Temporary Cessation of Care (respite) provisions for Carer Payment (CP) and Carer Allowance (CA) 009-06010010

CP customers who exceed respite or hospitalisation provisions may be eligible to have their payment suspended instead of cancelled.

Has the customer’s Carer Payment already been cancelled?

• Yes, and the cancellation reason is RBE or HBE, see Table 2 > Step 7
• No, go to Step 2

Has there been a change in care receiver/s during the current calendar year?

• Yes, and:
• the carer is on the phone, go to Step 3
• the carer has presented at a service centre, go to Step 4
• the case has been referred to a specialist officer or processing centre, go to Step 5
• No, go to Step 6

As the system may not allocate TCC (respite) days correctly, refer the case to a Service Support Officer (SSO). SSO go to Step 5.

As the system may not allocate TCC days correctly, a hand-off needs to occur to the Technical Support Line. The Resources page contains a link to Technical Support Line contact details. Technical Support go to Step 5.

Will the expected number of TCC days for all care receivers exceed 63 days in the current calendar year, and TCC days have been recorded for the previous care receiver(s)?

• Yes, and the carer is entitled to 63 days TCC for the current care receiver. Note: due to system limitations, when a carer has a change of care receiver(s), the system will use the balance of TCC days coded for the previous care receiver(s) and not allocate a new 63 days balance for the new care receiver(s). This is not correct and is due to current system limitations. Contact the Carers Level 2 Policy Help Desk via the Online Query Form. Procedure ends here
• No, go to Step 6

If the care receiver is hospitalised, in respite, or in prison or psychiatric confinement because they have been charged with an offence, go to Step 7.

If the carer is absent:

• because they are in prison or psychiatric confinement and they have been charged with an offence, this is not TCC. See Carer Payment (CP) carer is absent. Procedure ends here
• because they have ceased caring for more than 100 hours in a 4-week period (from 20 March 2025) to participate in paid employment, including self-employment. See Carer Payment (CP) and Carer Allowance (CA) carer undertakes paid employment, self-employment, voluntary work, education or training activities. Procedure ends here
• because, prior to 20 March 2025, they ceased caring for more than 25 hours in a week to work, study or train, see Carer Payment (CP) and Carer Allowance (CA) carer undertakes paid employment, self-employment, voluntary work, education or training activities. Procedure ends here
• because they are in hospital (although the hospitalisation provisions cannot apply, the TCC provisions can apply), go to Step 6
• for a reason other than they are in prison or psychiatric confinement because they have been charged with an offence, go to Step 7

Is the cessation of care temporary?

• Yes, go to Step 8
• No, go to Step 9

• If the carer is absent, see Table 2 > Step 4
• If the care receiver is absent, see Table 2 > Step 1

When the cessation of care is permanent, cancel the CP and/or CA.

Note: care requirements do not apply to CP (XWP) but still apply to the carer's CA. If the carer is getting CP (XWP), their CP will be auto-cancelled when their only or last payment level CA is suspended or cancelled for any reason. A carer loses their qualification for CP (XWP) permanently if payment level CA is not reinstated without a gap in entitlement.

Has the care receiver been/or is about to be, admitted into hospital?

• Yes, go to Step 2
• No, go to Step 4

Do hospitalisation provisions apply?

• Yes, go to Step 3
• No, go to Step 4

Code all absences from home for hospitalisation using the Temporary cessation of Care workflow tool. Do not finalise the activity.

If the tool is unavailable or not working, see process for manual coding a one-off absence or a regular absence but do not finalise, return to this step.

Note: absences are 24 hour periods, midnight to midnight.

Tell the carer they must advise Services Australia within 14 days of the care receiver returning home or leaving the hospital.

If coding the absence manually, go to Step 4.

Absences are 24 hour periods, midnight to midnight. Before coding any absence consider the following.

Note: if the absence from care was due to the carer going overseas without the care receiver, there is a current system limitation, which continues to count TCC after expiration of portability.

Where the carer's payments will suspend after 42 days the TCC end date should reflect only 41 days if care is provided on the day of departure and TCC will commence from the following day. Code respite with start date equal to the day after departure and end date equal to the end of the limited portability period. Therefore the TCC period will be 41 days provided the carer has this number available. For guidance on the interaction between Portability and TCC and correct recording procedures, see Carer Allowance (CA) and Carer Payment (CP) interaction of portability and temporary cessation of care (respite) rules.

The Resources page has an example.

If the tool is not available or not working, manually code the absence on the Absences Details (ABSN) screen. See process for manual coding a one-off absence or a regular absence but do not finalise, return to this step.

If none of the following scenarios apply, go to Step 5:

• CA (manual) child care receiver undertakes education, training or treatment and is absent from the care situation. The carer may remain current at 'nil rate' for up to 13 weeks, as long as the care receiver is expected to return to care within that period. For CA (auto), the carer loses eligibility for CA immediately when they lose eligibility for their associated CP (child)
• care provider and care receiver are partnered, but are separated due to respite care. A respite care couple are entitled to be paid at the single rate of CP until the respite care ends. A respite care couple is where 1 partner has:
• entered approved respite care, see Legislation in the References page, and
• has remained, or is likely to remain, in that care for at least 14 consecutive days

Use the Temporary Cessation of Care workflow tool.

In Customer First (CF), from Workspace, launch Temporary cessation of care workflow.

• Temporary Cessation of Care Summary will display with details of care receiver/s
• Select Continue

On Temporary Cessation of Care Update screen, code the Care Receiver Absence Update:

• Care Receiver: choose relevant care receiver
• Start Date: first full 24 hour period of absence
• End Date: last full 24 hour period of absence
• Absence Type: (RSP, HSP, RCP, ETT, CWP)
• Regular 24hr Period PFN: only applies if updating a regular ongoing absence, leave blank if coding a one off absence
• Source:
• DOR:
• Select Update

Warnings will appear to explain how an absence is calculated and to consider if there are any impacts on customer payment due to the absence recording. Discuss with the customer:

• any impacts and
• alternative payment options if needed

Select Continue

Continue to Assessment Results (AR) screen. Make sure any further warnings and ripple impacts are considered. Go to Step 6

If not in the activity, select it from the Activity List (AL) screen. Manually key 'AR' in the Nxt field, to go to the AR screen. Do not finalise the activity without first reviewing the outcome/s.

Will the absence coding result in cancellation of the CP due to Caree Respite Bank Exceeded (RBE) or Caree Hospital Bank Exceeded (HBE)?

• Yes, note the cancellation date. Go to Step 7
• No, go to Step 11

Carers can enter a suspension period for CP for up to 26 weeks if all of the following apply:

• they are not qualified due to ex-Wife Pension (XWP)
• the absence is temporary
• they have exhausted their hospitalisation and/or respite allocation
• they do not qualify for an extension of their days
• the Service Officer is satisfied they reside in Australia, and
• they satisfy all other eligibility criteria

Can Carer Payment be suspended?

• Yes, go to Step 8
• No, go to Step 11

Do not finalise the TCC workflow activity

From Assessment Results (AR) select Do Not Finalise and then select Continue. Navigate to the Assessment List (AL) screen:

• Select the started TCC workflow activity
• In Next field: BA
• Select Continue

Code Benefit Action (BA) screen:

• Service Reason: CAR
• Action: SUS
• Reason: HBX for hospitalisation or RBX for respite
• Date of event: is the same as the initial cancellation date
• Type AR in Next field
• Select Continue, go to Step 9

Assessment Results (AR) screen will show CP suspended from the date allowable respite/hospital days were exceeded.

From the left side menu under Customer, select Document (DOC). When the DOC opens, the following information must be manually recorded within this doc.

• Service Reason: CAR - Carer Payment
• Channel: choose relevant contact channel
• Enquiry Type: CSR - Cancellation/Suspension/Rejection
• Who:
• Source: choose relevant Source
• Receipt Date: DOR

The Summary details cannot be updated but the following must be recorded:

• Extra Detail field: Carer Payment Suspended
• Text field: Leave the auto populated ‘Absence Recorded via Temporary Cessation Workflow’ and add the following:
• Start date of absence:
• End date of absence:
• Date respite/hospital days exceeded:
• Carer Payment Suspended
• Date of Effect of SUS:
• Reason for SUS:
• Social Security Administration Act S95CA

Select Continue, go to Step 10

Is the customer also receiving Carer Allowance (CA) which will cancel as a result of the absence exceeding the allowable respite or hospital days?

• Yes, after finalising the TCC workflow activity, Record the decision to cancel CA using the following Fast Note - Select Auto Text, use Generic > SUS/CAN/RES > Suspend Cancel Reason
• No, go to Step 11

Once outcomes have been reviewed and a suspension coded if applicable, finalise the activity via the Assessment Results (AR) screen.

The workflow creates a DOC in the carer’s record.

A separate fast note is needed if finalisation results in cancellation of CA payment - Record the decision using a Fast Note Select Auto Text, use Generic > SUS/CAN/RES > Suspend Cancel Reason

DOC all actions taken on the record including any updates