There will be two automatic carer payments rolling out to carers in 2023. The Child Disability Assistance Payment of $1,000 and the carer supplement of $600.
There is a Child Disability Assistance payment which is an annual payment made to families who care for a child with a disability. The child you care for must be under 16 years of age and attract a payment of Carer Allowance. Hence the payment will start to roll our July 1, 2023. The payment is designed to help families purchase support, aids, therapies, or respite that they require for their child with a disability. Importantly, the payment will help carers to purchase the form of assistance that best suits the needs of the family.
Eligibility and Application
The Child Disability Assistance Payment is an automatic annual payment of up to $1,000. Families do not need to claim this payment, but they need to be getting Carer Allowance for their child with a disability. The payment is not subject to income tax and does not count as income for social security or family assistance purposes.
To be eligible for Carer Allowance, the child must have a disability or a severe medical condition, and the carer must provide additional daily care and attention. Therefore, families can apply for Carer Allowance through the Department of Human Services.
Supporting Families and Children with Disabilities
The Child Disability Assistance Payment is an important source of financial support for families who care for children with disabilities. It can help families purchase the support and services they need to improve their child’s quality of life and wellbeing. The payment can be used to purchase a range of support and services, including:
- Therapies and interventions
- Mobility aids and equipment
- Home modifications
- Respite care
- Educational resources and support
The payment can also help families to access support and services that may not be covered by other funding sources, such as the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
If you haven’t got Child Disability Assistance Payment by early August and you think you’re eligible, you can follow these steps:
- Sign in to myGov.
- Select Payments and claims, followed by Manage payments and My payments and check to see if we’ve paid you.
- Check the bank account details you told us are correct.
Read More: NDIS participants could be impacted under new Psychosocial disability reform
Carer Supplement
In addition to the Child Disability Assistance Payment, carers who receive certain carer or Department of Veterans’ Affairs payments may also be eligible for the Carer Supplement. This is an annual payment of up to $600, paid automatically if the carer is receiving one of the following payments for a period that includes 1 July:
- Carer Allowance
- Carer Payment
- Department of Veterans’ Affairs Partner Service Pension and Carer Allowance
- Department of Veterans’ Affairs Carer Service Pension.
The Carer Supplement does not add to the carer’s taxable income and is not counted as income for social security or family assistance purposes. It is important to not that If you haven’t received your Carer Supplement by early August and you think you’re eligible, you may need to check to see if you have been paid.
What next?
The Child Disability Assistance Payment and Carer Supplement are financial support for families who care for children with disabilities. They provide families with the flexibility to purchase the support and services they need to improve their child’s quality of life and wellbeing. Families who care for children with disabilities should consider applying for Carer Allowance to access these sources of financial support.
These carer payments will be paid and roll out will begin July 1st, 2023. They will be paid automatically for eligible individuals and there is no need to claim these individually. For more information head to the Centrelink website.
https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/carer-supplement
https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/child-disability-assistance-payment