Can I get financial assistance if I am caring for a disabled family member?

In Plain English

Yes, you may be able to receive financial assistance in the form of Carer Allowance or Carer Payment if you are caring for a disabled family member.

  • Carer Allowance: You may be eligible if you provide daily care and attention to a disabled child or adult in a private home. The eligibility depends on factors such as the disabled person's residency, the level of care required, and your income.
  • Carer Payment: You may be eligible if you provide constant care to someone who needs it due to disability, medical condition, or terminal illness. Your capacity to work must be severely restricted due to the care you provide. The disabled person must also meet certain requirements, including residency, an income test, and an assets test.

The exact amount of assistance you can receive depends on your individual circumstances and is subject to income and assets tests.

Detailed Explanation

Several pieces of legislation outline the conditions and eligibility for financial assistance for carers in Australia.

Carer Allowance

  • Eligibility for a disabled child: Under Section 953 of the Social Security Act 1991, you may qualify for Carer Allowance if you care for a disabled child who is your dependent and requires daily care and attention due to their disability. The child must be an Australian resident. The disability must be declared a recognised disability or the carer must have a qualifying rating of intense under the Disability Care Load Assessment (Child) Determination. The carer must also satisfy the carer allowance income test under section 957A.
  • Eligibility for a disabled adult: Under Section 954 of the Social Security Act 1991, you may qualify for Carer Allowance if you care for a disabled adult who is an Australian resident and a family member. The adult must have a disability assessment score of at least 30 under the Adult Disability Assessment Tool. The carer must provide daily care and attention in a private home and satisfy the carer allowance income test under section 957A.
  • Adult Disability Assessment Tool: Section 954 specifies that the disabled adult must be assessed and rated under the Adult Disability Assessment Tool and given a score of at least 30, based on a professional questionnaire score of at least 12.
  • Remaining qualified after a child turns 16: Section 953A of the Social Security Act 1991 allows a person to remain qualified for carer allowance for a disabled child after the child turns 16, for a limited time, while the child is assessed under the Adult Disability Assessment Tool.
  • Carer allowance income test: Section 957A of the Social Security Act 1991 outlines the income test for carer allowance. It involves assessing the adjusted taxable income of the carer and their partner (if applicable) for the reference tax year. It also considers deemed income from long-term financial assets if the carer or their partner has reached the minimum age mentioned in section 301-10 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997.
  • Disability Care Load Assessment (Child) Determination: The Disability Care Load Assessment (Child) Determination 2020 provides details on how the qualifying rating of intense is achieved for the purposes of carer allowance. It involves completing an ACL questionnaire and a professional questionnaire for each child. The total score from combining the contributing ACL questionnaires must be 85 or more, and the contributing professional questionnaire for each child must have a score of greater than 0.

Carer Payment

  • Qualification for carer payment: Section 197A of the Social Security Act 1991 outlines the qualifications for carer payment. This includes personally providing constant care for a disabled person, with the care being provided in a private residence that is the home of the care receiver. The carer must be an Australian resident.
  • Care receiver requirements: Section 197A also specifies that the care receiver must require constant care, be an Australian resident, and pass the income test under section 198A and the assets test under section 198D.
  • Income test: Section 198A of the Social Security Legislation Amendment (Carer Pension and Other Measures) Act 1995 states that a care receiver passes the income test if their taxable income is not more than $61,020.00.
  • Constant Care for Multiple People: Sections 197C and 197D of the Social Security Act 1991 outline the qualifications for carer payment when providing constant care for multiple children with disabilities or a disabled adult and one or more children with disabilities. These sections also refer to the Disability Care Load Assessment (Child) Determination for achieving a qualifying rating of intense.

Other Relevant Information