Are you providing unpaid care and support to a family member or other loved one who's frail aged?
Being a primary carer has a huge impact on your life and often your own wellbeing suffers. It’s the constancy and relentlessness of your caring role that wears you down. Maybe you've even given up your job because of the number of hours your loved one needs support. This adds financial stress.
As a carer, you might help your loved one with activities of daily living such as showering, dressing, toileting, and feeding. Perhaps you're providing social support, transport, making and attending appointments, paying bills and any number of other tasks that your loved one is no longer able to manage.
So what financial support is available for carers? Here’s an outline of what you may be eligible for as a carer.
There are two main payments available to eligible carers
- Carer allowance
- Carer payment
Carer Allowance
This is a fortnightly payment of just under $160 if you give support and care to someone either:
- with disability
- with a medical condition
- who’s frail aged.
If the person you care for has a terminal medical condition, or needs ongoing daily assistance for at least 12 months, you might be eligible for the carer allowance.
Eligibility
As the carer, you must be physically living in Australia and be an Australian resident. There is also an income test (but no assets test). You and your partner must have a combined taxable income of less than $250,000 per financial year.
You must provide daily care and attention to someone who needs it, either in their home or your home. It may be necessary to detail the kind of care you provide.
The person you care for must be living in Australia and must be an Australian resident. They are not subject to any income test. However they will need to be assessed by their treating doctor as needing care. This involves the doctor completing a medical form (see below). And they are to be cared for either in their home or in your home.
Carer Payment
If you give constant care to someone who needs care for at least 6 months, or if you’re caring for someone at the end of their life, you may be eligible for the carer payment.
Constant care means you provide care for a large amount of time daily, equivalent to a normal working day. Significantly, providing care stops you from working full time.
The amount of carer payment you get depends on your circumstances and is subject to both an income and assets test. This includes any income you or your partner get. Carer payment is taxable if you or the person you care for are age pension age.
Eligibility
The person you care for must be assessed as needing care. This will involve their treating doctor completing a medical form (see below).
The person needing care will also be subject to an income and assets test. The amounts change on January 1st each year.
You, as the carer, need to provide details of the care you provide.
Paperwork
Services Australia has a number of forms that may need to be completed as part of the application. These forms include:
Form SA332A – Carer payment/allowance medical report for a person 16 years or over
Form SA381 – Carer allowance questionnaire - Carer not living with the person for whom care is being provided
Form SA010 - Carer Payment and Carer Allowance review of care provided - Caring for a person 16 years or over
Form SA489 - Carer Allowance adjusted taxable income details
Form SA304A - Carer Payment - Income and assets details of the person being cared for - 16 years or over
Make sure you have all the information
It’s important that you submit all the necessary paperwork when you lodge the application, otherwise the claim may not be accepted.
Further information about support available when you’re providing care for someone can be obtained from the Services Australia website.
*Special thanks to Nick Donnelly of Plenary Wealth for his input and clarification of some of the information in this blog.