How to Apply for Carer Payment When You Provide Constant Care in Australia

What is Carer Payment?

Carer Payment is an Australian Government income support payment for people whose caring responsibilities prevent them from supporting themselves through substantial paid employment.

You may qualify when you provide constant care to someone who:

• has a severe disability or medical condition;
• is an adult who is frail aged; or
• is at the end of life.

Carer Payment is different from Carer Allowance. Carer Payment is an income support pension and is subject to income and assets testing. Depending on your circumstances, your Centrelink claim can assess Carer Payment and Carer Allowance together.

How much care do you need to provide?

Services Australia says constant care means providing care for a large amount of time daily, roughly equivalent to a normal working day, in a way that prevents you from working full time.

The care can include:

• physical assistance, such as lifting the person or helping them dress;
• guidance, such as helping with shopping or medication; and
• supervision needed for the person's independence or safety.

The person you care for must generally have a disability or medical condition likely to last for at least 6 months, or have a terminal illness.

Services Australia assesses the actual care needs rather than assuming that every person with a disability or medical condition requires constant care.

Can you claim Carer Payment for caring for a child?

Yes. Services Australia assesses the care needs of children under 16 differently from those of people aged 16 or over.

A child with a short-term or episodic condition may also qualify in particular circumstances. Services Australia states that short-term care can apply where a child's condition is expected to last at least 3 months, while episodic care can apply where qualifying care is needed for periods of 3 to 6 months.

For a child under 16, Services Australia may ask you to complete the Carer Payment and/or Carer Allowance Care Needs Assessment form SA394. A health professional currently treating the child may also need to complete form SA431.

What medical evidence is needed for someone aged 16 or over?

For a person aged 16 or over, Services Australia may require the Carer Payment and/or Carer Allowance Medical Report form SA332A.

A health professional who is currently treating the person must complete the medical report. The medical report is evidence supporting the assessment; submitting the medical report alone does not count as making a Carer Payment claim.

Services Australia may sometimes be able to use medical information already held on its records, so your claim will tell you whether a new medical report is required.

You must explain the care you provide

The medical diagnosis is only part of the assessment. Services Australia also needs information about the care you personally provide.

For an adult care recipient, Services Australia may ask for its care-provided form in addition to the medical report. For a child, the care needs assessment asks about the additional care and attention required because of the child's condition.

Describe your actual caring duties accurately, including how often the person needs assistance, guidance or supervision and how the caring responsibilities affect your ability to undertake paid work.

What are the residence requirements?

On the day you claim, you normally need to be:

• living in Australia;
• physically in Australia; and
• an Australian resident for social security purposes.

The person receiving your care must also be living in Australia and be an Australian resident.

There are exceptions where a Social Security Agreement applies. If you recently became an Australian resident, a newly arrived resident's waiting period of 2 or 4 years can apply depending on your circumstances, although exemptions exist.

How do income and assets affect Carer Payment?

Carer Payment uses the pension income and assets tests. Services Australia assesses your income and assets and those of your partner where applicable.

From 1 July 2026, the standard pension income test starts reducing the rate when fortnightly income is above:

• $226 for a single person; or
• $396 combined for a couple.

These figures are not necessarily the point where payment stops. Separate income cut-off points apply and can vary depending on circumstances such as Rent Assistance or Work Bonus.

The assets test also depends on whether you are single or partnered and whether you are a homeowner. From 1 July 2026, the full-pension asset thresholds are $333,000 for a single homeowner and $600,000 for a single non-homeowner, with different thresholds for couples. Above the applicable full-rate threshold, the pension can reduce until the relevant cut-off point is reached.

Because pension thresholds can be indexed, check the current figures when making or updating a claim.

Does the care recipient have an income and assets test?

Yes, in some circumstances. If the person you care for does not receive an income support payment from Services Australia or the Department of Veterans' Affairs, their financial circumstances are also assessed.

Services Australia's current 2026 limits state that the care recipient's:

• income must generally be less than $143,752 a year before tax; and
• assets must generally be worth less than $886,750.

The assessment can also include the income and assets of the care recipient's partner and dependent children. Their principal home and the first 2 hectares surrounding it are excluded from the care-recipient assets test. Services Australia also notes that a person with assets above the standard limit may qualify under alternative provisions in some circumstances.

Can you work and still get Carer Payment?

Yes, subject to the current work rules and income test.

You may still receive Carer Payment while doing paid or self-employed work for up to 100 hours in a 4-week period, provided you continue to give care for a significant period each day.

The 100-hour limit does not include:

• travel time to and from paid work or self-employment;
• study;
• training; or
• volunteering.

The limit counts work time when you are not providing care. Work from home can count if your work prevents you from stopping to help the person when care is needed.

If you start work, change your work hours or receive employment or self-employment income, Services Australia requires you to report the change within 14 days.

What documents should you prepare?

Your exact evidence depends on your circumstances, and the online claim tells you what Services Australia needs. Common information can include:

• identity documents;
• your bank account details;
• income and asset details for you and your partner;
• income and asset details for the care recipient where required;
• details of the person's disability or medical condition;
• information about their treating health professional;
• details of the daily care you personally provide; and
• medical reports or certificates requested during the assessment.

If Services Australia specifically asks you to provide detailed financial information, it can require the Income and assets form SA369 or equivalent information through the online claim.

Which Carer Payment forms might you need?

Your claim tells you which additional forms apply. Current Services Australia forms include:

• SA332A - medical report for a person aged 16 or over;
• SA010 - information about care personally provided to a person aged 16 or over;
• SA304(A) - income and assets details for a person aged 16 or over receiving care;
• SA394 - care needs assessment for a child under 16;
• SA431 - medical report for a child under 16;
• SA304(C) - income and assets details for a child or children under 16 receiving care; and
• SA369 - income and assets information where Services Australia requires additional financial details.

Do not complete every form automatically. Follow the requirements shown in your claim because Services Australia may already hold information or may not require a particular form in your circumstances.

How do you claim Carer Payment online?

The easiest route is through a Centrelink online account linked to myGov.

1. Sign in to myGov.
2. Open Centrelink.
3. Select Make a claim or view claim status.
4. Select Make a claim.
5. Under Carers, select Get started.
6. Select Apply for Carer Payment/Carer Allowance.
7. Answer the questions about you, the person you care for, your caring responsibilities and financial circumstances.
8. Upload or arrange any medical and supporting evidence the claim requests.
9. Review the details and submit the claim.

If you are already receiving another income support payment such as Parenting Payment, that payment stops if your Carer Payment claim is granted. If you are currently considering or receiving that payment, see the Helpydo guide to claiming Parenting Payment through Centrelink.

What if you cannot claim online?

If you cannot complete the claim online, contact Services Australia on the Disability, sickness and carers line, 132 717.

The current Services Australia Carer Payment claim guide includes a phone-claim pathway and directs people who cannot prove their identity online or need assistance to this line.

Services Australia may also direct you to complete particular paper forms or provide documents through a service centre, mail or another accepted channel depending on your circumstances.

How do you send supporting documents?

Supporting evidence can be uploaded through:

• your Centrelink online account; or
• the Express Plus Centrelink mobile app.

When you upload a document online, Services Australia provides a receipt confirming it was received. You do not need to call solely to confirm the upload.

Services Australia also accepts supporting documents through other channels, including mail, fax or at a service centre, where appropriate.

How long does a Carer Payment claim take?

Services Australia does not give one fixed processing time that applies to every Carer Payment claim.

After you submit an online claim, the receipt shows:

• your claim ID number; and
• the date Services Australia estimates the claim will be complete.

Claims can require additional medical, care or financial evidence, so the actual time depends on the circumstances and whether Services Australia needs more information.

How do you track your claim?

You can monitor a Carer Payment claim through your Centrelink online account linked to myGov. You can also track it using the Express Plus Centrelink mobile app.

Check for outstanding tasks and provide requested documents as soon as possible so Services Australia can continue assessing the claim.

Services Australia sends the result to your myGov Inbox if you receive electronic letters. Otherwise, it sends a letter by post. If the claim succeeds, the decision tells you when your first payment will be made and the amount you will receive.

Can you ask Services Australia to review a refusal?

Yes. If you believe Services Australia made the wrong decision, you can ask for the decision to be reviewed.

The claim outcome explains the decision. You can contact the Disability, sickness and carers line if you need clarification and use Services Australia's formal review process if you still disagree.

What changes must you report after approval?

You need to keep Services Australia informed when relevant circumstances change. Services Australia generally requires changes affecting Carer Payment to be reported within 14 days.

Examples include changes to:

• the level of care the person needs;
• whether you stop or share the caring role;
• your work hours or employment income;
• your or your partner's income and assets;
• your relationship status;
• overseas travel;
• the care recipient entering hospital, respite or residential care; or
• other circumstances that can affect eligibility or payment rate.

Common Carer Payment mistakes to avoid

• Assuming a diagnosis alone proves eligibility. Services Australia also assesses the amount and nature of care you actually provide.
• Submitting a medical form without making a claim. SA332A and SA431 are supporting medical reports, not Carer Payment claims by themselves.
• Leaving out the care recipient's financial information when requested. Their income and assets can form part of the assessment.
• Completing every paper form before being asked. Your claim identifies which forms are necessary, and Services Australia may already hold usable medical information.
• Assuming any paid work makes you ineligible. Current rules allow up to 100 hours of paid or self-employed work in a 4-week period, subject to the care and income rules.
• Not reporting changes to work or care. Relevant changes generally need to be reported within 14 days.
• Ignoring Centrelink tasks after submitting the claim. Missing documents can prevent Services Australia from completing its assessment.
• Confusing Carer Payment with Carer Allowance. They have different purposes and financial tests, although you can be assessed for both through the carers claim process.