Temporary cessation of care (respite) and hospitalisation (CLK) 009-06010000

Temporary cessation of care provisions allow carers to continue to receive Carer Payment and/or Carer Allowance when they take a break from caring, for up to 63 days in each calendar year. These days may be used for any purpose, including formal respite care such as community in-home or residential respite, or informal respite that is provided by a friend or family member.

A carer may temporarily cease providing care in the home to an adult care receiver who has been hospitalised for up to 63 days per calendar year and still claim or continue to qualify for payment. This temporary cessation of care cannot be extended beyond 63 days under any circumstances. This is known as the 'hospitalisation provision'.

For respite and hospitalisation purposes, a 'day' must be a whole 24 hour period from 12:00 am to 12:00 am (midnight to midnight). Part days do not count in the calculation of absences for Carer Payment (CP) or Carer Allowance (CA).

This principle also applies when calculating absences for education, training and treatment.

This instruction does not change the special rules around coding of respite in conjunction with the 25 hour rule - the 25 hour provision cannot be extended by using a carer's TCC (respite) entitlement. For more information, see Carer Payment (CP) carer undertakes paid employment, self employment, voluntary work, education or training activities.

CP carers can report their employment income, volunteer work, training or study activities and the number of hours they worked per week (including travel time) online, using the Report Employment Income service. Carer's can also access respite days via the service if they temporarily exceed the 25 hours per week rule. The procedure Reporting options available online contains further information.

If a carer and/or care receiver travels overseas, respite rules and portability rules need to be considered together.

If the carer is in receipt of CP (child) and/or CA (child), there is no limit on hospitalisation days for the child care receiver, however the 63 day respite limit still applies, and all absences must be coded. If they are paid under the short term care or episodic care provisions, their respite limit will be a pro-rata amount, based on the period for which CP (child) is being granted.

If separated or divorced parents are paid CP (child) under the exchanged care provisions, either parent will only use their respite days if they temporarily cease to provide care when the child is meant to be in their care (provided they aren't making use of the hospitalisation provision or 25 hour rule).

If the carer is paid CP (child) under the combined care provisions, the current 63 day respite entitlement will still apply, however the entitlement will not apply individually for each qualifying child, but overall to the carer. Respite will be counted regardless of whether the carer stops caring for one child or all children.

Standard CP and CA (adult) hospitalisation and temporary cessation of care rules apply to the adult care receiver and, therefore, to the carer who is in receipt of CP (child) under multiple care provisions if the disabled adult enters hospital or respite care.

Hospitalisation for an adult care receiver cannot be extended past the 63 allowable days per calendar year. However, if the adult care receiver remains hospitalised for more than 63 days, any allowable respite days remaining for that calendar year may then be used to allow the carer to remain qualified for payment.

A temporary cessation of care (respite) absence may be extended beyond the 63 days allowed for a 'special reason'. There is no discretion to extend the number of days for an appropriate special reason with hospitalisation as there is with respite days. If the hospitalisation period exceeds the 63 day limit (for adults), the carer may access their respite days for that calendar year (if they have any remaining).

These two 63-day periods are mutually exclusive in the sense that any time a carer ceases to provide care cannot count against both temporary cessation of care (respite) days and hospitalisation days:

• If a person ceases to care for the care receiver in their own home because they have been admitted to hospital and the carer is participating in that treatment, the hospitalisation days are reduced
• If a person ceases to provide care for any other reason, the 'respite' days are reduced

If a care receiver is in respite (not hospital) at the time a carer lodges a CA/CP claim, see Complications to grants of Carer Payment (CP) and/or Carer Allowance (CA).

If a care receiver is imprisoned, see Temporary Cessation of Care (respite) provisions for Carer Payment (CP) and Carer Allowance (CA).

Temporary Cessation of Care (respite and hospitalisation) rules do not apply to CP (XWP) - Carer Payment (CP) that is paid under grandfathering provisions for ceased Wife Pension carers. However, Temporary Cessation of Care (TCC) rules continue to apply to CA as normal. For more information, see Transfer from Wife Pension (WP) to Carer Payment (CP).