Eligibility for Child Care Benefit (CCB) 007-03040000

Determine if the customer is liable to pay child care fees.

For approved care, liability applies regardless of whether the fees have been paid.

For registered care, customers must provide child care receipts before CCB can be paid.

The Resources page contains some examples of fee liability.

Is customer liable to pay child care fees?

• Yes, go to Step 2
• No, advise customer they are not eligible. If they have lodged a claim, reject claim reason 'OTH' on the Benefit Action (BA) screen and send manual letter (Q999) to advise decision. Record details on a DOC. Procedure ends here

Is the customer or their partner being paid Family Tax Benefit (FTB) or ancillary benefits for the child they are claiming CCB for?

• Yes, accept that the child is an eligible child for CCB. Residence requirements are also met. Go to Step 3
• No, invite claim for FTB if appropriate. Go to Step 3

• Child in customer's care or is deemed eligible for CCB for a child, even though that child is not an FTB or regular care child of the individual, or the individual's partner if they have one (that is, a regular care exception for CCB has been assessed and granted)
• Customer meets CCB residence requirements (or exception). For lump sum claims for approved care and claims for registered care, these requirements need only be met at the time the claim is lodged
• Child meets CCB immunisation requirements for a child aged under 20 years at the time the claim is determined. Note: children are unable to be linked with the AIR until they are 3 months of age. If a CCB is claimed for a child under 3 months of age, the child is taken to meet the immunisation requirements until the link is attempted.
• Child 16 years or older meets study requirements to continue to be an FTB child. If a CCF current child is no longer an FTB child as they have ceased study, go to Step 8
• Child care provided in Australia
• For registered care, the following also must be met:
• valid child care receipts provided
• the customer (and their partner) satisfied the work/training/study test or exception applies for CCB registered care at some time during each week child care was provided
• the child is not an FTB child or Regular Care Child of the registered carer or their partner
• the care being claimed is not for hours the child is attending primary school (or other compulsory education) in their relevant state or territory

Are the above eligibility requirements met?

• Yes, go to Step 4
• No to any of the above, record details on a DOC. If the customer has claimed CCB, process and reject claim. Procedure ends here

Is the child receiving an FTB child disqualifying payment?

• Yes, go to Step 5
• No, go to Step 7

CCB cannot be paid for a child receiving an FTB child disqualifying payment except where the child is:

• receiving DSP or SpB, and
• living with the customer, and
• aged under 21

If this does not apply, the customer is not eligible for CCB as the child is not a CCB child. Record details on a DOC. If the customer has claimed CCB, process and reject claim.

The customer should give a statement of their circumstances when they claim. This can be given verbally.

• If the customer has a child in receipt of SpB and/or residence requirements are not met but an exception applies as the customer or their partner is a temporary visa holder suffering temporary hardship or special circumstances exist, refer the case to Level 2 Policy Helpdesk via the Online Query Form. The Resources contains a link. Once approval is given by the Level 2 Policy Help Desk for the customer to receive CCB for the child who is in receipt of SpB, go to Step 6
• For DSP child cases, index claim on customer's record. Go to Step 6

For Approved Care

If a customer has a child in receipt of DSP or SpB, update an override on the Child Override/Claim (CHOC) screen by ‘s’electing the child in the customer’s record.

Update the CHOC screen as follows:

• Date: date of grant of DSP/SpB
• Service Reason: CCF
• Reason: ISP

To end an override, where the child is no longer entitled to CCB, update the CHOC screen as follows:

• Date: as applicable, may be date DSP/SpB is cancelled
• Service Reason: CCF
• Reason: EOV

Where retrospective (reassessment of CCB Lump Sum) processing is being done, the override should only be applied between the relevant dates. For example, an override is to be applied in the previous financial year from the date of the child’s 16th birthday, therefore the DOV of the override on the CHOC screen is the child's 16th birthday.

For Registered Care

Payment for the weeks where the child is in receipt of DSP or SpB must be paid using the Payment Adjustments (PYAJ) screen.

A Service Officer must manually calculate the CCB registered care rate (up to 2 decimal places) for each week and then add the rates together for the total PYAJ amount.

Record how the payments were calculated in a DOC and refer the record to a Team Leader / Service Support Officer for the PYAJ coding to be completed.

Send a manual letter (Q999) to advise the customer of the payment.

Note: where PYAJ coding is not possible due to system limitation refer to the ICT service desk.

Procedure ends here.

Income test for CCB for approved care

Claiming CCB

Reduced fees claims for approved care: If the customer is currently receiving FTB for the child, they can claim CCB verbally.

Processing claims

If the child is not an FTB child or Regular Care Child but is considered an eligible child as the customer meets the regular care exception for CCB, there is no need to make a care determination. Link the child to the claimant, however do not code the Care Status field on the Child in Customer Care (CHC) screen. The Child Override/Claim (CHOC) screen should record that the child is DCC (deemed in customer care). The Resources page contains examples.

Further information about assessing and coding claims:

• Claims to receive the family assistance entitlement of a deceased person

If a customer advises their child no longer meets the study requirements for FTB children aged 16 years or over and does not meet a regular care exception for CCB, cancel the child’s CCF by updating that the child has ceased attending approved child care.

Note: this action is ‘overriding qualification or payability established by the system’ and therefore is a significant decision. In the DOC, include the reason for the updates and Act reference 550G of the Family Assistance (Administration) Act 1999. See Online Document Recording (ODR).