Centrelink enquiries for Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS) 101-03030000

CDBS provides eligible children and teenagers aged 0 to 17 years inclusive, with access to benefits for basic dental services, over 2 consecutive calendar years.

The amount is indexed annually and is currently capped at $1095 for 2024.

The eligibility criteria for CDBS must be met every calendar year. If the whole amount is not used in the first year the remaining cap balance can only be used in the second calendar year if they continue to meet the eligibility criteria for CDBS.

To be eligible for CDBS a child/teenager meet the following criteria for at least one day in the calendar year:

• aged 0 to 17 years inclusive
• eligible for Medicare, and
• the child/teenager’s parent or guardian receives:
• Family Tax Benefit (FTB) Part A
• Parenting Payment (PP), or
• Double Orphan Pension (DOP), or
• the child/teenager’s parent or guardian's partner receives FTB Part A or Parenting Payment Partnered (PPP), or
• a child/teenager receives:
• Family Tax Benefit (FTB) Part A
• Youth Allowance (YA)
• ABSTUDY
• Disability Support Pension (DSP)
• Parenting Payment (PP)
• Special Benefit (SpB)
• Carer Payment (CP)

Where FTB A is claimed as a lump sum, eligibility for CDBS is for the calendar year immediately following the financial year for which the FTB Part A lump sum relates. The Resources page contains an example of eligibility for FTB Part A lump sum claimants.

Qualifying payments also include Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) payments for the Veteran's Children Education Scheme (if the child is over 16) and the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act Education and Training Scheme (if the child is over 16). This information will be provided from DVA to Medicare for the purposes of CDBS.

Note: customers also need to be eligible for Medicare.

See the Resources page for a link to CDBS information including eligible payments.

The Centrelink system automatically checks to see if a child/teenager meets age and payment eligibility requirements for CDBS entitlements, and transfers age and payment eligibility details to the Medicare system.

Eligibility for a child/teenager is determined using client data from Centrelink, Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) and Medicare. Medicare generate CDBS notifications of eligibility in January of each year with notifications being sent for newly eligible children/teenagers throughout the year.

Customers do not need to take their notification of eligibility to the appointment to be able to claim for a dental service.

Customers can check their eligibility and remaining CDBS benefit cap amount for the child/teenager by accessing their Medicare online account using myGov, Express Plus Medicare app or by calling CDBS.

Dentists can also check the eligibility and remaining benefit cap for the child/teenager online via the Health Professional Online Services (HPOS).

Customers requesting a notification need to be directed to Medicare. Notifications:

• will be automatically issued up until 31 October each year, and
• can be generated at the request of the customer from 1 November each year

If Centrelink Service Officers receive enquiries about CDBS, they can confirm eligibility to a CDBS qualifying payment, and direct any other queries to CDBS.