Processing Additional Child Care Subsidy (ACCS) (grandparent) applications 007-17103156

To be eligible for ACCS (grandparent) a customer must be eligible for CCS, and they (or their partner) must:

• meet the definition of grandparent of the child they are claiming for
• have all or at least 65% assessed care of the child
• have substantial autonomy for the day to day decisions about the child's care, welfare and development
• receive an eligible income support payment

If the ACCS (grandparent) application is lodged within a CCS claim, ACCS Processing Service Officers will also need to assess CCS and manage any exception processing. If a customer is not eligible for CCS they will not be eligible for ACCS (grandparent).

Service Officers will:

• direct new CCS customers to lodge a combined CCS/ACCS (grandparent) claim online
• complete an Assisted Customer Claim (ACC) for CCS/ACCS (grandparent) if appropriate
• direct current CCS customers to lodge an ACCS (grandparent) application using their online account
• in limited circumstances, and only where an ACC cannot be completed, issue a FA084 Application for Child Care Subsidy, which incorporates ACCS (grandparent)

The ACCS Processing Team (ACCPT) will assess all ACCS (grandparent) applications (including combined CCS/ACCS claims), using information provided in the claim, and will advise the customer in writing of the outcome.

Grandparents with care of a grandchild and non-parent carers who have taken on parental responsibilities for a child may also benefit from the services of a Grandparent, Foster and Kinship Carer Adviser.

Grandparent, Foster and Kinship Carer Advisers are not to assess CCS/ACCS combined claims or ACCS Change of Circumstance applications, including ACCS (grandparent) applications.

Grandparent principal carers who are not on income support are supported through CCS. Those customers who are not eligible for ACCS (grandparent) because they do not receive an eligible income support payment will be exempt from the CCS activity test, and will be able to access up to 100 hours of approved child care each fortnight. CCS processing staff may assess activity test exemptions for grandparent principle carers not receiving income support, only where the customer has provided enough evidence. See Activity Test for CCS for further details.

When processing ACCS (grandparent) applications, ACCS Processing Team (ACCPT) Service Officers must review the evidence provided or cross reference any evidence on record to confirm the customer or their partner:

• is the grandparent or great grandparent of the child
• has all or at least 65% or more ongoing care of the child, and
• has substantial autonomy for the day to day decisions about the child's care, welfare and development

If evidence is not held on the record, the Service Officer will be required to issue a request for evidence as the claim or application does not request this information.

The start date for ACCS (grandparent) will be the start of a CCS fortnight up to 28 days before the date the claim was submitted, which cannot be earlier than the date CCS commenced.

During the processing of an ACCS (grandparent) application, if a customer is asked to provide additional information to support their application and this is not supplied, the application will be not effective. This means it is considered not to have been made and the customer will need to lodge a new application.

If an application was a combined CCS/ACCS claim, a determination will be made in relation to CCS even where the ACCS application may be rejected or not effective.

The Resources page contains a link to the Centrelink Payments Calendar to help explain start dates for CCS and ACCS.

Grandparents need to advise any change in their circumstance as soon as possible. If the change in circumstances results in the cancellation of ACCS (grandparent), and they still have the child in their care they may be entitled to receive CCS based on their adjusted taxable income and activity test requirements

If a customer's change in circumstances is due to separation, there are key steps they should consider to keep their personal information safe. See Separating safely - protecting personal details.