Change of address for Carer Payment (CP) and Carer Allowance (CA) 009-03070020

All carers must notify Services Australia of a change of address within 14 days of moving.

A home address change for the carer, or carer receiver, may mean a change in caring circumstances has occurred.

Some address changes may generate a manual follow-up (MFU) on the carer's or care receiver's record.

Returned mail

If a carer's mail is returned from an address held on the agency's records, see Return to sender (RTS) mail for Centrelink.

A carer's eligibility to continue to receive CP and /or CA is re-assessed when they:

• update their address using Centrelink online account or the Centrelink Express Plus mobile app, and
• advise they no longer live with the care receiver aged 16 years or over

The change of address creates an 'Update your caring details' online task. The carer completes the task using their Centrelink online account or Centrelink Express Plus mobile app. A 'Carer Allowance Questionnaire (SA381) does not need to be issued. While updating their address online, the carer is advised to tell the care receiver to update their address with Centrelink.

If the carer does not complete the 'Update your caring details' online task on the same day, a message with a link is sent to the carer's myGov inbox asking them to update their caring details:

• by day 9, an electronic reminder message is sent to carers subscribed to electronic messaging asking them to complete the 'Update your caring details' online task
• within 14 days, a Work Item is allocated to Carer Processing staff
• carers not subscribed to myGov inbox or electronic messaging are sent a paper letter asking them to complete the 'Update your caring details' task online. No further reminders are sent

A carer or care receiver who vacates their principal home to enter a care situation may be entitled to a 2 year asset test exemption on their former principal home. This 2 year exemption may apply if the:

• care receiver has left their principal home to receive care in a care situation in a private home for at least 14 consecutive days
• carer has left their principal home to provide a substantial level of care to a person in a private home for at least 14 consecutive days

See Permanent vacation of principal home.

CP qualifications require that care must be provided in a private residence, that is, the home of the care receiver or care receivers. A care receiver may be considered to have more than one home if the carer and care receiver are regularly moving between 2 private residences together.

It is not necessary for the carer and the care receiver to live in the same home for CP qualification. However, a review must be carried out if either person notifies a change of address, to ensure the carer continues to provide constant care.

See the Process page for more details.

Note: constant care does not apply to CP (XWP) - Carer Payment (CP) that is paid under grandfathering provisions for ceased Wife Pension carers. Care requirements apply to CA as normal. See CA information below. If CA care requirements are not met and the carer's only or last payment level CA is suspended or cancelled, CP (XWP) will auto-cancel. See Transfer from Wife Pension (WP) to Carer Payment (CP).

When CA is paid to the carer of a child (under section 953 of the Social Security Act), care and attention must be provided in a private home that is the residence of the carer and the care receiver.

Note: carers paid CA (auto) through qualification for CP (child) including a child who has a terminal condition, are not subject to standard provisions under CA (child). For instance, the child is not a dependent child of the carer. See Eligibility for CA (auto) when a carer is also receiving CP (child).

If the carer notifies the agency they are no longer residing with the care receiver in person or by phone, issue a 'Carer Allowance Questionnaire' to the carer. This is because CA can be paid to carers under 2 different provisions of the Social Security Act:

• under section 954, daily care and attention must be provided in a private home that is the residence of the carer and the care receiver
• under section 954A, CA may be paid if daily care is provided in the private home of either the carer or care receiver. See Carer Allowance (CA) (adult) when caring in a private home not shared by the carer and care receiver

In general, for grants of CA under sections 953 or 954, the carer and care receiver must reside together, unless certain exceptions are met.

A private home can be any residence that a person regards as their home if:

• the person (either the carer, care receiver or sharing carer) lives in that residence, and
• the person carries out their main domestic functions there, and
• there are no commercial arrangements in place for the provision of personal care (such as those arrangements that may be found in a nursing home)