Completing the Claim for Bereavement Payment (FA008) 007-07020010

If a customer requires an interpreter, ensure the preferred language is provided. If a customer has a partner, ensure the permission to enquire box is checked.

The customer and partner (if applicable) must provide their personal details.

Relationship Status

Customers must indicate their current relationship status and the date they became or ceased to be a member of a couple.

Background

This is an optional question and the information is used only to provide services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Residence details

If the customer is not an Australian citizen who was born in Australia, they must provide information/documentation to prove they satisfy residence requirements.

Services Australia may also be able to assist those customers who do not have the necessary documents. See Assessing if a customer is an Australian resident..

Absences from Australia

At separate questions, customers must provide:

• details of any periods they have lived outside Australia during the past three years
• details of short trips or holidays spent outside Australia which they have not already advised

These details are verified as the Family Tax Benefit (FTB) rate can be affected if the customer or child has been overseas. Claims may be lodged from outside Australia if the customer is overseas temporarily.

A datalink with the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) will, where possible, automatically populate residence details for customers from 1 September 1994 to date, as well as citizenship and travel details for the customer if they are available.

See Family Tax Benefit (FTB), Child Care Subsidy (CCS) and Paid Parental Leave scheme customer/child going overseas for more information.

Account details

Bank account details must be supplied before payment can be made. Customers claiming Family Tax Benefit instalments can be given 28 days from date of claim to provide these details. The account nominated must be an account held in the customer's name or jointly with another person. It cannot be in the child's name unless the customer is the signatory or trustee.

The child's name, sex/gender date of birth and date of death must be provided.

Note: for stillborn or newborn children (aged under 52 weeks) sex is provided instead of gender and is recorded in the gender field.

Customers must provide acceptable proof of birth if it has not already been provided for the child.

• For a stillborn child, the customers need to advise whether they are claiming PPL or Stillborn Baby Payment (SBP). SBP is paid as a lump sum
• For a child who has died since birth, details of any shared care arrangement, their relationship to the child, and change of care/ adoption must also be provided

Note: there is no requirement to register the birth to be paid SBP or PPL for a stillborn child. This only applies to a child who has died since birth.

Members of a blended family may choose for one person to claim Family Tax Benefit (FTB) or for each member of the couple to claim and receive part of the family's FTB entitlement.

For more information, see Blended families and Family Tax Benefit (FTB).

If the customer pays private rent, board or lodgings, they may be eligible for Rent Assistance (RA). A customer may be eligible for RA if they own their home but are not living in it and they are currently paying rent, board or lodgings for accommodation.

Proof of the amount the customer pays must be supplied before RA can be paid. See Rent verification for Rent Assistance (RA).

If the customer wishes to claim for additional children, they will be required to lodge a separate claim.

The customer (and their partner) must provide their Tax File Number (TFN) before family assistance payments can be granted.

A TFN statement is required:

• provide their TFN, or
• authorise Services Australia to use the TFN they previously provided (TFNs cannot be viewed on the customer's record), or
• if they do not have a TFN or do not know their TFN, they may authorise the agency to help them obtain it directly from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO)

See Provision of Tax File Number (TFN) for Family Assistance and Parental Leave Pay (PPL) payments.

The claim must be signed by the customer before payment can be made.

This reminds customers they may need to provide:

• proof of Australian residence - if not born in Australia (for example, passport)
• proof of rent - if claiming Rent Assistance, see Rent verification for Rent Assistance (RA)
• acceptable proof of birth if it has not already been provided for the child
• if they share the care of a child with another person, a copy of a parenting plan or court order if they have one

This section is to be completed by the Doctor or Midwife only.

The Doctor or Midwife must include details for a stillborn child. The gestation period and weight are used to determine whether the birth meets the definition of a stillbirth for the purpose of granting SBP.

Note: there is no requirement to register the birth to be paid SBP or PPL for a stillborn child. See Initial contact after a stillbirth.

If the customer has lost or did not receive the FA008 from the hospital, encourage them to claim online, or issue a Claim and Notes for Bereavement Payment (FA008M) for the claim to be processed. The Resources page contains a link to the form.

To be paid PPL, customers must provide their taxable income from the year prior to the child being born or entering care to see if they meet the PPL income test.

Customers will be asked about their employment history to see if they meet the PPL work test and details about their employer.

Note: for children born or entrusted to care as part of an adoption process on or after 1 March 2014, previous PPL periods can count towards the work test if they were taken in the 13 months before the birth or adoption.

There are two income tests to determine eligibility for SBP, a combined $72,400 income test or the FTB Part A eligibility test.

The combined $72,400 income test will be applied first and if the customer does not meet this test, the FTB Part A eligibility test may be applied.

Combined $72,400 income test

To be paid SBP, customers must provide a reasonable estimate of their (and their partner's) adjusted taxable income for the 6 month period beginning from the date of delivery of the stillborn child.

Family Tax Benefit Part A eligibility test

Where a customer does not meet the combined estimated $72,400 income test, the FTB Part A eligibility test will be applied. To be paid under FTB Part A eligibility the customer must be eligible for FTB for another child.

Stillborn children delivered on or after 1 January 2021

From 1 January 2021, there is a single rate of SBP. The single rate is paid for each stillborn child delivered on or after 1 January 2021.

FTB including FTB bereavement payment may be paid for a child who has died since birth.

The customer may choose to receive the bereavement payment:

• as a lump sum
• as fortnightly payments over 14 weeks
• as a lump sum now and still receive the rest of their FTB after the end of the financial year

Annual FTB income estimate

Customers must provide a reasonable estimate of their (and their partner's) adjusted taxable income for the current financial year.

If a bereavement period crosses into the 2016-17 financial year, the lump sum bereavement payment may be affected by the changes to the eligibility requirements for FTB Part B after 1 July 2016.

For more information, see:

• Helping families provide a reasonable annual income estimate for family assistance payments
• Assessment of adjusted taxable income for family assistance and Paid Parental Leave scheme payments

Parents returning to work

For members of a couple, if the customer or their partner has returned to work for the first time after having a baby or after a period out of the workforce to care for a child, FTB Part B may be paid free of the income test for a period before their return to work.

Customers must advise Services Australia when they return to work. Eligibility for this assistance is calculated after the end of the financial year during the FTB reconciliation process.

FTB Part B for single customers is not income tested and so they do not have to apply for this assistance.

For more information, see Recording return to work details and explaining eligibility for FTB Part B quarantine.

This section advises customers changes to their income may result in an overpayment. They can reduce the risk of an overpayment by choosing from a number of FTB payment choices.