Change of circumstances for Carer Payment (CP) 009-04110000

Carer Payment customers are obliged to advise Services Australia, usually within 14 days, of any event or change in circumstances that could affect their payment.

Carers are advised of what they must notify in their grant notification letter and on the back of each reassessment letter sent to them.

Following is a list of the types of changes a carer must advise. As circumstances vary for each carer, this list is not exhaustive.

Changes of circumstances that may require new or update to a carer’s record include any change to:

• Income and assets, including commencing employment
• Contact details, including changes to address and/or telephone number
• Accommodation details, including changes to address and rent
• Relationship status
• Residence status
• Temporary absence (for example, hospitalisation, respite)
• Temporary cessation of care (respite) and hospitalisation
• Change in a child’s/person’s condition or amount of care provided
• Paid or voluntary work, study or training for Carer Payment customers only

Carers can work, study, train or undertake volunteer work and still qualify for CP as long as the total time the carer is not providing care, including travel time, does not exceed 25 hours per week.

In situations where activities exceed 25 hours per week, immediate follow up action is required.

Carers’ circumstances may still need to be reviewed even if activities do not exceed 25 hours per week.

Complex enquiries should be handed off to appropriate carers Service Officers or transferred to the Disability, Sickness and Carers queue.

The 25 hour rule does not apply to CP (XWP) that is paid under grandfathering provisions for ceased Wife Pension carers. Temporary Cessation of Care (respite and hospitalisation) rules will still apply to CA as normal. CP (XWP) customers still need to notify the agency about changes to their and/or their partner’s income and assets. For more information see Transfer from Wife Pension (WP) to Carer Payment (CP).

The CP qualifications require that the care must be provided in a private residence that is the home of the care receiver/s. So, although it is not necessary for the carer and the care receiver to live in the same home for CP qualification, a review must be carried out if either person notifies a change of address, to ensure the carer is still eligible.

All carers are required to notify Services Australia of a change of address within 14 days of moving.

In cases where a carer’s mail has been returned from an address that is still held on the agencies records, an attempt must be made to contact the carer or their Correspondence nominee by phone.

If the correct address details cannot be obtained, the attempts to contact the carer should be recorded on the carer’s record, and the carer’s payment suspended whereabouts unknown.