, and each executor or administrator has to fill in their own form. (Source: servicesaustralia.gov.au, checked 6 Nov 2026)

What is the SS524 form for?

Services Australia's own description is short: use this form to request information from it about a deceased person. (Source: servicesaustralia.gov.au, checked 6 Nov 2026)

Money is one reason to use it. Services Australia says that if you think it owes money to someone who died, the executor or administrator can ask it to check by completing this form and giving proof that they are the executor or administrator. (Source: servicesaustralia.gov.au, checked 6 Nov 2026)

It helps to know how the last payment generally works. When a single pensioner dies, Services Australia pays their regular payment covering the fortnight in which they died, and the executor can access it from their bank account. When a single person on an allowance such as JobSeeker Payment dies, the payment stops that day and is paid up to the day before their death. (Source: servicesaustralia.gov.au, checked 6 Nov 2026)

Who can use the SS524?

Services Australia will only disclose information to:

• the executor named in the will
• the Public Trustee
• a court
• the administrator of the estate.

If two or more people are named as executors or administrators, each of them must complete the form before Services Australia can disclose anything. (Source: servicesaustralia.gov.au, checked 6 Nov 2026) Next of kin is not on that list, so if you are family but not the executor, the request may need to come from whoever is.

General information only, not legal advice. Who has authority to act for an estate depends on the will and on the law in your state or territory. If you are not sure you are the right person to sign this form, or there is no will, please get advice from a lawyer in your state first.

What information can you ask Centrelink for?

The current form (version SS524.2212) has a list of boxes to tick. You can ask for:

• the amount Centrelink owes to the estate, if any
• the amount the person owed Centrelink at the time of death, if any
• the amount Centrelink will claim against the estate, if any
• details of any outstanding review of decisions, or outstanding claims for a payment or service
• a statement of payment for the current or the previous financial year
• a statement of income and assets, or of Centrepay deductions, as at the date of death.

There is also an Other box for anything else. If you have legal authority to receive payments owed to the estate, the form asks for the bank account details, or you can tick a box to be paid by cheque. (Source: servicesaustralia.gov.au, checked 6 Nov 2026)

What proof do you need to send with it?

The form says you need to provide proof that you have the authority to act on the deceased person's estate. The examples it gives are a copy of the will, letters of administration, a court order or similar legal document, or a letter from the legal representative of the executor or administrator. (Source: servicesaustralia.gov.au, checked 6 Nov 2026)

You will also need the person's details: their Customer Reference Number if you know it, their name, date of birth and date of death, their permanent address before death, and their relationship status at the time of death. Then you tick the authority you are relying on, add your own details, and sign and date the declaration. (Source: servicesaustralia.gov.au, checked 6 Nov 2026)

How do you lodge the SS524?

The form can be filled in on screen in some browsers or in Adobe Acrobat Reader, or printed and completed in black or blue pen in block letters. The form gives three ways to return it: by fax to 1300 786 102, by post to Services Australia, PO Box 7800, Canberra BC ACT 2610, or in person at a service centre. (Source: servicesaustralia.gov.au, checked 6 Nov 2026)

For questions, the form points to 132 300. Services Australia lists that number as the Centrelink older Australians line, open Monday to Friday, 8 am to 5 pm, and it covers help following the death of a loved one. (Source: servicesaustralia.gov.au, checked 6 Nov 2026) Keep a copy of everything you send and write down the date you sent it.

Is this the same as telling Centrelink about the death?

No, they are separate steps. Services Australia says you need to tell it within 28 days when someone has died, by calling the older Australians line, completing the Advice of death form, or visiting a service centre. (Source: servicesaustralia.gov.au, checked 6 Nov 2026) The Advice of death form is the SA116, and its page notes that if you are listed as the executor in the will, you must complete the Executor/Administrator Request for information form before Services Australia can give you information. (Source: servicesaustralia.gov.au, checked 6 Nov 2026)

A sensible order is to tell Services Australia about the death first, then send the SS524 once your proof of authority is ready.

If you are working through the first months as an executor, the free Executor Toolkit lays out the first twelve months step by step, with notification letters and an expense tracker.

Related guides

Keep reading: what does an executor do?, the executor's first steps, what to do when someone dies, and what is probate?

Educational content only. Not legal, financial or tax advice. Estate laws vary across Australian states and territories. Always consult a qualified professional about your specific situation.

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