Change of circumstances for Carer Payment (CP) 009-04110000

Carer Payment customers are obliged to advise Services Australia, usually within 14 days, of any event or change in circumstances that could affect their payment.

Carers are advised of what they must notify in their grant notification letter and on the back of each reassessment letter sent to them.

Following is a list of the types of changes a carer must advise. As circumstances vary for each carer, this list is not exhaustive.

Changes of circumstances that may require new or update to a carer’s record include any change to:

• Income and assets, including commencing employment
• Contact details, including changes to address and/or telephone number
• Accommodation details, including changes to address and rent
• Relationship status
• Residence status
• Temporary absence (for example, hospitalisation, respite)
• Temporary cessation of care (respite) and hospitalisation
• Change in a child’s/person’s condition or amount of care provided
• Paid work, self-employment (Carer Payment customers only)

Carers can study, train or undertake volunteer work and qualify for CP as long as they are still providing daily constant care to the care receiver.

There are no requirements to advise of the number of hours a week the Carer undertakes study, training or volunteer work.

Carers’ circumstances may need to be reviewed to make sure constant care is being met.

Carers can undertake paid work or self-employment and still qualify for CP as long as the total time away from their care receiver to participate in these activities does not exceed 100 hours in a 4-week period.

Carers must advise of their hours worked. Travel time is not included when calculating the total number of hours worked.

The 100 hour work limit does not apply to CP (XWP) that is paid under grandfathering provisions for ceased Wife Pension carers. Temporary Cessation of Care (respite and hospitalisation) rules will still apply to CA as normal. CP (XWP) customers still need to notify the agency about changes to their and/or their partner’s income and assets. For more information see Transfer from Wife Pension (WP) to Carer Payment (CP).

The CP qualifications require that the care must be provided in a private residence that is the home of the care receiver/s. So, although it is not necessary for the carer and the care receiver to live in the same home for CP qualification, a review must be carried out if either person notifies a change of address, to ensure the carer is still eligible.

All carers are required to notify Services Australia of a change of address within 14 days of moving.

In cases where a carer’s mail has been returned from an address that is still held on the agencies records, an attempt must be made to contact the carer or their Correspondence nominee by phone.

If the correct address details cannot be obtained, the attempts to contact the carer should be recorded on the carer’s record, and the carer’s payment suspended whereabouts unknown.