Commencing or returning to work for Carer Allowance 009-03070010

If a carer advises they are commencing or returning to work, CA may still be paid if they provide care and attention on a daily basis because of the care receiver's disability or medical condition. This care and attention must still be provided in a private home that is the residence of the carer or the care receiver. The care and attention does not have to be substantial, but it cannot be delegated to others.

Wife Pension (WP) customers who were receiving payment level Carer Allowance (CA) on 19 March 2020 were automatically transferred to Carer Payment (CP) (XWP). CP (XWP) customers will remain qualified as long as payment level CA continues. However, if the carer's only or last payment level CA is suspended or cancelled for any reason, (for example, when the carer can no longer provide additional care and attention each day as they have commenced or returned to work), CP will automatically be cancelled. A carer will lose qualification for CP (XWP) permanently if they have a break in payment level CA entitlement after 19 March 2020. For more information, see Transfer from Wife Pension (WP) to Carer Payment (CP).

For the purposes of CA (adult), if the carer and care receiver do not reside in the same private home, the carer must be providing at least 20 hours of personal care per week, and this care must be provided on a daily basis, that is, seven days per week.

The care and attention must be received in a private home that is the residence of the care receiver or the carer but not a residence of both the care receiver and carer. The care and attention provided must address special care needs that the carer receiver is assessed as having under the Adult Disability Assessment Tool (ADAT) and the carer cannot be receiving wages at or above the relevant minimum weekly wage to provide the care.

For the purposes of CA (child) Health Care Card only, the carer must still be providing at least 14 hours per week of additional care and attention to meet the definition of 'requiring substantially more care and attention than a child of the same age without a disability'.

Note: the 14 hour rule is not prescribed by legislation.

Carers are not subject to the income test while they are exempt from providing their income details for the CA income test. However, if the carer or their partner are returning to work and their income is high enough to lose their exemption from providing their income details, a CA income review will be triggered. For more information, see Carer Allowance (CA) income test - determining reference tax year and assessable income components.