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Carer Payment (CP) or Carer Allowance (CA) customers and bereavement assistance 099-04000000



This document outlines information about bereavement entitlements and assistance available to customers upon the death of a care receiver or carer where the carer is receiving either or both:

  • Carer Payment (CP)
  • Carer Allowance (CA)

Cultural awareness

The name of a deceased person who is of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander descent, is generally extremely sensitive information.

Staff must only ask for the Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander deceased person’s name when it is essential for the agency's purposes. In some cases, in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander communities, it is important that close relatives are not asked to discuss, write down, or see written, the name of the Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander deceased person.

If such information becomes relevant, when a close relative is being interviewed, or asked to complete a form, consent must be requested to collect the information from another source, (for example, community council and/or hospital/clinic records).

For more details, see:

Bereavement assistance

When a person contacts Services Australia after the death of a person or child, the primary outcome for customers and the partner agencies is that appropriate bereavement assistance and services are provided.

The death is recorded by the agency ensuring the carer's payment is correctly reassessed and that any bereavement payments associated with other payments received by the care receiver are processed, for example Disability Support Pension (DSP)

Qualification for bereavement assistance depends on whether the carer receives CP or CA. Once the death is confirmed, Services Australia will calculate the rate of bereavement assistance payable. This depends on the circumstances of the carer/care receiver before the death.

Notification period for bereavement

The notification period of a bereavement event for carers receiving CP and/or CA is 28 days.

Note: if the care receiver dies, and was not partnered, it is important their death is notified before the end of the 2nd entitlement period following their death. This is to avoid an overpayment.

CP customers

Bereavement assistance for CP customers, after the death of a care receiver may include continuation of CP during the bereavement period and a Lump Sum Bereavement Payment (LBP).

Under short term and episodic care provisions, after the death of a care receiver, CP (child) customers may receive an LBP and continuation of CP (child) during the bereavement period, even if this exceeds the date of the Medical Report, Medical Certificate end date, or end of episodic care period.

Wife Pension transfer to CP (XWP)

The 14 week bereavement continuation period only applies to CP (XWP) customers where the last or only care receiver dies. CP (XWP) customers may be eligible for LBP if their partner dies, or they only get CA for one care receiver.

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

CA customers

Carers receiving CA (adult) who also receive an income support payment (other than CP) who are not entitled to a Lump Sum Bereavement Payment (LBP) following the death of the CA care receiver, will be eligible for a CA Bereavement Payment.

Bereavement Payment for a CA (adult) recipient depends on whether the carer receives other payments and their payment type. If they receive:

  • both CA and Carer Payment (CP) (for the same or another care receiver), the carer is not entitled to a CA Bereavement Payment, but may be entitled to bereavement assistance in relation to CP depending on which care receiver passed away
  • both CA and an income support payment (other than Carer income support payment (other than CP) that does not qualify them for a Bereavement Payment, they may be entitled to a CA Bereavement Payment
  • both CA and an income support payment (including Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA)) that qualifies them for a Bereavement Payment, they are not entitled to a CA Bereavement Payment
  • CA only, the carer is not entitled to a CA Bereavement Payment

The CA Bereavement Payment will be the equivalent of up to 7 instalments of CA. The payment is paid as a lump sum to the carer on notification of the death of the care receiver.

If the care receiver is a child, a Bereavement Payment for the carer may be payable.

If the CA is shared care, each carer will receive a CA Bereavement Payment based on the percentage of care they provided prior to the care receiver's death.

Note: if the CA is shared care and:

  • only one carer is receiving CA on the day of the care receiver's death, and
  • that carer receives 100% of the rate of CA,
  • then that carer will be paid the full rate (100%) of the CA Bereavement Payment

Member of a couple

If the care receiver or carer was a member of a couple, their partner may be entitled to bereavement assistance.

Death of carer

If the carer has passed away, see Death of a carer (CLK).

The Resources page contains links to forms and the publication 'Needing help after someone has died?', contact details, the Services Australia website and other external websites including the DVA website.

Contents

Death of a carer (CLK)

Death of a care receiver (CLK)

Amend deceased persons Medicare enrolment requirements

Answering calls in Centrelink

Authenticating a Centrelink customer

Calculation of a Lump Sum Bereavement Payment (LBP)

Calling a customer or returning a customer's call

Carer Allowance (CA)

Carer Allowance (CA) cancellations, suspensions and restorations

Carer Payment (CP)

Carer Payment (CP) (child) episodic care

Carer Payment (CP) (child) short term care

Centrelink Customer has a multiple Customer Reference Numbers (CRN)

Centrelink bereavement letters and Bereavement Statement

Centrelink - Notification, confirming and recording a death

Centrelink phone protocols

Change of care for Carer Payment (CP) and Carer Allowance (CA) customers

Change of circumstances for Carer Allowance (CA)

Complaints Index

Contact after the death of a partner

Cultural considerations when someone dies

Death of an adult care receiver and the effect on Carer Allowance (CA)

Death of a child care receiver and the effect on Carer Allowance (CA)

Deceased Child Support Customer Management

Disclosing information to third parties

Initiating and assessing Registrar-General's Office Interventions (RGO)

Intertwined Centrelink records

Issuing Payment Summaries

Level 1 - Manage complaints and feedback

Locating digital images via Document Tools in Customer First

Lump Sum Bereavement Payment (LBP)

Managing complaints and feedback

Requests for information after someone dies

Recording complaints and feedback in the Customer Feedback Tool

Restoration of payments (CLK)

Suspension of payments (CLK)

Social work service referral

Transfer from Wife Pension (WP) to Carer Payment (CP)

Undoing a death action