Payments for carers

There are several payments and services available to parents or carers who provide daily care to someone with a severe disability or medical condition or someone who is frail aged.

Financial assistance for carers

Carer Payment provides financial support to people who are unable to work in substantial paid employment because they provide full-time daily care to someone with a severe disability or medical condition, or to someone who is frail aged.

Carer Allowance is a supplementary payment for parents or carers providing additional daily care to an adult or dependent child with a disability or medical condition, or to someone who is frail aged.

If you are already receiving the Carer Payment or Carer Allowance, the Carer Supplement is an annual lump sum payment to assist carers with the costs of caring for a person with a disability or medical condition.

Carer Adjustment Payment is a one-off payment to help families deal with the increased costs of caring for a child aged six years or younger who has had a sudden and severe illness or accident.

Child Disability Assistance Payment is an annual payment to assist parents with the costs of caring for a child with a disability.

The Pensioner Education Supplement helps students with the ongoing costs of full-time or part-time study in a secondary or tertiary course.

Payments to help carers with dependent children

There are a number of payments to help families with the cost of raising children.

Family Tax Benefit helps parents or guardians with the cost of raising children. It is made up of two parts - Family Tax Benefit Part A and Part B.

Parenting Payment also provides income support to parents or guardians to help cover the cost of raising children.

Jobs, Education and Training Child Care Fee Assistance provides extra help to pay for approved child care when eligible parents undertake activities such as job search, work, study, training, rehabilitation to enter the workforce as part of an Employment Pathway Plan.

Double Orphan Pension helps with the costs of caring for orphans or children whose parents are unable to care for them in certain circumstances. No income or assets test is required.

Other assistance carers should know about

The Continence Aids Payment Scheme helps eligible people with permanent and severe incontinence to pay for incontinence products.

Australia is switching off analog TV signals and converting to digital TV. Department of Human Services and Department of Veterans’ Affairs customers may be eligible for the Household Assistance Scheme to help make the change to digital TV.