Carer is absent from caring situation 009-06030000

Carer Payment (CP) and Carer Allowance (CA) carers have up to 63 days per calendar year where they can be temporarily absent from the caring situation but still qualify for payment. Where a carer is in receipt of both CP and CA, temporary cessation of care provisions operate concurrently, not exclusively of one another. That is, the carer is entitled to 63 days of temporary relief from care in the calendar year, not 126 days.

Carers can participate in paid employment, self-employment or foreign employment and still qualify for Carer Payment (CP) as long as the total time the carer is not providing constant care (including travel time) does not exceed 100 hours in a 4-week period. Carers can work at home, provided they can still satisfy the care receiver's need for frequent personal care or constant supervision.

Qualification for CP requires constant care on a daily basis for a medically qualified person. The Social Security Act precludes qualification where the carer is working more than 100 hours in a 4-week period.

Temporary Cessation of Care (respite and hospitalisation) rules do not apply to CP (XWP) - Carer Payment (CP) that is paid under grandfathering provisions for ceased Wife Pension carers. However, Temporary Cessation of Care (TCC) rules continue to apply to CA as normal.

However, when a CP (XWP) carer’s only or last payment level CA is suspended or cancelled for any reason or changed to CA HCC only CP (XWP) will be automatically cancelled. A carer loses their qualification for CP (XWP) permanently if payment level CA is not reinstated without a gap in entitlement.

Constant care, and the 100 hour work limit do not apply to CP (XWP). Respite codes that only relate to CP should not be recorded for any TCC days for a carer receiving CP (XWP).

For more information, see Transfer from Wife Pension (WP) to Carer Payment (CP).

Carer Payment carers can report their employment income and the number of hours they worked per week online, using the Report Employment Income service. Carers can also access respite days via the service if they temporarily exceed the 100 hour work limit. See Reporting options available online.

Where a Carer Payment recipient ceases care for more than 100 hours per 4-week period for paid employment, self-employment, or foreign employment, their eligibility should be reviewed. It is likely that the qualification of 'constant care' is no longer being met.