Eligibility for Carer Allowance (CA) when the care receiver is aged 16 years or over 009-03020030

CA is a payment that recognises the impact of a care receiver's disability on the family. The greater the level of disability, the greater the impact. CA provides financial assistance to the carer in respect of a care receiver aged 16 years or over with a severe level of disability. CA acknowledges the impact of significant levels of disability on the family in social, occupational, emotional and financial terms.

CA (16 years or over) is assessed under the Adult Disability Assessment Tool (ADAT). The ADAT measures the functional ability and care needs of the care receiver.

The section 954A Social Security Act 1991 qualification provisions are outlined in Carer Allowance (CA) (adult) when caring in a private home not shared by the carer and care receiver.

A person is qualified for CA for an adult with a disability, if the care receiver:

• is an Australian resident, and
• is a family member of the person or is a person approved in writing by the Secretary - see the References page, and
• has been assessed and rated under the ADAT, with a total score of at least 30, and a Treating Health Professional (THP) score of at least 12, and
• has a functional impairment (a physical, intellectual or psychiatric disability) sufficient to necessitate the provision of care, and is either:
• in the terminal phase of a terminal illness certified by a medical practitioner, and is expected to live for less than 3 months. Their carer will generally qualify for CA (16 years or over) without further investigation subject to meeting the other qualification criteria, or
• is likely to suffer from the disability permanently or for an extended period (that is, care is required for 12 months or longer), and
• receives care on a daily basis from the carer in a private home that is the residence of the carer and the care receiver. If the home is not shared by the carer and care receiver, but is still a private residence, the carer may still qualify for payment under section 954A of the Social Security Act 1991. See Carer Allowance (CA) (adult) when caring in a private home not shared by the carer and care receiver. A link to the Guide definition of 'daily basis' in connection with CA (including examples) can be found in the References page section, under the heading Carer Allowance (CA) definitions
• has confirmed their identity. See Identity Confirmation for more details

Note: the carer must also be an Australian resident and have confirmed their identity.

There are no legislative age limits applicable to carers, claims from carers of any age can be accepted, including carers under the age of 16 years.

A care receiver aged 16 or over may be eligible for an income support payment. If the care receiver wants to claim an income support payment this must be done separately, the care receiver is required to lodge a claim with all the required supporting documents.

Note: if a carer is qualified for CA (caring for a disabled adult), that disabled adult cannot then qualify to receive CA for caring for another disabled adult. However, an adult care receiver may also qualify to receive CA (child) for a dependent child or children with disabilities in their care. Where service officers may have concerns regarding the carer's capability to care for someone else, a referral to social work may be appropriate.

While there are no legislative age limits applicable to carers, claims from carers under 18 years of age, or 80 years of age or older, must be referred to a social worker. Go to Processing claims for Carer Payment (CP) and/or Carer Allowance (CA) for more details.

A person may qualify for CA for 2, but no more than 2, adults with a disability who meet the CA (16 years or over) criteria, and may qualify for each dependent child with a disability that meets the CA (under 16 years) criteria, regardless of the number of children.

Care should be taken when a carer who is already receiving Carer Payment (CP) and/or CA contacts to claim CP and/or CA for a second care receiver. A discussion should be had with the carer as to whether CP is more appropriate for the new care receiver, this will all depend on the individual aspects of the carer and care receiver's circumstances. If the new care receiver is suffering from a terminal medical condition, it may be more appropriate to claim CP for the new care receiver due to bereavement provisions.

CA may be shared by 2 people who care for the same care receiver(s), provided the 2 carers are not members of a couple. The 2 sections of the Social Security Act under which people sharing the care of an adult care receiver may be paid are s954 (CA adult) and s954A (CA adult 'living apart'). A carer who qualifies for CA under s954 can only share CA with another carer under s954. Similarly a carer getting CA under s954A can only share CA with another carer under s954A. However, a carer cannot be paid under section 954A if someone is already being paid, or has lodged a claim and been determined qualified, in respect of that care receiver under section 954. For detailed information about 2 carers for CA, see Shared care for Carer Allowance (CA).

Two carers may share one payment of CA under section 954A provided that together they are providing the 20 hours of personal care per week and this care is being provided on a daily basis.

If 2 carers who receive a shared care rate of CA for the same care receiver advise that they have become partnered, CA can no longer be paid to both partners. See Changes to shared care for Carer Allowance (CA).

A situation may arise where a carer ceases to qualify for CA when they move out of the care receiver's home (or are already a non co-resident carer under section 954A), and a qualified co-resident carer claims CA under section 954. The first carer would no longer be qualified under either section 954 or section 954A, as someone else qualifies under section 954. If the first carer is still providing daily care, however no longer qualifies for CA, care should be taken to cancel their CA.

If:

• they provide any care on the other days. This is likely to be the case
• no care is received by the care receiver from anyone on the other days. If so, the carer is not qualified for CA unless the cessation of care does not exceed 1 day per week. If qualified for CA the TCC provisions apply
• another co-resident carer provides care on the other days, the carer is qualified for CA and no TCC. The shared care provisions may apply
• a non co-resident carer provides care on the other days, the carer is not qualified for CA unless the cessation of care does not exceed 1 day per week. If qualified for CA the TCC provisions apply

A situation may arise where a carer ceases to qualify for CA as they move out of the care receiver's home (or are already a non co-resident carer under section 954A), and a qualified co-resident carer claims CA under section 954. The first carer would no longer be qualified under either section 954 or section 954A, as someone else qualifies under section 954. If the first carer is still providing daily care, however no longer qualifies for CA, care should be taken to cancel their CA.

The care receiver's medical condition and the level of the care provided must be assessed. The Carer Payment and/or Carer Allowance online claim and the Assisted Customer Claim (ACC) will ask the carer relevant questions to test their eligibility for payment.

Backdating provisions for CA were removed on 1 January 2017. New claims for CA lodged on or after 1 January 2017 cannot be backdated beyond the date of claim and are subject to the general start day rule.

Note: extending lodgement of a claim from 14 days to 13 weeks provisions (due to a medical condition) have not changed. If a carer claims outside of the 14 days from initial contact staff should consider whether they meet any of the criteria to extend lodgement for the claim, from 14 days up to 13 weeks from the day they lodged their claim.

A person may qualify for CA even if they are utilising the services of a commercial carer to assist with care.

Commercial carers do not qualify for CA. Additionally, the care provided by a commercial carer cannot be used towards qualifying another person for CA.

A person may qualify for CA when the carer is being paid to care for the care receiver when they both reside in the same private home.

The Resources page contains some examples of 'commercial care'.

When the claim form is lodged, entitlement is determined by coding a claim for Carer Allowance (CA). When the care and medical details are recorded, the qualification for CA is assessed. If a care receiver is in respite (not hospital) at the time a carer lodges a CP/CA claim or the care receiver has passed away see Complications to Grants of Carer Payment (CP) and/or Carer Allowance (CA).

If the carer or the THP has ticked more than one answer, the answer that gives the highest ADAT score should be accepted. Where no answer has been provided, the carer or THP should be contacted to find out why. The carer or THP should be given the opportunity to answer unanswered questions in their respective questionnaires.

Note: where the ADAT produces a qualifying score and there are unanswered questions which have no bearing on the carer's qualification for CP or CA, staff are not required to contact the carer or THP but should document this on the carer's record.