Moving to an area of lower employment prospects

You can also lose your payment for six months if you are breached for 'moving to an area of lower employment prospects'. Centrelink must consider your individual circumstances, and whether your specific employment prospects are lowered by the move. They can't just rely on the unemployment rate for a particular area, and must consider whether there is work available that you are skilled in, or work you are capable of obtaining before applying a breach.

You can move to an area of lower employment prospects without penalty if you:

are undertaking an approved training or rehabilitation program including a program called the Personal Support Program);
need to move for health reasons, either yours or a family member's;
move because of an extreme circumstance, such as domestic violence;
move to live with, or near, a family member who already lives in that area - 'family member' includes a partner, parent, child or sibling but could also include other family members.

You may be able to receive a payment while you are appealing a breach. Seek independent advice.