How to claim Carer Allowance

The short answer

To claim Carer Allowance, check you meet the care and income rules, ask the treating health professional to complete the medical report, then claim online through your Centrelink online account linked to myGov. You can claim Carer Payment in the same claim. Services Australia assesses the care receiver's condition and your income before deciding.

Sources
Social Security Act 1991 (Cth)
Services Australia, Carer Allowance, How to claim
Services Australia, Carer Payment and Carer Allowance Medical Report for a child under 16 years (SA431)
Services Australia, Carer Payment and/or Carer Allowance Medical Report for a person 16 years or over (SA332A)

Check you are eligible

Carer Allowance is a fortnightly supplement under the Social Security Act 1991 for people who give additional daily care to someone with a disability, serious illness or frailty due to age. The care can be given in your home or theirs. There is no assets test, but your and your partner's combined adjusted taxable income must be under the annual threshold, which Services Australia publishes and reviews. You can receive Carer Allowance while working, studying or receiving another payment. The person you care for must meet a medical assessment: the Adult Disability Assessment Tool for people 16 and over, or the Disability Care Load Assessment (Child) for children under 16.

Get the medical report done

The medical report is the part that most often delays a claim, so start it early. For a person 16 or over, the treating health professional completes the Carer Payment and/or Carer Allowance Medical Report for a person 16 years or over. For a child under 16, they complete form SA431. The treating doctor, specialist or other recognised health professional must currently be treating the person. In some cases Services Australia can use medical information it already holds and will tell you if a new report is not needed. Ask the practitioner to be specific about the daily care the person needs, because the assessment scores care load, not just diagnosis.

Lodge the claim

Sign in to myGov and go to your linked Centrelink online account, or use the Express Plus Centrelink app. Start a claim for Carer Allowance, and tick Carer Payment as well if you want both assessed together. You will need a Customer Reference Number, proof of identity, income details for you and your partner, and details of the person you care for. Upload the completed medical report and submit. If you cannot claim online, you can ask Services Australia for a paper claim or visit a service centre. Grandparent, Foster and Kinship Carer Advisers can help non parent carers work through the claim.

After you submit

Track progress in your online account under claims. Services Australia may ask for more information or a further assessment. If approved, payment is generally backdated to the date you started the claim, so submitting early and adding documents later can protect your start date. A child under 16 who qualifies also gets a Health Care Card. Once you are paid, you must report changes in care arrangements, income and address, and the care receiver's condition may be reviewed periodically. If your claim is rejected you can ask for a review of the decision, and community legal centres or Carers Australia can help you with that.

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