Double Orphan Pension

Double Orphan Pension provides help with the costs of caring for children who are orphans.

You may be eligible to claim Double Orphan Pension for a child if:

• the child's parents or adoptive parents have both died
• one of the child's parents is deceased and the other parent is in long term imprisonment or is on remand for an offence that is punishable by long term imprisonment, or lives in a psychiatric institution or nursing home on a long term basis, or their whereabouts is unknown
• the child is a refugee and has not at any time lived in Australia with either or both parents, and whose parents are outside Australia or their whereabouts are unknown

and

• you have at least 35 per cent care of the child, if you claim the benefit on or after 1 July 2008
• the child is under 16 or a full time student aged 16 to 21 who does not get Youth Allowance
• you are eligible for Family Tax Benefit for the child (or you would be except for the Family Tax Benefit income test).

To be eligible for Double Orphan Pension you must also satisfy residency requirements.