Centrelink support for carers

Carer Payment

Carer Payment is an income support payment for people who provide constant care in the home for someone with a serious illness, disability, or who is frail aged. It replaces income for people who cannot work full-time because of their caring role.

To qualify, you must be providing constant care to a person with a severe medical condition or disability who requires full-time care, and you must meet an income and assets test. The person you are caring for must also be assessed.

The assessment uses the Adult Disability Assessment Tool. You answer a carer questionnaire, and a health professional treating the person completes a medical report. 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 questionnaires are not needed.

Carer Payment is paid fortnightly and is means-tested. Payments change regularly. Check the Services Australia website (servicesaustralia.gov.au) for current rates. You can call Centrelink on 132 717 to discuss your eligibility before applying.

Payment is generally not backdated earlier than the date you lodge your claim.

Carer Allowance

Carer Allowance is a supplementary payment for people who provide daily care and attention to someone with a disability or serious health condition. It is lower than Carer Payment. There is no assets test, but there is an income test based on your and your partner's combined adjusted taxable income. The test does not apply if you already receive an income-tested payment from Centrelink or DVA. Services Australia publishes the current threshold on its Carer Allowance page.

Carer Allowance can be paid in addition to Carer Payment, and can also be received by someone who works part-time and provides care in addition to their employment.

You can receive Carer Allowance for a child or an adult. Services Australia decides who qualifies. Payment usually starts from the date you lodge your claim, so it is worth checking early.

Disability Support Pension

If the person with the terminal illness is unable to work due to their condition, they may be eligible for the Disability Support Pension (DSP). The DSP is for people whose medical condition is expected to stop them working 15 hours or more a week within the next 2 years, and who meet the other medical and non-medical rules.

A terminal illness with an average life expectancy of less than 2 years meets the DSP medical rules on its own, though the non-medical rules (such as residence) still apply. Services Australia will ask for medical evidence from the treating doctor or specialist.

If the person already receives another income support payment (such as JobSeeker), switching to DSP may provide a higher rate of payment and access to additional concessions.

Bereavement Payment

When someone dies, their surviving partner may be entitled to a Bereavement Payment from Centrelink. This is a lump sum payment designed to provide immediate financial support in the period immediately following a death.

A lump sum bereavement payment may be paid to a surviving partner where both partners were getting a pension (such as Age Pension, DSP or Carer Payment), or both had been getting another Centrelink payment for at least the previous 12 months. 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.

The 14 weeks is the period used to work out the amount. It is not a deadline for lodging a claim. 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.

If you were receiving Carer Payment for the person who died, that payment can continue for up to 14 weeks afterwards, and your Pensioner Concession Card continues with it. This gives you time to sort out what comes next, and it is easy to miss. For everyone who needs to be told after a death, see what to do after a death.

Concession cards

Centrelink recipients are usually entitled to a Pensioner Concession Card or Health Care Card, which provide reduced rates for a range of expenses including medicines under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), public transport in many states, and some utility concessions.

Ask Centrelink what concession cards you and the person you are caring for are eligible for when you apply for payments. The savings over time can be significant, particularly on prescription medications.

Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) and SafetyNet

The PBS subsidises the cost of many prescription medications. For concession card holders, the co-payment per PBS medication is significantly reduced. Once your PBS spending for the calendar year passes the SafetyNet threshold, your medicine costs drop for the rest of the year. If you hold a concession card, PBS medicines are then free. If you do not, they drop to the lower concessional rate.

If you are managing multiple medications, ask your pharmacy about keeping a record of your PBS medicines towards the Safety Net, particularly if you use more than one pharmacy.

Centrelink social workers

Centrelink employs social workers who can provide support beyond financial assistance. They can help with crisis situations, emotional support, referrals to community services, and navigating complex circumstances. Centrelink social workers are free to access and can be requested when you contact Centrelink.

If you are finding it difficult to navigate the Centrelink system, you can ask to speak with a social worker.

You can also access Centrelink services through myGov at my.gov.au, where you can submit claims, upload documents, and track the progress of applications without needing to call or visit in person.

Other payments to check

In addition to the payments above, check whether you or the person you are caring for may be eligible for: JobSeeker with reduced mutual obligation requirements due to caring responsibilities, or Remote Area Allowance if you live in a qualifying remote location.

The Services Australia website has a Payment and Service Finder that asks questions about your situation and tells you which payments you may be eligible for.