Carer Payment and/or Carer Allowance care receiver is absent from the caring situation 009-06040000

CA (child) carers whose children are absent from home for education, training or treatment (ETT) and who have utilised their 63 respite days per calendar year do not lose qualification for CA payment, but are only payable for the period that the child is in their care. Provided the child is expected to return to the care situation and an end date has been coded the customer remains qualified on 'nil rate', and retains eligibility for the CA Health Care Card (HCC) during the ETT period for 13 weeks after their 63 days of respite have been used.

For an adult CA care receiver, ETT does not apply. The carer loses qualification when their allocated 63 respite days per calendar year are exhausted. For more information see Carer Allowance (CA) child care receiver undertakes education, training or treatment.

Note: ETT does not apply to CP.

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) (respite and hospitalisation) rules continue to apply to CA as normal.

When a CP (XWP) carer’s only or last payment level CA is suspended or cancelled for any reason or changed to CA HCC only, CP (XWP) will be automatically cancelled. A carer loses their qualification for CP (XWP) permanently if payment level CA is not reinstated without a gap in entitlement.

Constant care, education, training or employment and the 25 hour rule do not apply to CP (XWP). Respite codes that only relate to CP should not be recorded for any TCC days for a carer receiving CP (XWP).

For more information see Transfer from Wife Pension (WP) to Carer Payment (CP).

A care receiver's participation in paid employment, self-employment, voluntary work, education or training activities does not impact on the carer's qualification for CP, if constant care is still being provided.

If there is an absence for a significant part of each day, and it has been determined that constant care is not being provided every day, the carer's qualification for CP should be checked. The care receiver's absence for participation in the above activities may not affect the carer's ability to provide constant care but each case should be evaluated on its merits to determine the carers continued qualification for CP and to ensure that 'constant care' is still being provided every day.

See Carer Payment (CP) and/or Carer Allowance (CA) care receiver commences or returns to work for further information.

If the care receiver's absence is to provide the carer with a break from the care situation, respite care provisions may apply, or, if the care receiver is in hospital, hospitalisation care provisions may apply.

If the care receiver is imprisoned, this is also considered an absence and the carer's qualification for payment may continue. CP and/or CA will automatically cancel once the 63 respite days per calendar year limit is reached, if a care receiver exceeds 63 days in imprisonment.

If the carer is in prison, or in psychiatric confinement because they have been charged with an offence, payment of CP and/or CA will not continue. CP and/or CA is suspended when the absence is for 13 weeks or less, and cancelled when the absence is for more than 13 weeks. Respite days cannot be used.