Changes to shared care for Carer Allowance (CA) 009-03050040

Note: this procedure does not include information about the effect of the change of care on Family Tax Benefit (FTB). If the carer is also in receipt of FTB for the care receiver, the qualification for FTB must also be assessed

While shared care provisions do not apply to Carer Payment (CP), the shared care arrangement must be considered when determining eligibility or continuing eligibility for CP. See Eligibility for Carer Payment (CP) when a care receiver is aged 16 years or over and Assessing Carer Payment (CP) when the care is shared.

Verify the change in details

When 2 carers receiving a shared rate of Carer Allowance (CA) notify of a permanent change in the share of care each carer provides, it is important that the amount of care provided is confirmed with each carer. If 2 carers of the same care receiver have become partnered, identify the primary carer.

For Smart Centre Call and Service Centre staff:

• Send a Fast Note:
• Select Auto text, use Carers > SUS/CAN/RES > CP/CA - Investigation Required
• Select Confirm
• Complete all fields
• Procedure ends here

Carer Processing staff:

• call each carer to confirm the amount of care and attention provided
• make sure both carers continue to be entitled to CA, with the required care and attention provided. Go to Step 2.

• Yes, see Step 1 in the Action changes to shared care table
• No, go to Step 3

• Yes, go to Step 4
• No, go to Step 7

Confirm that this is the case and find out from what date the change in care occurred.

Is 1 carer providing 100% of the care?

• Yes, go to Step 5
• No, go to Step 7

• If temporary, the carer remains qualified for CA.
• If there has been a permanent change in the amount of care provided, go to Step 7
• If there has been no permanent change in the amount of care provided, procedure ends here
• If the cessation of care is permanent, go to Step 6

For the carer who is no longer providing care, Carer Allowance is to be cancelled.

For the carer who is providing 100% of the care, the rate of CA is to be increased from the latter of the date of event or date of notification.

The cancellation and the increase in care are both actioned by following the process detailed below. The cancellation must be completed first.

• Access the carer's record if the care receiver is a child
• Access the care receiver's record if the care receiver is an adult, or a child with their own record:
• Go to the Care Receiver Summary (CRS) screen
• 'S'elect the appropriate care receiver from the list
• The Care Receiver Task Selector (CETS) screen will display
• Select the Care Details: field, or type 'CDCR' in the Nxt: field
• Press [Enter]
• On the Care Details (CDCR) screen:
• Code the Effect Date: field - this is the latter of the date of event or date of notification
• The Relationship to Care Rcvr: field should not need to be adjusted
• Complete only 1 of the Care Days: or Care %: fields to reflect the new proportion of care provided by the carer
• Go to the Assessment Results (AR) screen:
• Record the details on a DOC
• Finalise the activity via the AR screen
• Advise the carer of the outcome
• Procedure ends here

• Yes, go to Step 8
• No, see Step 1 in the Action changes to shared care table

If 2 carers for the same care receiver have become partnered, identify the primary carer.

Can the primary carer be identified?

• Yes, cancel CA for the other carer. Note: Marital Screen (MS) will not allow carers to be linked who share Carer Allowance until CA is cancelled for 1 partner. See Step 5 in the Action changes to shared care table
• No, suspend CA for both carers. See Cancellation or suspension of Carer Payment (CP) and Carer Allowance (CA)

To action changes to shared care:

• access the carer's record if the care receiver is a child
• access the care receiver's record if the care receiver is an adult, or a child with their own record
• go to the Care Receiver Summary (CRS) screen
• 'S'elect the appropriate care receiver from the list

The Care Receiver Task Selector (CETS) screen will display.

On this screen, select the Care Details: field, or type 'CDCR' in the Nxt: field.

[Enter].

• Code the Effect Date: field - this is the date on which the new declaration (under section 981) was made to share or change the CA between 2 qualified carers. This date overrides the usual date of effect provisions, and is therefore not subject to arrears payment or backdating. For more information see Shared care for Carer Allowance (CA)
• Other carer details: field: ensure that the name of other carer who would be qualified for CA (whether they have claimed or not) is coded in this free text field. If the other carer has been granted CA, their CRN and date of birth should also be recorded
• The Relationship to Care Rcvr: field should not need to be adjusted
• Complete only 1 of the following fields to reflect the new proportion of care provided by the carer
• Care Days: field (between 1 and 14), or
• Care %: field (between 1 and 100). If the carers are qualified under section 954A because the carers and the care receiver live separately, the share of care is calculated on the proportion of the total caring hours each carer provides. Because of this, the care must be entered as a percentage

Note: when a declaration of shared care is determined, the percentage of care provided must be coded to reflect that the person with the greater amount of care is the primary carer. This must be done before the review period commences.

Go to the Assessment Results (AR) screen.

• Record the details on a DOC
• Finalise the activity via the AR screen
• Advise the customer of the outcome
• If 2 customers sharing CA for 1 care receiver became partnered, procedure ends here

• Record the details on a DOC, including that the Service Officer is satisfied that 2 carers are each qualified for CA for the same care receiver(s) and the proportion of care calculated
• Advise the carer of the outcome