Centrelink low income health care card online application

Help For Commencing a claim

Self service registration

If you have already registered to use Centrelink's Online Services you will not need to re-register.

If you do not have a Customer Access Number (CAN) and have never received a Centrelink payment or service in your own right, you will need to register before you can use Centrelink's Online Services.

In your own right

If you have received a Centrelink payment or service in your own right, you will have already supplied sufficient personal information to Centrelink in order to successfully register for the full range of our self-service options.

You will also have a Customer Reference Number (CRN) that you will need to use in the self service registration process. Your CRN will be printed on any letters or cards sent to you. If you know your CRN and have previously received a Centrelink payment or service, answer 'Yes' to the question: 'Have you ever received a Centrelink payment or service in your own right and know your Customer Reference Number (CRN)'

Phone Self-Service

If you have at any time been a phone self service user and know your CRN, you should answer 'Yes' to the question: 'Have you ever received a Centrelink payment or service in your own right and know your Customer Reference Number (CRN)'

Unable to register

In rare cases, even though you have received a Centrelink payment or service and know your CRN, there may not be enough information on your record to enable you to register for Centrelink's Online Services.

If you have previously received a Centrelink payment or service and know your CRN but you have been unable to successfully, register for Centrelink's Online Services, answer 'No' to the question: 'Have you ever received a Centrelink payment or service in your own right and know your Customer Reference Number (CRN)'?

Never Received a Payment or Service

If you have never received a payment or service from Centrelink, answer 'No' to the question: 'Have you ever received a Centrelink payment or service in your own right and know your Customer Reference Number (CRN)'?

Logoff

If you do not wish to continue, select Logoff at the top right hand side of the page and you will be returned to the Online Services Index page.

Date of birth

This is the date when you were born. Enter your date of birth in the field in the following format dd/mm/yyyy (where 'dd' is the day of the month, 'mm' is the number of the month and 'yyyy' is the year). If the day or the month is less than '10', you do not need to add a '0' in front of the number. For example, a birth date of 3 May 1983 can be entered as 03/05/1983 or 3/5/1983.

Available Student Payments

ABSTUDY

ABSTUDY is the Study Assistance Scheme for Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders undertaking approved secondary or tertiary study or a full time Australian Apprenticeship (apprenticeship or traineeship). There are basic eligibility criteria to qualify for ABSTUDY.

The ABSTUDY scheme is administered and delivered by Centrelink for the Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST).

The basic qualifications (eligibility criteria) are:

For more information on eligibility go to the ABSTUDY Index.

Young people studying, aged 16-24

Generally you must be aged 16 years to 24 years to qualify for Youth Allowance as a full-time student or a full-time apprentice.

In certain circumstances, you may be able to claim Youth Allowance at 15 years. Contact Centrelink for more information.

You may be eligible for Youth Allowance at 25 years of age or older if you were already receiving payments immediately before turning 25 and you continue to study the same course or Australian Apprenticeship. No new claims for Youth Allowance can be made after you turn 25 years.

Austudy

you should apply for Austudy.

To be eligible for Austudy you must be doing an approved course of study at an approved institution, or undertaking an Australian Apprenticeship as well as meeting the other eligibility criteria for claiming a payment.

Youth Allowance

Youth Allowance (student) is generally paid to people who are:

Youth Allowance (Australian Apprentice) is generally paid to people who are:

Concessional workload student

You may be eligible to receive Youth Allowance or Austudy if it is difficult for you to study a full-time load. Centrelink may pay you a student payment if any of the following conditions apply to you.

You may be considered a Concessional Workload Student if, for academic reasons, your workload is reduced to two-thirds of the normal workload because of:

If you are a disabled person over 25 who has a substantial physical, psychiatric or intellectual disability and are therefore not capable of full-time study, or of completing a course in the minimum time allowed for other students, you can undertake at least 25% of the normal full-time study load for the course and still get Austudy. This includes studying a course offered on a part-time basis where the workload is at least 25% or more of a comparable full-time course.

Unemployed(or regarded as unemployed) and looking for Work

If you are looking for work, have recently lost your job, or are at risk of losing your job, there are payments and services to support you.

Newstart Allowance provides financial help if you are looking for work. It supports you while you do activities that may increase your chances of finding a job, such as studying or training. The amount of Newstart Allowance you are paid depends on your situation and waiting periods may apply.

Youth Allowance supports young people with financial assitance if they are 16 to 21 years old and looking for full-time work or undertaking approved activities.

Australian resident (Social Security Act 1991)

An Australian resident (as defined by the Social Security Act 1991) is a person who lives in Australia on a permanent basis and is one of the following;

Australian residence requirements (Family Assistance Act 1999)

To claim a payment from Centrelink you must be living in Australia on a permanent basis AND be:

If you are temporarily absent from Australia, you may still be eligible to receive a payment from Centrelink under certain circumstances.

Visa

If you are not an Australian resident (as defined by the Social Security Act 1991 or the Family Assistance Act 1999), you might still be eligible for a Centrelink payment or service if you hold a visa that is in a class of visas determined by the Minister of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs for the purposes of subparagraph 729(2)(f)(v) of the Social Security Act 1991.

Australian Citizenship

Australian citizenship is one type of legal authority to remain in Australia. It is obtained by one of the following:

Once acquired, Australian citizenship is not revoked unless a person willingly renounces it.

Note: An Australian must generally be residing in Australia in accordance with section 7(3) of the Social Security Act 1991 in order to qualify for social security or family assistance entitlements.

If you were born outside Australia you must provide an Australian passport or Australian Citizenship Certificate, unless you were born in Papua New Guinea (PNG) prior to 16 September 1975. In these cases a PNG birth certificate or Australian birth certificate is adequate evidence of your Australian citizenship.

For more information about Australian citizenship, please visit the Australian Citizenship website .

Special category visa holder

New Zealand citizens travelling on a New Zealand passport are generally issued a Special Category Visa on arrival in Australia.

Protected Special Category Visa holder

All New Zealand citizens travelling on a New Zealand passport are automatically granted a Special Category Visa on arrival in Australia.

A 'protected Special Category Visa holder' is a person who was in Australia as a Special Category Visa holder on 26 February 2001 or is covered by a limited number of other special circumstances.

Income and Assets test

Personal Income test:

For more information about the different forms of income that are assessed by Centrelink go to Income information.

Full-Time Student Income Bank

Assets test:

If not independent, family assets test applies (no personal assets test):

Payment may be deferred when liquid assets exceed $5,500 (single) or $11,000 (couple or single with dependents).

Hardship provisions may apply to the personal assets test.

Check your eligibility

Youth Allowance and Austudy payments have some simple criteria that will help to determine whether you are eligible to claim.

These criteria include:

If you do not meet all of these criteria, you are not likely to be eligible for a student payment. If this is the case you can either cancel your claim immediately, or arrange for a Centrelink Customer Service Adviser to contact you about making your claim.

Please Note: If you do meet each of these criteria you may continue to make your claim.

Yourself

Customers making a claim online can only do so in respect of themselves. Unlike paper claim forms where a parent can assist a child in the completion of the form, claims made online must be done by the person making the claim and on their own Centrelink record. Where a person making a claim does not have a Centrelink record, one will be established for them as part of the online claim process.

If you have accessed this claim using your CAN and Password to make a claim on behalf of someone else you will need to logoff and have the person make the claim in their own right.

In the case of Youth Allowance for children under the age of 18, the payment is made in the young person's name but paid into a parent or guardian's bank account. The young person must still complete the information required for the claim using their own Centrelink record.

Full-time study

For the purposes of Youth Allowance and Austudy, full-time study is defined as at least three-quarters of the standard full time load for tertiary students. It differs depending on whether the course attracts a Student Contributions Amounts (previously known as Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS) fee).

For a Student Contributions Amounts course, a full-time load is measured against the standard student study load for the course. You are considered full-time for the period that you have a Student Contributions Amounts loading of:

For a course that does not attract Student Contributions Amounts, you are considered full-time where:

Full-time student

For the purposes of an Ex-Carer Allowance (child) Health Care Card, full-time study or training is generally regarded as being enrolled in an approved course with an approved institution and undertaking at least three quarters (75%) of the normal amount of a full-time study load for the course.

For tertiary students, this will be at least a minimum of 20 contact hours per week. Non-class work such as home work and revision is not included in the contact hours.

Secondary students studying at a secondary school must be undertaking full-time study, as determined by the school. If studying by correspondence or at an institution other than a secondary school, full-time study will generally be accepted as being three quarters (75%) of the full-time study load for the relevant course.

In some cases, a concessional study load may also be accepted as meeting the requirements for full-time study.

Please note, full-time apprentices are also recognised as full-time students for the purposes of an Ex-Carer Allowance (child) Health Care Card.

Approved course

Youth Allowance

For the purposes of Youth Allowance, approved courses of study include:

Mainstream Doctorate studies are NOT approved courses for Youth Allowance purposes.

If you are under 22 years, you may get Youth Allowance while you are doing non-approved study, you will however need to establish that the study will improve your work prospects and enter into an Activity Agreement. If this is the case, you may not get the benefit of receiving the higher fortnightly income free area or access to the Student Income bank.

Austudy

For the purposes of Austudy an approved course of education or study is one approved by the Minister for Education, Science and Training.

Approved courses of full-time study include:

There is no minimum duration for a course to be approved, but the length of a course may influence the date from which you can be considered to be a full-time student.

Mainstream Doctorate studies are NOT approved courses for Austudy.

If you have already completed a Doctorate course (or the equivalent), whether in Australia or overseas, you are not eligible for Austudy as a student.

Temporarily unable

Temporarily unable means a temporary incapacity that is expected not to exceed two years. You must continue to be enrolled as a full-time student or Australian Apprentice during the period of incapacity.

Currently in Australia

You must be physically in Australia at the time you are claiming. You must also be an [ Australian resident ].

Study full-time in the future

For the purposes of Youth Allowance, an intending student is one who is:

Your course needs to be completed within an allowable period of time. An allowable period of time is based on the minimum time it normally takes to complete the course, plus an additional study period (for example three years plus one semester for a degree). Up to one year additional allowable time may be granted to complete your course if you have a 'Year Long' subject. In exceptional circumstances you may be granted an extension to your allowable time. Such circumstances include illness, family trauma, natural disaster, relocation and caring responsibilities.

Have you ever received payments?

Select whether you have previously received a payment from Centrelink. If you do not know, please select the 'Unsure' option.

If you answer 'Yes', you will be asked to provide your Customer Reference Number (CRN). This number is printed on your Concession Card and on all correspondence sent to you from Centrelink

Customer Reference Number

When a customer or child has a Centrelink record they are automatically assigned with a Customer Reference Number (CRN). Your CRN is a nine digit number followed by one alpha character. Your CRN will be on any advice or health care card issued to you.

Legal name

This is the name that appears on any of your official documents and legal papers. This will be the name displayed and used by Centrelink.

Permanent home address

This is your permanent home or usual place of residence. If you are applying for Youth Allowance and are dependent, your permanent home is considered to be the home of the parent whose income is assessed for your claim for Youth Allowance

If your parent uses more than one home, your permanent home is:

Intention to claim

Other extreme circumstances

Extensions to the 14 day period allowed to submit your claim due to extreme circumstances is subject to the following conditions:

The maximum extension period is 13 weeks from the date you contact Centrelink.

Medical Condition

Extensions to the 14 day period allowed to submit your claim due to a medical condition is subject to the following:

Centrelink Medical Certificates are available from your doctor.

Extensions may be granted to a maximum of 13 weeks from the date you contact Centrelink.

Payments

Payments not covered by Social Security Law include (but are not restricted to):

Qualified

All payments and concession cards that Centrelink administers are subject to qualification criteria.

These criteria may include but are not limited to:

Employment Services Providers

Family Tax Benefit

Family Tax Benefit is an annual tax benefit to help families with the cost of raising children. You may get Family Tax Benefit if you:

You can choose how to receive your Family Tax Benefit paid. The two basic choices are:

If you (or your partner) receive a payment from Centrelink(for example, Parenting Payment, Newstart Allowance or Rent Assistance) or a Veterans' Affairs pension, you can only receive Family Tax Benefit as fortnightly payments.

If you receive Family Tax Benefit as fortnightly payments, you must:

Your family's entitlement will be reconciled against your actual taxable income when you lodge your return with the Australian Tax Office. You can ask us to adjust your payments to reduce the risk of an overpayment. You can also choose to get some of your entitlement during the year and the remainder after the end of the financial year.

Family Tax Benefit Part A

Family Tax Benefit (FTB) Part A is a payment to help families with the cost of raising children. It is worked out on your family's combined annual income and the ages and number of dependent children in your family. It is paid per child.

From 1 March 2014, Newborn Supplement and Newborn Upfront payment will be included in your Family Tax Benefit Part A where there is an eligible newborn or newly adopted child and Paid Parental Leave is not paid for that child.

Family Tax Benefit Part A is paid for:

To receive Family Tax Benefit Part A, you need to have your children in your care for at least 35 per cent of the time.

For more information go to our website servicesaustralia.gov.au/ftb

*A young person aged 19 can be an FTB child up to the end of the calendar year in which they turn 19, as long as they are in full-time secondary study.

You may be able to claim Family Tax Benefit for a young person aged 18 to 25 for periods prior to 1 January 2013 if they meet the age and study requirements.


Family Tax Benefit Part B

Family Tax Benefit Part B provides assistance to families with one main income and is paid for each family, regardless of the number of children. It can be paid until your youngest child turns 16 (or until the end of the calendar year in which they turn 18, if they are a full-time secondary student and from 1 January 2012 they must be a secondary student).

Family Tax Benefit lump sum

You may choose to receive Family Tax Benefit as a lump sum after the end of the financial year:

A lump sum Family Tax Benefit claim must be lodged within 12 months following the end of the financial year. If there are special circumstances that prevent you from lodging your claim within the 12 month timeframe, please contact us to discuss.

In addition to lodging your lump sum claim, if you and your partner (if you had one) are required to lodge tax returns you must also lodge tax returns with the Australian Taxation Office within 12 months following the end of the financial year. If you or your partner (if you had one) are not required to lodge tax returns, you must tell us you are not required to lodge within 12 months following the end of the financial year.

If there are special circumstances that prevent you or your partner (if you had one) from lodging your tax returns, or from telling us that you are not required to lodge within the 12 month timeframe, please contact us to discuss.

Secondary

Secondary study is an approved course of education or study that assists or allows an individual to complete the final year of secondary study or an equivalent level of education.

The Paid Parental Leave scheme provides Parental Leave Pay

Parental Leave Pay:

Dad and Partner Pay

Baby Bonus

Baby Bonus is an income tested payment paid to families following the birth or adoption of a child. It recognises the extra costs incurred at the time of a new birth or adoption.

Eligibility Requirements

Baby Bonus may be paid to families following the birth (including stillbirth) or adoption of a child, if:

If you are the parent of a newborn child born in Australia you must register your child's birth with the State or Territory Births, Deaths and Marriages office.

Additional Information

Note: Baby Bonus will not be available for children born or adopted on or after 1 st of March 2014. From this date it will be replaced by the Newborn Supplement and Newborn Upfront payment which is paid with Family Tax Benefit Part A.

Important: Having a new baby can be a big change and to help you manage this adjustment, Centrelink has Social Workers available for you to discuss your family's circumstances. This is a free and confidential service and allows you to speak one-on-one to a fully qualified professional. You can talk to a Social Worker directly, or arrange a time to see a Social Worker by calling us on 136 150.

Child Care Benefit

Child Care Benefit is a payment to help families with the costs of child care. Child Care Benefit can be paid as reduced child care fees for the current financial year. These will be paid directly to the child care service. You cannot claim Child Care Benefit through the tax system.

To find out whether you may be entitled to Child Care Benefit, check the Family Assistance Estimator.

You can only claim for approved child care using this online service.

Approved Child Care

Child Care provided by a service that has been approved by the Commonwealth Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations to offer Child Care Benefit as reduced child care fees to customers.

You may claim Child Care Benefit to reduce their fees during the year or at the end of the financial year as a lump sum payment for one or more of the following types of care:

Child Care Benefit lump sum

Child Care Benefit for approved care can also be paid as a lump sum payment for a previous financial year provided you have already paid full fees to your approved child care service.

You have up to 12 months from end of the financial year for which you are seeking payment to lodge a lump sum Child Care Benefit claim. If there are special circumstances that prevent you from lodging your claim within the 12 month timeframe, please contact us to discuss.

Child Care Rebate

When you lodge a claim for Child Care Benefit for approved child care and satisfy the rebate Work, Training, Study test, you may be eligible to receive Child Care Rebate. The rebate covers 50% of out-of-pocket expenses for approved child care, up to a maximum amount per child per year.

Child Care Rebate for CCB reduced fee customers

You can choose how often you receive Child Care Rebate.

Child Care Rebate payment options are:

Once a Child Care Benefit (CCB) year has started you cannot change your payment choice until the following CCB year. The CCB year commences on the first Monday on or after 1 July.

If you choose to receive one of the direct payment options and your legislative rate of CCB is greater than zero, 15 per cent of your Child Care Rebate entitlement will be retained until after the end of the financial year. This will help in reducing any potential CCB and CCR debts.

After the end of the financial year, when your actual Child Care Benefit entitlement is determined, your actual annual rebate entitlement will be known and this may result in a change to your rebate payments made throughout the year. Any rebate payments made during the year will be deducted from your actual annual entitlement and any amount owing will be issued after any outstanding Child Care Benefit or Child Care Rebate debts are recovered.

Direct to Service

Direct to Customer

Quarterly to Customer

Child Care Rebate for CCB Lump sum Customers

Register for Child Care Benefit as a lump sum

Child Care Benefit is a payment to help families with the costs of child care that may be paid as reduced fees during the current financial year, or as a lump sum after the end of the financial year.

When you register for Child Care Benefit as a lump sum, you are agreeing to pay full fees for approved child care used during the current financial year and claim your entitlements after the financial year has ended. The registration will enable your child care service to be linked to you and your children. This will enable your lump sum claim to be processed when it is lodged.

When you complete this online registration, you will receive a letter with your and your children's Centrelink Reference Number to provide to your child care service.

If you already have a Centrelink Reference Number for you and your children, you do not need to use this service. For further information you should contact Centrelink on 13 6150

Important: you still need to lodge a lump sum claim for Child Care Benefit after the end of the current financial year. You have up to 12 months from end of the financial year for which you are seeking payment, to lodge a lump sum Child Care Benefit claim. If you are eligible for Child Care Benefit for approved care and satisfy the rebate Work, Training, Study test, you may also be eligible to receive the Child Care Rebate. The rebate covers a percentage of out-of-pocket expenses for approved child care up to a maximum amount per child, per year.

Out-of-Pocket Expenses

Out-of-pocket expenses are total child care fees paid less your Child Care Benefit entitlement.

Work, Training, Study Test

The Work,Training, Study test is in place to ensure child care services are directed to those families who participate in work or work related activities by providing them with the support they need. It is also one of the requirements for claiming the Child Care Rebate. Exceptions to the test can apply to individuals and families who may not always be able to participate in work or work related activities.

To be eligible to receive more than 24 hours per week Child Care Benefit for approved child care, you and your partner are required to undertake one, or a combination of the following work related activities for at least 15 hours a week (30 hours a fortnight) for each week that you used child care.

To meet the Child Care Rebate Work, Training, Study test - no minimum number of hours are required.

If you are unable to participate in work, training or study activities due to other commitments or circumstances, you may still satisfy the work/training/study test and be eligible for up to 50 hours of approved child care. These circumstances may include:

Service ID

A Service ID is a unique code used to identify an approved child care service.

The Service ID may be in one of two formats. It will either have either:

You can find it on letters you receive from your child care service. Alternatively, you can call the Child Care Access Hotline on 1800 670 305 (TTY 1800 639 327) to ask for the Service ID.

If you have not decided which approved child care service you will be using, you can still complete the claim.

Single Income Family Supplement

Purpose of this payment

The Single Income Family Supplement (SIFS) is an annual payment.

The Single Income Family Supplement will provide assistance of up to $300 a year for families where the main income earner earns between $68,000 and $150,000.

Payments will be available from 1 July 2013.

Who should claim this payment

Eligible customers who are NOT in receipt of Family Tax Benefit will need to apply to receive this payment. Eligible customers who WERE in receipt of Family Tax Benefit (FTB) for the full financial year they are claiming for will NOT need to apply for the Single Income Family Supplement. The payment will be calculated based on circumstances known for Family Tax Benefit purposes and will be automatically included in their entitlement at the end of the year.

Who is eligible for assistance

An individual is eligible for Single Income Family Supplement for each day in the relevant financial year if the following applies:

How much will be paid

The Single Income Family Supplement is an additional payment of up to $300.00. The Single Income Family Supplement is payable based on your family's household income and the number of days you had a qualifying child in your care. For rate calculation, please refer to the Information Booklet

When can I claim

The Single Income Family Supplement can be claimed annually, after the end of each financial year. You have up to 12 months from end of the relevant financial year for which you are seeking the payment to lodge your claim. This means you have until 30 June 2015 to lodge a claim for the 2013-2014 financial year.

If there are special circumstances that prevent you from lodging your claim within the 12 month timeframe, please contact us to discuss.

We will only assess your claim when your (and your partner's, if you had one) taxable income details are confirmed by the Australian Taxation Office. For more information on providing income details please see Tax requirements in the Information Booklet.

Date of Birth

This is the date on which you gave birth to the child/ren.

Australian Apprenticeship

A course combining training (both formal and on-the-job) and paid work undertaken by a person (a trainee or an apprentice) under an industrial instrument. Apprenticeships and traineeships:

To qualify for Centrelink payments as an Australian Apprentice, you must undertake the Australian Apprenticeship on a full-time basis.

The delivery of education and training services is coordinated by the relevant Training Authority in each State/Territory. Visit the Australian Apprenticeships website for more information.

Age Requirements for Age Pension

Born Women eligible for Age Pension at age Men eligible for Age Pension at age
Before 1 July 1935 60 65
From 1 July 1935 to 31 December 1936 60 1/2 65
1 January 1937 to 30 June 1938 61 65
1 July 1938 to 31 December 1939 61 1/2 65
1 January 1940 to 30 June 1941 62 65
1 July 1941 to 31 December 1942 62 1/2 65
1 January 1943 to 30 June 1944 63 65
1 July 1944 to 31 December 1945 63 1/2 65
1 January 1946 to 30 June 1947 64 65
1 July 1947 to 31 December 1948 64 1/2 65
1 January 1949 to 30 June 1952 65 65
1 July 1952 to 31 December 1953 65 1/2 65 1/2
1 January 1954 to 30 June 1955 66 66
1 July 1955 to 31 December 1956 66 1/2 66 1/2
From 1 January 1957 67 67

Country of Location and Country of Residence requirements for Age Pension

To claim Age Pension you must be;

An Australian resident (as defined by the Social Security Act 1991) is a person who lives permanently in Australia and is one of the following:

To qualify for an Age Pension, without making use of an International Social Security Agreement, you must also have lived in Australia, as an Australian resident, for:

Some people may not need the 10 or two years' qualifying residence. These are people who:

Income and assets tests

How much Age Pension you get will depend on your family circumstances, living arrangements and your income and assets. Centrelink follows four steps to work out how much pension you are able to receive.

Step 1: We work out the maximum amount that could be paid to you and your partner (if you have one). The amount can include supplementary benefits and payments such as Rent Assistance and Telephone Allowance.

Step 2: We calculate your total income. If you have a partner, your own and your partner's income are combined.

Step 3: We calculate your total assets. If you have a partner, your own and your partner's assets are combined.

Step 4: The amounts of pension payable under the income test and the assets test are compared. You will be paid the lower of the two rates.

For more information see the 'Retirement Payment Rates' factsheet, ask at your local service centre, phone 13 2300 or visit www.servicesaustralia.gov.au.

Important: There is no income and assets test for Age Pension if you are legally blind.

When you make your claim

You must claim the bonus together with your Age Pension within 13 weeks of the following events:

Bonus claims lodged later than this could result in the amount of bonus payable being reduced or lost.

Centrelink's Financial Information Service Officers can help you explore ongoing options and the timing of your claims for pension and the bonus.

Independence

If you apply for Youth Allowance, you will be assessed to see if you are considered independent or not. You only need to meet one of the criteria below to be considered independent.

If you are considered independent, your parental income and the Family Actual Means Test will not be taken into account when working out how much you will be paid. If you are considered dependent, the Parental Income Test and possibly the Family Actual Means Test will be taken into account when working out how much you will be paid.

There are additional conditions to meeting the above self supporting criteria.

For claims lodged prior to 01 January 2011 the additional conditions include:

Special Transitional Arrangements for Independence in 2010

You must have commenced, or will commence, full-time study in higher education in 2010. You cannot be assessed as independent under these arrangements if you were a full-time student in 2009.

In addition to these conditions, to be assessed as independent you will need to live away from home to commence studying in 2010 due to excessive travelling time (more than 90 minutes by public transport) from your parents' home to your place of study. If you do not live away from home, you may still be assessed as independent if you meet all of the other conditions and your combined parental income in the tax year ending 30 June 2009 was less than $150,000. If you do not know whether your combined parental income was less than $150,000, your parents will need to provide these details for you to be assessed as independent.

NOTE: You may be required to provide proof of any claim for independence based on any of the reasons listed above.

Dependent rate

Customers in receipt of Youth Allowance are considered dependent and subject to the Parental Means Test unless they can demonstrate that they are independent.

Dependent Children

A dependent child is a child that is (or was during the period you are claiming for):

Wholly or substantially dependent on you

A child could be considered to be substantially dependent on you if you:

Care is having the legal responsibility for the day-to-day care, welfare and development of the child. Day-to-day care generally includes:

Resides in Australia means that Australia is where a person lives. This is shown by family, property and financial ties, the nature of accommodation, intentions, travel patterns, etc.

If the child was born outside Australia, is temporarily outside Australia or has spent significant periods outside Australia, you may need to provide details of:

Recently adopted a child

A child is considered recently adopted if you have legally adopted a child, either from within or outside of Australia, within the last 52 weeks.

Minimum school leaving age

STATE OR TERRITORYMINIMUM SCHOOL LEAVING AGE
Australian Capital Territory 15th birthday
New South Wales 17th birthday
Northern Territory 15th birthday
Queensland 16th birthday or completion of Year 10 whichever comes first
South Australia16th birthday
TasmaniaEnd of the school year in which the person turns 16 years of age
Victoria17th birthday
Western Australia 31st of December of the year in which person turns 17 years old

Financial Year

The financial year is the period from 1 July to 30 June.

Blended Family

A blended family is:

If your family is blended you can choose:

Note: if you choose to split the payment, you and your partner will need to complete separate claims.

Permanently

Permanently means you normally live in Australia on a long-term basis. Holidays or short trips outside Australia would not affect this. If you are living in Australia permanently, you are a person who 'resides' in Australia. This means that your usual home is in Australia.

Australia

Australia includes all mainland states and territories, Tasmania, Torres Strait Islands, and numerous offshore islands located in territorial waters including the Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands, the Territory of Christmas Island and Lord Howe Island, but not Norfolk Island.

Temporarily Outside Australia

Temporarily outside Australia means that although you are outside Australia you continue to reside in Australia on a permanent basic. This means you maintain ties with Australia (home, family, assets, accounts etc.) during your absence and you intend to continue residing in Australia.

If you are temporarily outside Australia, your permanent home address must be a residential address in Australia, however postal and/or temporary addresses can be recorded as outside Australia.

Paid or are liable to pay for child care

Child Care Benefit may be payable if you are liable to pay for child care provided in Australia (whether or not the child care fees have been paid)

Paid for you by a third party or other agency

Another person or agency is liable for the cost of your child care.

Lodgement year

From the 2012-2013 financial year onwards you have 12 months from the end of the financial year to lodge a lump sum claim for Family Tax Benefit or Child Care Benefit.

If there are special circumstances that prevent you from lodging a lump sum claim, or prevent you or your partner from lodging tax returns with the Australian Taxation Office, or telling us you are not required to lodge within the 12 month timeframe please contact us to discuss.

Sex

Select your sex. Click either Female or Male.

Adversely affected

Whilst it is not possible to list every situation where a person may be determined to be adversely affected, some examples are as follows:

Major or widespread disaster

The Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs will determine whether an event has a significant impact on individuals, requiring an Australian Government response. The Minister will take into consideration:

Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment

Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment is a one-off payment to provide immediate, short-term financial assistance to Australian residents adversely affected by a major or widespread disaster.

To be eligible for assistance, at the time of the disaster a person must be:

Ex gratia payments

Ex gratia payments are discretionary payments made to eligible people who may have suffered financial or non-financial loss due to a major or widespread disaster. Ex gratia payments may be a combination of regular ongoing payments, and/or one-off payments.

Readily available funds

Note: 'A$' means Australian dollars.

Access to readily available funds means access to A$6,000.00 for singles or A$10,000.00 for a couple.

Readily available funds are assets that can readily be converted to cash.

Claimants cannot reasonably be expected to sell or borrow against assets to improve their financial position.

Readily available funds inclusions and values

Your readily available funds may comprise of:

The value of an asset is the value if you were to convert it to cash, even if the value is reduced by doing so.

Readily available funds exclusions

Readily available funds do not include:

Australian Resident

You are considered to be an Australian resident if at the time of being affected by the major or widespread disaster, you are:

Income Support

An income support payment is a payment that you may receive from Centrelink. If you are unsure of the name of the payment you receive, check any recent letters sent to you from Centrelink, as most will refer to the name of the payment.

Costs associated with burial or cremation

Costs associated with a burial or cremation can include fees charged for the coffin, grave preparation or crematoria fees. Costs not directly related to a burial or cremation include flowers, funeral services, hiring of celebrants or transport vehicles.

Primary source of income

Primary source of income is defined as the source by which a person derived most (more than half) of his/her income over the three months immediately preceding the claim. If the person has multiple sources of income and none is greater than 50 per cent, the one which contributes the largest percentage should be taken as the primary source of income.

Closed borders

Closed borders are measures applied by government authorities, restricting travel within a country or between countries.

Principal carer

Legal responsibility for the day-to-day care and development of a dependent child, under the age of 16, in the person's care. There can only be one principal carer of a particular child at any point in time.

Employment Pathway Plan

An Employment Pathway Plan (EPP) is tailored to your individual needs and sets out the things you have agreed to do to get a job. It reflects your individual pathway to employment, including the assistance you will receive while looking for work.

The EPP is also a legal document and it replaces any previous agreement (for example Activity Agreements) and starts from the date you sign it. You may not be paid income support if you refuse to enter into an EPP when asked to do so.

Activity test requirements

If you receive Newstart Allowance or Youth Allowance and have the capacity to work, you have an obligation to show that you are actively looking for suitable work to remain eligible for payment. You may also have these requirements if you receive Parenting Payment or Special Benefit. These are called 'activity test or participation requirements'.

To meet your activity test or participation requirements you must:

Note: if you are assessed as having a partial capacity to work you will have part-time activity test or participation requirements.

Centrelink Pension or Benefit

Centrelink Pension

Centrelink Benefit

Service Pension or Income Support Supplement

Veterans' Affairs Service Pension

Department of Veterans' Affairs administers payments under the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986.

Income Support Supplement (ISS)

An income support pension paid to Australia war widow(er)s (i.e. The War Widow(er)'s Pension or WWP is paid by the Department of Veterans' Affairs) and provides a regular income in addition to the WWP. It replaced the social security pensions payable to war widow(er)s prior to 20 March 1995.

It is paid at a maximum ceiling rate - currently $124.90 per fortnight. A higher ceiling may apply if the person has been in continuous receipt of a social security pension from 1 November 1986, and became a war widow(er) before that date. A higher ceiling rate may also apply, where the WWP is reduced due to dual compensation.

ISS is paid to war widow(er)s who satisfy the income and assets tests and meet certain eligibility criteria. ISS is not a service pension and qualifying war service is not an eligibility requirement. Once granted, ISS eligibility cannot be lost (however, the amount of payment can be reduced to $NIL through the operation of the income and assets tests, or economic loss compensation).

ISS is subject to the income and assets tests. The amount of ISS payable depends on a person's income and assets, up to the maximum ceiling rate. (WWP and any Disability Pension is counted as income for ISS purposes).

Foster Child

This includes children in formal foster care provided by social welfare authorities or approved agencies (e.g. Barnados, Anglicare) and indigenous and other informal care arrangements, e.g. care in an extended family, care in inter-family units, care within or arranged by community groups, care outside family, or community groups not arranged by a formal agency.

Concession Card

There are a number of Centrelink concession cards that may provide you with access to Australian Government concessions, such as cheaper prescription medicines listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and bulk-billed general practitioner consultations, at the discretion of the doctor.

State, territory, and local governments and some private providers may offer additional health, household, transport, education and recreation concessions to card holders. Eligibility for any state, territory, and local government or private concessions is at the discretion of individual concession providers and may vary from state to state. Some concession cards are issued with the partner and dependent children names included on the card. Any concessions offered to the concession card holder will also apply to those named on the card.

Low Income Health Care Card

A Low Income Health Care Card is available if your income is below a set level. The income test applies to average gross income for the eight weeks immediately before applying for, or renewing the card. The Low Income Health Care Card is not subject to an asset test. The card is not automatically reissued and you must reapply every twelve months.

Recipients of Youth Allowance, Austudy, and ABSTUDY may also be eligible for this card.

Health Care Card for former recipients of a Carer Allowance Health Care Card

A claim is required for the ex Carer Allowance (child) Health Care Card. This card is not automatically reissued and cardholders must reapply every year.

Health Care Card for at least one foster child in your care

You can make a claim for a foster child HCC for foster children in your care. This card is not subject to an income or assets test.

You do not need to be a formal foster carer, for example caring for a ward of the state. You may be any person with a child in your care who is not your natural or adopted child. This includes, grandparents, other kinship carers such as adult siblings, relatives and others.

The card is issued to the foster carer but only the foster child is covered by the card. It enables the foster carer to purchase Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme (PBS) medications at reduced costs for foster children and may entitle them to State concessions for the foster child.

Commonwealth Seniors Health Card

The Commonwealth Seniors Health Card is for people of Age Pension age who do not qualify for an Australian government income support payment from either Centrelink or the Department of Veterans' Affairs because their income or assets are too high, or they haven't been an Australian resident for long enough.

Valid residences

This list made under social security law specifies residences for the purposes of this payment and may be subject to change.

You (and the person with medical needs if not the claimant) must be residing at the residence on the date the claim is lodged or anniversary date for payment.

Who is a carer

For the purposes of the Essential Medical Equipment Payment it is not a requirement that a carer be recognised as a formal carer. A carer is a person who provides care and attention on a regular and ongoing basis for a person with medical needs.

For the carer to be eligible to receive the Essential Medical Equipment Payment, the carer and the person with medical needs must live together in the same residence.

A carer relationship is assumed between a child and the adult responsible for their care, including a foster carer of a child or both parents in a shared care arrangement. The carer of a non-dependent child may also qualify for this payment.

Where the person with medical needs is not a dependent child, this person must consent to a claim for the Essential Medical Equipment Payment to be made by the carer (this authorisation is available as part of this claim form).

Note: Consent can be withdrawn at any time and a subsequent claim for the Essential Medical Equipment Payment made by the person with medical needs, is considered a withdrawal of authorisation and will cancel the carer eligibility for this payment.

List of medical equipment and medical conditions

Medical equipment:

This list made under social security law specifies forms of energy and essential medical equipment for the purposes of this payment and may be subject to change.

Note: The above equipment may be recognised under a different title, if you are not sure visit the Services Australia website to refer to a table of alternate titles or contact your Medical Practitioner.

Medical conditions:

This list made under social security law specifies medical conditions for the purposes of this payment and may be subject to change.

Currently in Australia

To claim an Essential Medical Equipment Payment, you must be in Australia.

Australia includes all mainland states and territories, Tasmania, Torres Strait Islands, and numerous offshore islands located in territorial waters including the Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands, the Territory of Christmas Island and Lord Howe Island, but not Norfolk Island.

Dependent child

You can not claim the Essential Medical Equipment Payment if you are a dependent child of another person as defined under social security law. The claim would need to be made by the relevant adult carer.