Carer Allowance (CA) income reviews 009-18090411

The CA income test is based on the annual Adjusted Taxable Income (ATI) of the carer (and their current partner if they have one). If the carer has a partner, they must both provide income details for the same financial year.

To be eligible for CA and CA Health Care Card (HCC only), the ATI must be under $250,000 a year. The same income limit applies if the carer has a partner.

Most carers are considered to have met the income test while they are exempt from providing their income details for the CA income test. However, carers who are only exempt because they or their partner currently receives Family Tax Benefit, are subject to Australian Taxation Office (ATO) triggered CA income reviews.

A CA income review may be issued if the carer is not exempt from providing their income details for the CA income test and one of the following occurs:

• the carer has lost their exemption from the CA income test
• it cannot be determined if the carer has an exemption from the CA income test
• the carer has been linked to a new partner
  Note: a review is not required if the carer becomes single, widowed divorced or separated
• the carer has notified they or their partner now have an account-based income stream and the account holder is 60 years of age or older. Service Officers can manually issue a Carer Allowance adjusted taxable income details (SA489) form
• data-matching with income stream providers identified an undisclosed account based income stream, the account holder is 60 years of age or older, the new product is added and either current ATI information or current income information is held but the ATI and deemed income is over the limit
• the carer has notified their ATI for the previous tax year was over the limit - the Service Officer manually issues an SA489 form
• data matching with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has triggered the review

CA carers must have a benefit status of 'current' or 'assessed' for their review to be triggered. If the carer subsequently becomes exempt from providing their income details for the CA income test before submitting the review, the review will auto-finalise. If the carer loses their exemption at a later date, a review may be required at that later time.

Carers in a postcode declared as a disaster area will have their CA income review delayed until the disaster rule is lifted.

Automatic reviews are issued when one of the following occurs:

• the carer has lost their exemption from the CA income test
• it cannot be determined if the carer has an exemption from the CA income test
• the carer has been linked to a new partner
  Note: a review is not required if the carer becomes single, widowed, divorced or separated
• data-matching with income stream providers identified an undisclosed account-based income stream, the account holder is 60 years or older, the new product is added and either current ATI information or current information is held but the ATI and deemed income is over the limit, or
• data matching with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has triggered the review

There is no online option if the CA income review has been manually issued. Examples of where a review should be issued manually are where the carer has notified:

• they or their partner now have an account-based income stream and the account holder is 60 years of age or older
• their ATI for the previous tax year was over the limit

If a carer contacts to advise a change of circumstance or to request a reassessment of their (and their partner's) adjusted taxable income (ATI):

• send a Carer Allowance adjusted taxable income details (SA489) to the carer using Request for Information.
• See Requesting information (CLK)

Carers selected for a CA income review are sent a letter asking them to complete their income review within 56 days. At 28 days, a reminder letter is issued to carers who have not responded to the review request.

The letter explains how to start the review online. Instructions are tailored to carers who:

• receive Centrelink letters to their myGov inbox
• have a Centrelink online account, but do not receive letters to their myGov inbox, or
• do not have a Centrelink online account

Carers may contact after completing and submitting their CA income review to:

• query if the review has been submitted successfully
• change the income details provided, or
• to determine if the review has been processed

CA income review information can be found on the department's website by searching using these words or by navigating to the Managing section for Carer Allowance.

The Resources page contains FAQs and a link to Centrelink online guides for help getting started, and to the Services Australia website for the SA489 form.

Carers subscribed to receiving letters via their myGov Inbox are advised in the review letter to select the link in their myGov Inbox. The link goes directly to the Carer Allowance Income Review online service.

Information is included for Centrelink nominees, advising to select the 'Carer Allowance Income Review' from the 'Tasks' section in the carer's Centrelink online account or from the Carers menu. This is because the link is not sent to the nominee’s myGov Inbox.

Carers with a Centrelink online account not receiving letters to their myGov Inbox

Carers who are not subscribed to receive letters to their myGov Inbox, but have a Centrelink online account, can create a myGov account and link it to their Centrelink online account. A message containing a link will be sent to the carer's myGov Inbox directing them to the online CA income review.

The carer is also advised that they can select the 'Carer Allowance Income Review' from either:

• Tasks section in their Centrelink online account, or
• Menu in their Centrelink online account by selecting:
• Carers, and
• Carer Allowance income review

Carers who do not have a Centrelink online account are advised to create one or download the Carer Allowance adjusted taxable income details (SA489) form from the Services Australia website. The Resources page contains a link to this form.

There are no forms included with the review letter. If SA489 form is returned by post or in person, it must be scanned.

Carers must submit their Carer Allowance Income Review online or lodge the SA489 form within 28 days. Otherwise their payment and/or CA Health Care Card (HCC) only will be cancelled FRC - Failed to Reply to Correspondence.

Carers may choose to upload their CA income review Required documents or the Carer Allowance adjusted taxable income (SA489) form online, or take them to their nearest service centre.

Service Officers scanning CA income review forms and associated documents must ensure the first page of the document to be scanned displays the barcode. For example, page 1 of the SA489.

This ensures the expected processing checks are performed and the Customer Relationship Management System is prompted to update the CA income review activity status ready for processing.

The CA Income Review online service allows current CA carers to respond to a CA income review through the online channel.

Carers registered online will be able to log on as an authenticated customer via myGov to:

• view the CA income review task
• complete an existing CA income review
• submit an existing CA income review

Carers cannot delete or cancel an existing CA income review. If their entitlement has cancelled and the carer accesses their online account within 13 weeks of the cancellation date, the CA income review will be available for the carer to complete. If a carer accesses their online account 13 weeks after the CA cancellation date, the CA income review will no longer exist.

The online service is the recommended channel because it is easier and faster for carers and allows staff to process the reviews efficiently. Many reviews lodged through the online service will be automatically completed without staff intervention.

Carers may be prompted to provide the following supporting documents:

• Details of income stream product (SA330) form or a similar schedule
• Documents and an explanation to verify the change in circumstances which led to their income (or their and their partner’s combined income) being lower in the current financial year

If prompted, these documents are required before the carer can submit their review. Carers can upload these from the Next Steps page using Upload documents. Uploading of any required documents should be completed within the review task. See the Resources page for more information about carers that upload documents outside their review task.

A CA income review is automatically generated on the carer’s record in Process Direct when the carer is selected for an income test review. The status of the review changes when:

• the carer submits their CA income Review through the online service
• The carer uploads the paper Carer Allowance adjusted taxable income details (SA489) form through their online account, or
• a Service Officer scans a paper SA489 to the carer’s Centrelink record

Tax Notices of Assessment (TNA) cannot be accepted in place of a review.

When the CA income review is finalised, the result will either be continuation or cancellation of CA. If CA (child) is cancelled, the CA Health Care Card will also cease. Cancellation will be due to either excess income or a current year estimate not being accepted.

Carers will continue to receive their payment or concession card from the date they submit a completed review if:

• the review activity auto completes once submitted, and the carer remains qualified for CA
• the carer submitted their review before the due date but the review is not automatically processed. In these cases, the entitlement to CA will continue until the review is processed and the result determined
• the review requires manual intervention by staff (the review does not auto complete or is a paper form) and the carer is assessed as remaining qualified for CA

If the review determines that the carer:

• continues to meet the income test, they will not receive an outcome letter
• does not meet the income test, they will receive written notification of the payment cancellation and their review and appeal rights

The CA income review will result in cancellation of the carer’s CA if the carer fails to submit the review by the due date (56 days from the date of issue).

The carer can however submit the review, including through online services, within 13 weeks following cancellation of their CA entitlement. If CA is cancelled for failing to submit the review, the review will remain available on the carer’s online account for a further 13 weeks after cancellation. For more information about restoring CA following a cancellation for failing to respond to the CA income review, see Table 3 on the Processing Team tab.

Eligible carers will continue to receive their payment or concession card from the date they submit a completed review if:

• The review activity auto completes once submitted, and the carer remain qualified for CA
• The carer submitted their review before the due date but the review is not automatically processed. Entitlement to CA will continue until the review is processed and the result determined
• The review requires manual intervention by staff (does not auto complete or is a paper form) and the carer is assessed as remaining qualified for CA

A CA income review is automatically generated on the carer's record in Process Direct when the carer is selected for an income test review.

An Online Intervention review activity (ZIRV) is automatically created with a status of Open.

When the carer submits their online review or returns a paper Carer Allowance adjusted taxable income details (SA489) and it is scanned, the activity status displays For manual action on the:

• Online Intervention review activity (ZIRV), and
• Change of Circumstances activity (ZCOC) created on the carer's record

Do not manually change the status of a review.

See the Process page to check review information and the Resources page for FAQs.

Process Direct:

• is used to check and record review progress
• contains the review information provided by the carer online, or manually recorded from the paper review
• lists documents the carer has been asked to provide
• uploads review data into a CA income review activity (this applies only to CA income reviews submitted online)
• contains functions required to process reviews such as the ability to make referrals and request information from the carer

Note: CA income reviews cannot be viewed or processed in Customer First or Customer Record, access to the Carer Allowance Adjusted Taxable Income (CAATI) screen is only available in Process Direct. If updates are required to existing information on the carer's record on the CAATI screen, they can only be completed in Process Direct.

See the Resources page for information on updating existing information.

The date of effect that will apply to the CA income review will be the date the review is completed by the assessing officer.

Note: online reviews will not automatically complete where the carer has advised income in excess of the threshold, or has provided estimated ATI for the current financial year. Where the income exceeds the threshold or the Service Officer determines not to accept an estimate of a current financial year’s income the date of effect must be manually changed to the date the review is completed. This will minimise debts raised from CA income reviews.

There may be limited circumstances, when the date of effect is not the date the review is completed. For example:

• a formal review of a decision by an Authorised Review Officer (ARO), or
• if a carer has failed to advise their new partner’s details