Carer Allowance (CA) carer is absent 009-06030010

For respite and hospitalisation purposes, a whole 'day' is 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 CA. The Resources page has an example of how this is calculated.

If, for example, a neighbour, day care centre or other family member provides care while the carer has a break to attend to their own personal needs each Wednesday afternoon, this does not jeopardise the carer's qualification for CA as they still provide care on that day.

For absences that are not for a full 24 hour period ensure the requirement for daily care is still being met, see the References page for criteria.

The temporary cessation of care (or 'respite') provisions allow carers to continue to receive CA when they take a break from providing care, 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, residential respite or informal respite that is provided by a friend or family member.

In most other cases, such as where the care receiver is absent from the care situation, a carer can utilise up to 63 temporary cessation of care (or 'respite') days, and 63 hospitalisation days per calendar year and still remain eligible for CA.

This means a carer has 2 allocations of 63 days during which they do not have to provide additional daily care and attention at home, but during which they may still continue to qualify for CA.

The hospitalisation provisions only apply when the care receiver is in hospital. For a child care receiver, there is no limit for hospitalisation, however the 63 day TCC limit still applies and all absences must be recorded on the carer's record.

Note: when a care receiver remains in hospital for longer than 63 days in 1 calendar year, a carer may use the balance of their 63 day temporary cessation of care entitlement to remain eligible for CA. The balance of 63 hospitalisation days per calendar year does not apply if the carer is hospitalised. If the carer is temporarily admitted to hospital, then the temporary cessation of care provisions only may apply.

If the carer is temporarily admitted to an institution or hospitalised and is expected to return to their caring duties once released, respite care is to be utilised, as the carer is temporarily not providing care to the care receiver. However, if the balance of respite days exceeds 63 days, CA is to be cancelled.

If the carer is permanently admitted to an institution or hospitalised and is not expected to return to their caring duties once released, CA is to be cancelled from the first day they did not provide care. In most cases it will be the day after they entered the institution or hospital. (An 'indefinite' stay in hospital may also qualify the carer and care receiver for payment under the separated due to ill health rules if they are also partners.

Note: a social worker referral may be necessary to ensure that the care receiver is continuing to receive adequate care and attention on a daily basis from another carer. The social worker can also provide information to assist Service Officers to determine whether the carer has the physical and/or emotional capacity to deal with the care receiver's care needs when they are discharged from the hospital or institution.

Only staff in the F2F Incarcerated Customer Servicing team and compliance teams can suspend CA and/or CP if the carer enters prison or psychiatric confinement.

If the carer is in prison or psychiatric confinement in connection with an offence, payment of CA will not continue.

When the carer enters prison or psychiatric confinement, CA is suspended. If the carer is still in prison or psychiatric confinement after 13 weeks, CA is then cancelled.

Respite days cannot be used if the carer is in prison, or psychiatric confinement because they have been charged with an offence.

If a carer is in periodic detention or weekend detention for a whole 24 hour period from 'midnight to midnight', they lose qualification for CA as respite cannot be used for this absence type and daily care and attention is not being provided.

What is relevant about any absence is that it must be temporary in nature and the carer must be likely to resume providing care at the end of the absence from the care situation.

For Carer Allowance (CA), when care is shared, or in the case of exchanged care, an absence generally occurs when neither carer provides any care in the 'midnight to midnight' 24 hour period. For example when there is no arrangement to swap or change caring days and the care receiver is in the home of a third carer. In these cases, record temporary cessation of care against both carers (if both are receiving CA for this care receiver).

The temporary cessation of care provisions do not apply for breaks from caring that are less than a full 24 hour absence, 'midnight to midnight'.

Short periods of care (of less than 24 hours) during the day or evening by another person or organisation do not count as temporary cessation of care, even if this occurs regularly.

The exception to the 24 hour definition is for carers granted under section 954A. For these carers, a respite 'day' is any day when the carer does not provide any care.

Note: the rules for temporary cessation of care (respite) and portability may differ between Carer Payment (CP) and Carer Allowance (CA) depending on the situation. The respite and portability rules must be considered together in each case.

The temporary cessation of care provisions do not apply to CA HCC only. The provisions that allow carers to remain qualified for Carer Allowance if they temporarily cease to provide care for up to 63 days in calendar year require the carer to be receiving payment of Carer Allowance.

When the carer, or the carer’s partner, is unable to provide daily care and attention for an indefinite period, then the child’s qualification to the HCC is lost and must be cancelled. See Health Care Card (HCC) Carer Allowance.