- National suicide data
- Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
- National Suicide and Self-harm Monitoring System
Suicide among Centrelink income support recipients
The following summary is based on data released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) from the National Suicide and Self-Harm Monitoring System (the System): Deaths by suicide among Centrelink income support recipients.
The System was established as part of the national effort to address suicide and self-harm in Australia by improving the quality, accessibility and timeliness of data on deaths by suicide and on self-harming and suicidal behaviours.
When exploring suicide data, it is important to remember that behind the numbers are people, families and communities impacted by suicide in Australia. The reasons people take their own life are complex, and often there is no single reason why a person attempts or dies by suicide. By increasing our understanding of data alongside the lived experience of distress, we will increase the opportunity to save lives.
For guidance on reporting on suicide and self-harm data, please refer to the Mindframe quick reference guide.
Released by AIHW on Wednesday, 22 May 2024
‘People experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage’ are a priority population for suicide prevention under the National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement.
Receiving Centrelink income support payments can be an indicator of socioeconomic disadvantage. However, it is not a comprehensive measure. Not all people experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage receive Centrelink income support and therefore, are not included in this data release.
Data in this release are sourced from the Personal Level Integrated Data Asset (PLIDA). The data does not provide evidence of a causal relationship between receiving an income support payment and suicide.
What Centrelink payments are included in the data release?
Centrelink is a Services Australia program that delivers social security payments and services to Australians.
This release includes data for people who received the following income support payments:
- Age Pension
- Carer Payment
- Parenting payments
- Student payments
- Disability Support Pension
- Unemployment payments
To be eligible, for each of these income support payments, people need to meet income and assets tests.
Suicide among people who received an income support payment between 2011 and 2021
Individuals were identified as dying by suicide while receiving an income support payment, if they died in the same calendar year that they received the payment.
How do suicide rates change over time and compare to the Australian population?
Looking across time and comparing income support recipients and the whole Australian comparison populations, the data show:
| Support payment type | Trends over time (age-standardised suicide rates, 2011-2021) | Compared to the Australian population (age-standardised suicide rates) |
| Age Pension | Remained relatively stable over time | No substantial difference |
| Carer Payment | Remained relatively stable over time | No substantial difference |
| Parenting payments | Remained relatively stable over time | No substantial difference |
| Student payments | Remained relatively stable over time | No substantial difference |
| Disability Support Pension | Remained relatively stable over time | Higher than rates among their Australian comparison population. |
| Unemployment payments | The age-standardised suicide rate for males has increased over time, being higher in 2017 than in 2013. However, rates declined markedly between 2019 and 2020, reducing by 37.4%. | Higher than rates among their Australian comparison populations for both males and females |
A reduction in suicide rates was noted between 2019 and 2020. It is not possible to know the reason for the reduction in suicide rates among those receiving unemployment payments from this data. However, some potential factors could include:
- The COVID-19 pandemic and Australian Governments’ responses resulted in substantially more people receiving unemployment payments, many of whom would not have received unemployment payments if not for the pandemic1.
- Previous AIHW analysis found that receiving unemployment payments for longer periods of time is associated with increased risk of death by suicide. People who received income support payments for a relatively short period during the Australian Government’s response to the pandemic may be less vulnerable compared to longer-term unemployment payment recipients.
- The dollar amount paid to unemployment payment recipients was also substantially increased.
What does this mean for policy and practice?
This AIHW release provides information that can improve understanding of suicide among people receiving Centrelink income support payments, highlight where further investigation and evidence are needed, and provide insights into where suicide prevention efforts can be focused.
Previous analysis by AIHW has shown that lower income, lower levels of educational attainment, and being unemployed or not participating in the labour force, are each associated with a higher risk of suicide. It is important to consider past and new data as they can guide suicide prevention interventions and policy.
Suicide prevention policy and practice should:
- Consider economic determinants of health.
- Consider impacts of the rising cost of living.
- Include early distress interventions.
- Consider the complexity of socioeconomic disadvantage and acknowledge the diversity of experiences and circumstances among people who receive income support payments.
Reference
M Klapdor, ‘Changes to the COVID-19 social security measures: a brief assessment’, Parliament of Australia, 2020, accessed 22 May 2024.