An additional payment to help with the cost of child care you used before 2 July 2018.
Child Care Rebate stopped on 1 July 2018. If you need help with child care fees for approved care from 2 July 2018 you can claim Child Care Subsidy.
You can submit a lump sum claim for Child Care Benefit to be paid Child Care Rebate for care you used before 2 July 2018. You have until 30 June 2019 to submit your claim.
You may be eligible for Child Care Rebate if:
- you used a Child Care Benefit approved child care service
- you were eligible for Child Care Benefit, even if you earnt too much to receive payment
- you met the immunisation requirements, and
- you and your partner met the Work, Training, Study test for Child Care Rebate or met an exception
Child Care Rebate isn't income tested.
Work, Training, Study test
There are work, training, or study requirements you and your partner need to have met. This must be met at some time during the week in which you used child care. You and your partner will have met the test if you were:
- doing paid work, including self-employment
- setting up a business
- training or studying
- looking for work
- doing voluntary work to improve your work skills
- on annual leave or long service leave
- on sick or other paid leave
- on paid or unpaid parental leave, for up to a maximum of 12 months
- on self-employment leave, including sick leave
- getting Carer Payment
- getting Carer Allowance for an adult with disability
- providing constant care for a person with disability, or
- on carer leave or carer sick leave
You or your partner may have met an exception if either of you:
- have disability, which might have included receiving Disability Support Pension
- were overseas, or
- were in prison
If you met an exception, your partner needed to still meet the test. If your partner met an exception, you must have still satisfied the test.
Your family may have met an exception if:
- you or your partner were a grandparent with primary care of your grandchild
- you or your partner were facing exceptional circumstances, or
- you or your partner were getting Carer Allowance for a child with disability
In this section
Payment rates
Child Care Rebate covers 50% of your out of pocket child care expenses. It covers up to an annual limit of $7,613 per child.
Claiming
Check if you're eligible before you start your claim.
Managing
Information you need to know if you received Child Care Rebate throughout the year.
Related
We have other payments, services and subjects to help you with Child Care Rebate.