Shared care for income support payments and principal carer determination 007-02050010

Amy and David are separated and share the care of their two children.

The children are kept together and spend one week living with Amy and the other week living with David.

Taking into account care arrangements for school holidays, Amy has 48% care and David 52% care. This is considered equal care.

Because the care arrangements are considered equal, one carer must be determined as the principal carer for both children.

Jess and Martin are separated and share the care of their three children 50/50.

The children spend one week living with Jess and the other week living with Martin.

Jess is currently assessed as the principal carer for all three children and receives PPS. Martin loses his job and claims PPS. A Principal carer determination needs to be completed for Martin’s claim.

Neither Jess or Martin hold substantial assets, both are renting; Martin is paying $400 a week and Jess $450 a week. Martin has recent workforce experience and Jess is currently studying.

As Martin has greater employment prospects than Jess and Jess is currently assessed as the principal carer, Jess would be deemed more in need of a favourable determination and retain principal carer status.

Martin’s claim for PPS should be rejected and Martin may claim an alternative income support such as JSP.

Lily and Matt have two children Ivy and Emily and share the care 46/54.

Lily receives JSP and has been determined principal carer for both children.

Their oldest child Ivy has started living with Matt and Matt is now considered to have 100% care of Ivy.

As the care arrangements for the 2 children are sufficiently different, it is determined:

• Matt is now the principal carer for Ivy, and
• Lily remains principal carer of Emily

Derek has 2 children, Taylor 6 and Sam 9 and receives PPS.

Derek’s parent Cath contacts to advise that the children are living with them most of the time and only see Derek when Derek is not working.

When assessing nights in care it is determined that the children live with Derek for 35% and Cath 65% of the time

Derek has legal responsibility for the children, but Cath:

• is the contact person for the children’s school,
• takes them to the doctor when they are sick, and
• pays for their medication when they are staying with Cath

Although Cath has the greater degree of care it cannot be determined that Cath is principal carer it could be determined the children to still be in the care of Derek.

These cases should be referred to Level 2 helpdesk for investigation prior to make a principal carer determination.