Carer Allowance and Childcare Subsidy for Kinship Carers in the ACT

Carer Allowance for Kinship Carers

Carer Allowance (Child) is a fortnightly supplement from Services Australia for anyone providing daily care to a child with a recognised disability or severe medical condition. As of January 2026, the rate is $162.60 per fortnight.

The critical detail for kinship carers: Carer Allowance is non-means-tested. Your income, assets, pension status and care arrangement type are irrelevant. If you are an informal grandparent carer on the Age Pension or a working-age aunt earning a full salary, the eligibility test is the same — it depends on the child's medical condition, not your financial position.

To qualify, the child must score above the threshold on the Disability Care Load Assessment (DCLA) or the adult equivalent assessment tool. The assessment considers the level of additional care and attention the child needs compared to a child of the same age without the condition.

Carer Allowance is a supplementary payment. Check with Services Australia about how it interacts with other payments in your situation.

Additional Child Care Subsidy — Grandparent

If you are a grandparent (or great-grandparent) raising a grandchild and you are receiving an income support payment from Centrelink — Age Pension, Disability Support Pension, Parenting Payment or JobSeeker — the ACCS Grandparent stream is designed specifically for you.

ACCS Grandparent covers up to 100% of the benchmark fee for up to 100 hours per fortnight. Unlike the standard Child Care Subsidy, it exempts you from the standard activity test — you do not need to prove work, study or volunteering hours.

This applies to approved centre-based day care, outside school hours care (OSHC) and vacation care. The subsidy pays directly to the childcare provider, reducing or eliminating your out-of-pocket fees.

To claim, make sure your myGov account reflects your income support payment and your care of the grandchild. The childcare service also needs to confirm the child's enrolment in their system.

ACCS Child Wellbeing

A separate stream — ACCS Child Wellbeing — covers children identified as vulnerable or at risk of abuse or neglect. This is not something you apply for directly. The childcare provider submits the application, typically based on a referral from a child protection worker, GP or social worker.

ACCS Child Wellbeing grants up to 100% fee relief for rolling 13-week periods and can be renewed. If a child is in an informal kinship care arrangement and a professional has concerns about the child's wellbeing, the childcare service can initiate this subsidy on the child's behalf.

The Broader Carer Support Picture

If the child's disability is significant enough that caring for them prevents you from working substantially, you may also be eligible for Carer Payment (Child) — a full income support payment, income-tested, separate from Carer Allowance. You can receive both simultaneously.

For children with NDIS plans, you will need to apply to the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) to be recognised as the child's representative in order to manage their plan. Informal carers need evidence of primary decision-making authority to be approved.

Carers ACT administers the Carer Gateway in the ACT, offering free respite planning, emergency support, counselling and carer coaching — all accessible without a CSD referral. Call 02 6296 9900.

The ACT Kinship Carer Support guide covers the full eligibility criteria and application steps for Carer Allowance, ACCS and the broader payment stack.

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