Skip to navigation Skip to content

Child Care Subsidy (CCS) payments and adjustments 007-17103124

Before starting this process, staff must read the Operational Message.

Scenarios - CCS payments and adjustments to providers and customers

Table 1

Item	Description
1	Claim before enrolment (recommended sequence) + Read more ... Step 1 - CCS claim assessed - customer eligibility confirmed Step 2 - Provider submits enrolment notice Step 3 - Customer confirms enrolment Step 4 - Provider submits session reports Payment recipient - Provider Provider submitting session report triggers entitlement calculation, hence payment goes to provider. No change to customer eligibility / entitlement after session report.
2	Enrolment before claim + Read more ... Step 1 - Provider submits enrolment notice Step 2 - Customer confirms enrolment Step 3 - CCS claim assessed - customer eligibility confirmed (enrolment confirmed as part of claim, if not already confirmed) Step 4 - Provider submits session reports Payment recipient - Provider Provider submitting session report triggers entitlement calculation, hence payment goes to provider. No change to customer eligibility / entitlement after session report.
3	Session reports submitted after eligibility is confirmed, but before enrolment is confirmed + Read more ... Step 1 - CCS claim assessed - customer eligibility confirmed Step 2 - Provider submits enrolment notice Step 3 - Provider submits session reports (CCS payment held) Step 4 - Customer confirms enrolment Payment recipient - Provider Provider submitting session report triggers entitlement calculation (as customer has claimed and is eligible), however, payment is held because enrolment is not yet confirmed. Enrolment confirmation by the customer triggers release of held payments, however, as there is no change to customer eligibility or entitlement after provider submitted session reports, payment goes to provider.
4	Session reports submitted before parent is eligible + Read more ... Step 1 - Provider submits enrolment notice Step 2 - Customer confirms enrolment Step 3 - Provider submits session reports Step 4 - CCS claim assessed - customer eligibility confirmed (enrolment confirmed as part of claim, if not already confirmed) Payment recipient - Customer Customer lodging CCS claim and becoming eligible for a past period triggers entitlement calculation (reassessment of session reports already submitted), hence payment goes to the customer. Appears to be main source of provider concerns, although outcome is expected and consistent with communications to date (including provider Handbook). Expectation is that provider has been charging the customer full fees in the absence of any eligibility/entitlement details. For more information see the Child Care Provider Handbook - Managing and reporting sessions of care - Reporting absences on the Department of Education website.
5	Session report varied - Pre reconciliation + Read more ... Step 1 - Provider submits session reports (CCS paid to provider) Step 2 - Provider varies session reports Payment recipient - Provider Provider varying session report triggers reassessment of session reports, hence any additional payment goes to the provider. No change to customer eligibility / entitlement after session report varied.
6	Session report varied - Post reconciliation + Read more ... Step 1 - Provider submits session reports (CCS paid to provider) Step 2 - Provider varies session reports post reconciliation Payment recipient - Customer Provider varying session report triggers reassessment of session reports, however as payment balancing for the relevant financial year has already been completed, any additional payment may go to the customer or be used to recover a child care debt. No change to customer eligibility / entitlement after session report varied.
7	Customer retrospective change of circumstance + Read more ... Step 1 - Provider submits session reports (CCS paid to provider) Step 2 - Customer reports a change in hours of activity - that affects their entitlement for a past period, for which session report/s have already been submitted and paid Payment recipient - Customer Customer changing their CCS entitlement (hours of subsidy) for a past period triggers entitlement calculation (reassessment of session reports already submitted), hence payment goes to the customer. For more information see the Child Care Provider Handbook - Managing and reporting sessions of care - Reporting absences on the Department of Education website.
8	Provider cancels session report, customer remains entitled - Pre reconciliation + Read more ... Step 1 - Provider submits session reports (CCS paid to provider) Step 2 - Provider cancels session reports Debt recipient - Provider Provider cancelling session reports triggers debt to be raised and is sent to the provider. No change to customer eligibility / entitlement after session report cancelled.
9	Provider cancels session report, customer remains entitled - Post reconciliation + Read more ... Step 1 - Provider submits session reports (CCS paid to provider) Step 2 - Provider cancels session reports Debt recipient - Customer Provider cancelling session reports triggers a debt to be raised and this may be sent to the customer as payment balancing for the relevant financial year has been completed.. No change to customer eligibility / entitlement after session report cancelled.

Scenarios - ACCS payments to providers and customers

Table 2: in most circumstances ACCS payments will be paid to the provider. Below are some examples of how ACCS can be paid.

Item	Description
1	Initial back payment - Session reports submitted before or after a parent is eligible (claim is assessed) + Read more ... Provider enrols child under a Complying Written Arrangement (CWA) enrolment Provider submits sessions but receives no payments as the CCS/ACCS claim is being processed or has not been made CCS/ACCS claim is assessed and entitlement is backdated to the start of the enrolment (maximum 28 days before the claim was made) Or Provider enrols child under a Complying Written Arrangement (CWA) enrolment CCS/ACCS claim is assessed and entitlement is backdated to the start of the enrolment (maximum 28 days before the claim was made) Provider submits sessions Payment recipient: Provider Note: ACCS and CCS will be paid directly to the provider in any ACCS entitlement period CCS only entitlement periods will be paid directly to the customer
2	Combined CCS/ACCS eligibility retrospectively lost then reinstated + Read more ... Family claims CCS/ACCS for their child, CCS entitlement is assessed and granted. Provider submits session reports for a 6 week period Provider receives 100% of the payment for the 6 week period and passes it on to the customer as a fee reduction The family's eligibility to CCS/ACCS is then retrospectively cancelled for the 6 week period. 100% of the CCS/ACCS entitlement is recovered from the family as they are no longer eligible The family appeal the cancellation decision, the appeal is successful and the family regain CCS/ACCS eligibility for the 6 week period 100% of the payment is paid to the provider for the ACCS entitlement periods Payment recipient: Provider Note: where ACCS (temporary financial hardship) (grandparent) or (transition to work) has already been paid to the provider, the provider is obliged to pass the reinstated entitlement on as a fee-reduction to the family. Direct customers to their provider at first instance to discuss the payment. If there is a dispute or the customer is not satisfied that their provider will pass on the payment or retain as a credit the customer can contact the Department of Education Tip-off line to advise fraudulent or non-compliant activity by the child care service. Where it is ACCS (child wellbeing) and the provider is unable to pass on the fee reduction, the provider would need to return the fee reduction back to the Commonwealth.
3	CCS/ACCS cross financial year claim + Read more ... Provider enrols child under a Complying Written Arrangement (CWA) enrolment Provider submits sessions for a 8 week period , but receives no payments as the CCS/ACCS claim is being processed or has not been made The 8 week session period crosses over two financial years 4 weeks in the previous financial year and 4 weeks in the current financial year Family submits the claim for CCS/ACCS The family's CCS/ACCS claim is finalised, their CCS entitlement is backdated to the start of the child's enrolment and as actual income details are already known, reconciliation for the previous financial occurs Payment recipient: Previous financial year ACCS/CCS entitlements: Customer Current financial year ACCS/CCS entitlements: Provider Current financial year CCS only backdated entitlement periods: Customer
4	Backdated ACCS child wellbeing certificate + Read more ... Step 1 - Provider submits enrolment notice (CWA enrolment) Step 2 - Customer confirms enrolment Step 3 - CCS claim assessed - customer eligibility confirmed (enrolment confirmed as part of claim, if not already confirmed) Step 4 - Provider submits session reports Step 5 - Provider creates backdated ACCS child wellbeing certificate - session report/s have already been submitted and paid for the affected period Payment recipient - Provider Provider creating the certificate triggers reassessment of session reports, hence any additional ACCS amount goes to the provider.