If you have reduced or stopped working to care for someone in the final weeks of life, you may be entitled to significant financial support. These payments exist for exactly this situation.
Carer Payment in the final weeks
Carer Payment is an income support payment for people who provide constant, full-time care to a person with a severe medical condition. In the final weeks of a terminal illness, the care needs are at their most intense, and Carer Payment is specifically designed to replace income for carers who cannot work because of this.
If you are providing full-time care, it is worth checking Carer Payment early. Payment usually starts from the date you lodge your claim, not from when caring began.
To apply, call Centrelink on 132 717 or visit a Services Australia service centre. The GP or treating specialist will need to complete a medical report as part of the assessment. Bring the form to the next medical appointment rather than waiting for Centrelink to send it separately.
Carer Allowance
Carer Allowance is a supplementary payment for people providing daily care and attention, and can be received in addition to Carer Payment. It is also available to people who are still working part-time alongside their caring role, and who do not qualify for Carer Payment.
You can claim Carer Payment and Carer Allowance at the same time.
How to apply
You can apply for Carer Payment and Carer Allowance online through myGov, by phone on 132 717, or in person at a Services Australia service centre. You will need: identification documents for yourself and the person you are caring for, your income and assets information, and a medical report from the treating doctor.
Ask your GP or specialist to complete the medical report at the same appointment where you collect the form. This avoids delays from having to return to collect the completed form later.
If a doctor certifies that the person is in the final phase of a terminal illness and not expected to live more than 3 months, the care needs questionnaires are not needed, which can make the claim simpler. Tell Centrelink about the diagnosis when you apply.
Leave from work and your employer
If you are employed, the National Employment Standards give you three kinds of leave that can help. Paid personal or carer's leave, 10 days a year for a full-time employee and less for part-time, can be used to care for an immediate family or household member who is ill. When that runs out, you can take 2 days of unpaid carer's leave each time it is needed. And you can take 2 days of compassionate leave each time an immediate family or household member has a life-threatening illness, paid for most employees and unpaid for casuals. The Fair Work Ombudsman (fairwork.gov.au) sets out the detail.
Speak to your employer or HR department about what is available. Some employers offer additional paid or unpaid compassionate leave for employees caring for a seriously ill family member. Many employers are more flexible than the formal entitlements require when the circumstances are explained clearly.
If you need to take unpaid leave or reduce your hours significantly, Carer Payment is designed for exactly that situation, and it is worth checking whether you qualify.
Other Centrelink support
Beyond Carer Payment and Carer Allowance, check whether you or the person you are caring for may be entitled to: a Pensioner Concession Card or Health Care Card (which reduces the cost of medications and some services), PBS SafetyNet (which lowers medication costs once your spending passes a threshold in a calendar year, to nil if you hold a concession card and to the concessional rate if you do not), or Mobility Allowance (for people who cannot use public transport without a lot of help and who travel for work, study, volunteering or job seeking).
Ask Centrelink directly about all concessions and payments you may be eligible for. The Payment and Service Finder on the Services Australia website shows what may be available based on your circumstances.
Bereavement Payment: planning ahead
If you and your partner were both getting a pension, or both getting another Centrelink payment for at least the previous 12 months, you may get a lump sum bereavement payment after their death. It is worked out over a 14 week period starting the day they died, and it reflects the difference between what you were getting as a couple and your new single rate.
That 14 weeks is how the amount is calculated, not a deadline for claiming. What matters is telling Services Australia about the death as soon as you are able, because a late notification can mean the payment is not made. They will work out what you are entitled to when you contact them.
Worth knowing now: if you are receiving Carer Payment for the person you care for, that payment can continue for up to 14 weeks after they die, and your Pensioner Concession Card continues with it. Knowing this in advance means you are not discovering it weeks later. When you notify Centrelink of the death, on 132 300, ask about bereavement assistance at that time.
Platform tools
- Your checklistEvery task across all five stages of the journey, gathered in one place so nothing is forgotten.
- Find a specialistLocation-aware search for medical specialists, palliative care teams, solicitors, financial advisers, and grief support services across Australia.
Was this guide helpful?
Pierre started 18December after his partner Mark was given a terminal diagnosis, when they mapped out everything that needed to happen at the kitchen table. He reviews the guides to keep them honest, plain, and genuinely useful. About 18December
Last reviewed 10 October 2026
Read the latest version of this guide at www.18december.com.au/guides/carer-payment
© 2026 18December Pty Ltd. All rights reserved. This guide is original content and may not be reproduced, distributed, or republished without written permission.
← Back to Making the most of the time