How to Claim Carer Allowance for Providing Daily Care in Australia
Claim Carer Allowance through Centrelink if you provide ongoing daily care to someone with disability, a medical condition or who is frail aged.
AU Australia
Benefits & Support ~ 8 min read
8 FAQ
Updated 2026-09-22
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You may claim Carer Allowance if you provide daily care and attention to someone with disability, a medical condition or who is frail aged, and both you and the person receiving care meet the rules. The person must generally need ongoing daily care for at least 12 months or have a terminal medical condition. You can claim online through Centrelink linked to myGov, and you may submit a combined Carer Payment and Carer Allowance claim.
What you need
- You must provide daily care and attention to a person who needs it in their home or your home.
- The person receiving care must generally need care for at least 12 months or have a terminal medical condition and must be assessed as needing care by a medical professional.
- You and the person receiving care must meet the applicable Australian residence rules.
- Your and your partner's combined adjusted taxable income must be less than $250,000 per financial year before tax. There is no assets test for Carer Allowance and no income test for the person receiving care.
- For an online claim, you need a Centrelink online account linked to myGov and must satisfy Centrelink identity requirements.
- Services Australia may require supporting documents and a medical form completed by the treating doctor of the person receiving care.
Eligibility
Carer Allowance is a supplementary Centrelink payment for eligible people who provide daily care and attention to someone with disability, a medical condition or who is frail aged. The person receiving care must generally need ongoing care for at least 12 months or have a terminal medical condition, be assessed as needing care by a medical professional, be able to receive that care in their home or your home, and meet residence rules. As the carer, you must also meet residence and income rules. Unlike Carer Payment, Carer Allowance has no assets test and can be paid in addition to other eligible payments.
How to do it
- Check that both you and the person you care for meet the Carer Allowance eligibility and residence rules.
- Prepare the information and supporting documents requested by Services Australia. The treating doctor of the person you care for may need to complete a medical form; Services Australia will tell you during the claim if updated medical information is required.
- Sign in to myGov and open your linked Centrelink service. If Centrelink is not linked, link it first and complete the required identity process.
- Select Make a claim or view claim status, then Make a claim.
- Under Carers, select Get started, then choose Apply for Carer Payment/Carer Allowance.
- Complete the questions, provide any supporting information requested and submit the claim. You can be assessed for Carer Allowance and Carer Payment through the combined claim where relevant.
- Keep the receipt after submission. It includes your claim ID and the date Services Australia estimates your claim will be completed.
- Track the claim through your Centrelink online account linked to myGov or the Express Plus Centrelink mobile app. Services Australia will contact you if more information is needed and will notify you of the decision.
What is Carer Allowance?
Carer Allowance is a fortnightly supplementary payment from Services Australia for an eligible person who provides daily support and care to someone with disability, a medical condition or who is frail aged.
It is different from Carer Payment. Carer Payment is an income-support payment for eligible people providing constant care that prevents them from working full time, while Carer Allowance is for eligible carers providing daily support. Depending on your circumstances, you can receive both. If constant care substantially restricts your ability to work, see the separate guide to claiming Carer Payment.
Who can get Carer Allowance?
As the carer, you must meet the residence rules and provide daily care and attention to someone who needs that care in their home or your home.
The person you care for must need care for at least 12 months, unless they have a terminal medical condition. They must be assessed as needing care by a medical professional, be able to receive care in their home or your home, and meet the applicable residence rules.
Services Australia assesses both the carer and the person receiving care. The questions in the claim are used to determine whether the care requirements are met.
What is the Carer Allowance income test?
There is no assets test for Carer Allowance. There is, however, an income test. Your and your partner's combined adjusted taxable income must be less than $250,000 per financial year before tax. The same $250,000 limit applies if you do not have a partner.
Services Australia states that there is no income test for the person you care for. Adjusted taxable income for Carer Allowance can include taxable income, target foreign income, total net investment losses, certain employer-provided benefits, reportable superannuation contributions and tax-free pensions and benefits, with applicable adjustments.
How much is Carer Allowance?
As verified on 22 September 2026, Services Australia lists Carer Allowance at $162.60 each fortnight. It is a set rate and is not taxable income. The Department of Social Services adjusts the rate on 1 January each year.
If you share the care of a person with another carer who is not your partner and that person also claims Carer Allowance, you may receive a part payment based on the percentage of care you provide.
What are the residence rules?
On the day you claim, Services Australia states that you must be living in Australia, physically in Australia and an Australian resident. The person you care for must also be living in Australia and be an Australian resident. To continue receiving the allowance, both of you must continue to satisfy the applicable residence rules.
If you recently arrived in Australia as a resident, a one-year newly arrived resident's waiting period may apply, although exemptions can apply.
What medical evidence is required?
Services Australia needs information about the care you provide and the needs of the person receiving care. The person's treating doctor will generally need to complete a medical form. In some cases, Services Australia can use medical information it already holds. Start the claim and Centrelink will tell you whether an updated medical form is required.
The exact evidence can therefore depend on the person's age, condition and information already held by Services Australia. Follow the document requests generated by your claim rather than submitting unrelated medical records.
How do you claim online?
The standard online route is through a Centrelink online account linked to myGov. Once signed in, select Make a claim or view claim status, then Make a claim. Under Carers, select Get started and then Apply for Carer Payment/Carer Allowance.
If you do not have a Centrelink account linked to myGov, you must first link Centrelink and satisfy the required identity checks. Where the online identity process is available to you, Services Australia provides routes using your Customer Reference Number (CRN) or an appropriate Digital Identity. If you need to establish a strong Digital Identity for Centrelink, the related guide explains how to set up myID.
Can you claim Carer Payment and Carer Allowance together?
Yes. Services Australia states that you may be able to receive both payments depending on your circumstances, and its online process uses a combined Apply for Carer Payment/Carer Allowance claim.
The eligibility tests are not the same. Carer Allowance is a supplementary payment for daily care and has its own $250,000 adjusted taxable income threshold and no assets test. Carer Payment is an income-support payment with separate care, income and assets rules. A combined application does not mean that eligibility for one automatically establishes eligibility for the other.
What if you cannot complete the claim online?
If you cannot prove your identity online or need help with a Carer Allowance claim, Services Australia directs carers to its Disability and carers line on 132 717. The published operating hours are Monday to Friday, 8 am to 5 pm.
The Services Australia claim process also recognises claims handled by phone in relevant circumstances. After a phone claim, Services Australia will contact you if more details are needed and send you a letter with the outcome.
What happens after you submit the claim?
After an online claim is submitted, Services Australia provides a receipt containing the claim ID and the date it estimates that particular claim will be completed. There is no single published processing period that applies to every Carer Allowance claim.
You can track the claim through Centrelink linked to myGov or the Express Plus Centrelink mobile app. Services Australia may ask for supporting documents before it can progress the claim. It will notify you of the outcome through your myGov Inbox if you receive electronic letters, or by post otherwise.
If your claim is successful, Services Australia will tell you when your first payment will be made and how much you will receive. If you disagree with the decision, you can contact the Disability and carers line and can ask Services Australia to review the decision.
What changes if you care for a child?
If you receive Carer Allowance for a child younger than 16, Services Australia also provides a Health Care Card to help with medicine and health-care costs. A child with lower care needs may not qualify you for Carer Allowance but may still qualify for a Health Care Card.
When a child receiving care approaches age 16, the assessment changes to the adult care-receiver rules. Services Australia writes to eligible carers about transferring Carer Payment, Carer Allowance or both from the child assessment to the adult assessment and provides a due date. If the required transfer is not completed by that date, the affected payment can stop.
Can you receive Carer Allowance for more than one person?
Yes. Services Australia states that you may receive Carer Allowance for more than one person. You can receive it for up to two adults and more than one child, provided the applicable eligibility rules are satisfied.
Can you work or study and still get Carer Allowance?
Carer Allowance is different from Carer Payment in this respect. Services Australia states that a person working or studying full time can claim Carer Allowance in addition to other income-support payments, subject to the Carer Allowance eligibility and income rules. Your work income does not change the set Carer Allowance rate while you and your partner remain within the applicable income test.
Frequently asked questions
How much is Carer Allowance in Australia?
As verified on 22 September 2026, Services Australia lists Carer Allowance at $162.60 per fortnight. The rate is adjusted on 1 January each year.
Can I get Carer Allowance if I work?
Yes, potentially. Services Australia says you can claim Carer Allowance while working or studying full time, provided you meet the other eligibility rules and the applicable income test.
What is the income limit for Carer Allowance?
Your and your partner's combined adjusted taxable income must be less than $250,000 per financial year before tax. The same limit applies if you do not have a partner. There is no assets test for Carer Allowance.
Can I get both Carer Allowance and Carer Payment?
Yes, if you separately meet the rules for both payments. Services Australia allows a combined Carer Payment and Carer Allowance claim.
Does a doctor need to complete a form for Carer Allowance?
The treating doctor of the person you care for generally needs to complete medical information for the assessment. In some cases Services Australia can use medical information it already holds and will tell you if an updated medical form is required.
How long must the person need care to qualify for Carer Allowance?
The person must generally need ongoing care for at least 12 months, or have a terminal medical condition, as well as meeting the other eligibility rules.
How long does a Carer Allowance claim take?
Services Australia does not publish one standard processing time for every claim. After you submit an online claim, your receipt shows the date Services Australia estimates your individual claim will be completed.
Who can I call for help with a Carer Allowance claim?
Services Australia's Disability and carers line is 132 717. Its published hours are Monday to Friday, 8 am to 5 pm.
Official sources
Services Australia - Carer AllowanceServices Australia - Who can get Carer AllowanceServices Australia - Carer Allowance rules for the person you care forServices Australia - Residence rules for Carer AllowanceServices Australia - How much Carer Allowance you can getServices Australia - How to claim Carer AllowanceServices Australia - Supporting documents for your Centrelink claimServices Australia - Phone usServices Australia - Getting a payment if you're a carerServices Australia - Transfer Carer Payment and Carer Allowance from child to adultRelated procedures
Useful next steps and closely related guides for Australia.
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