Can you get Carer Allowance for a foster child?
Yes, in many cases. Carer Allowance is a Services Australia payment for people who give daily care to a child or adult with a disability or serious medical condition. Foster and kinship carers can claim it for a child in their care if the child meets the medical and care tests. It is separate from, and paid on top of, the state care allowance.
Social Security Act 1991 (Cth)
Services Australia, Carer Allowance, Who can get it
Services Australia, Carer Payment and Carer Allowance Medical Report for a child under 16 years (SA431)
Social Security Guide 3.6.7, Carer Allowance qualification for a child
How Carer Allowance works
Carer Allowance is paid under the Social Security Act 1991 and administered by Services Australia. It is a fortnightly supplement, not an income replacement, and it is not taxable. There is no assets test. There is an income test based on adjusted taxable income for you and your partner combined, with a threshold set at a family income level well above most household incomes. For a child under 16, the child must need substantially more daily care and attention than a child of the same age without a disability, and that care must be given in your home by you or your partner. The child must also be a dependent child in your care, which a foster or kinship child usually is.
The medical assessment for a child
For a child under 16, a health professional currently treating the child completes the Carer Payment and Carer Allowance Medical Report for a child under 16 years, known as form SA431. Services Australia uses the Disability Care Load Assessment (Child) to work out whether the care load meets the threshold. Some children with certain recognised conditions are assessed more simply. Where a child qualifies for care but the carer does not meet the full payment rules, a Carer Allowance Health Care Card for the child may still be available. For a young person aged 16 or over, a different form applies and the Adult Disability Assessment Tool is used.
How it sits with the state care allowance
The care allowance you receive from the state or territory, such as the DCJ Care Allowance in New South Wales or the Child Safety caring allowance in Queensland, is a contribution to the child's day to day costs. It is not treated as income for Centrelink purposes, so it does not reduce Carer Allowance. Some states also pay higher care allowance levels for children with complex needs, and receiving Carer Allowance does not usually prevent that. Tell your caseworker you are claiming, because the department may ask you to include Commonwealth payments in the child's financial plan or case plan.
What to do
Ask the child's treating doctor, paediatrician or specialist to complete the SA431 medical report. Claim online through your Centrelink online account linked to myGov, or use a Grandparent, Foster and Kinship Carer Adviser at Services Australia if you want help. Keep a copy of the placement or court order in case identity or care arrangements need confirming. If the child moves to another placement, you must tell Services Australia because the payment follows the child's carer. Check the current fortnightly rate and income threshold on the Services Australia website, since both are reviewed each year.
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