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

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:

• Indigenous naming conventions
• Cultural considerations when someone dies

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.

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 2^nd entitlement period following their death. This is to avoid an overpayment.

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).

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

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

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