Centrelink Grandparent Adviser Line 1800 245 965

What This Line Is

The number 1800 245 965 connects you to the Grandparent, Foster and Kinship Carer Adviser team within Services Australia. These are specialist Centrelink staff — not the general queue, not the standard family payments line. They handle only non-parent carer matters: grandparents, kinship carers, foster carers and other relatives raising children.

The line operates Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm (local time). It is a freecall number — no charge from landlines or mobiles.

Why You Should Call Before Doing Anything Else

The single most common mistake grandparent carers make is going straight to MyGov and lodging claims through the standard online forms. When you do that, Centrelink processes your claim as a regular family assistance application. If the biological parent is already receiving Family Tax Benefit for the child, your claim hits a wall — the system flags a conflict, and the claim sits in a manual processing queue until someone resolves it.

Calling the adviser line first avoids this. The adviser can:

• Flag your Centrelink record as a non-parent carer before you lodge any claims
• Explain that FTB and Parenting Payment claims cannot be backdated to before your initial contact date
• Check whether the biological parent is currently receiving payments for the child and initiate the care transfer process
• Assess your full household situation and tell you which payments you qualify for — FTB, ACCS Grandparent, Double Orphan Pension, Carer Allowance, Foster Child Health Care Card
• Refer you to a Centrelink Social Worker if you need additional support
• Book a specialist appointment if your situation is complex

What to Have Ready Before You Call

The call will go faster and achieve more if you have these to hand:

• Your Centrelink Customer Reference Number (CRN) — if you have one. If you have never dealt with Centrelink, the adviser will create a record for you
• The child's full name and date of birth
• The date the child came into your care — as precise as you can be, because this affects backdating
• The reason the child is in your care — you do not need to share private details, but a brief explanation (parent hospitalised, parent incarcerated, parent unable to care for the child) helps the adviser assess which payments apply
• Your care arrangement type — informal (no court orders), Family Court parenting order, Children's Court care order, or Section 79 guardianship order
• Any proof of care you already have — school enrolment letters, GP records, statutory declarations. You will not need to read these over the phone, but knowing what you have helps the adviser tell you what else is needed
• Your bank account details — BSB and account number for direct deposit

What the Advisers Can and Cannot Do

The advisers can override some standard identity verification requirements when a child has arrived suddenly and the grandparent does not have the child's full documentation. They can connect you to Social Work Services for crisis support.

They cannot:

• Make eligibility decisions on the spot — complex claims still go through assessment
• Manage DCJ care allowances or casework; contact DCJ or your caseworker about those state matters
• Provide legal advice about custody, court orders or family law matters
• Guarantee payment amounts or approval timelines

For legal questions, they will refer you to LawAccess NSW (1300 888 529) or Legal Aid.

After the Call

Write down the adviser's name (or operator ID), the date and time of the call, and a summary of what was discussed — especially any reference numbers, forms you were told to complete, and dates you need to follow up by. If the adviser confirms your claim date, note it and ask how it affects possible backdating. If they requested documents, note the exact list and the deadline.

This is not paranoia — it is protection. If a payment is delayed or a claim is lost in the system, having a contemporaneous record of your calls is the fastest way to resolve it. Centrelink processes millions of claims, and details get missed.

The NSW Kinship Carer Support guide includes a phone preparation worksheet and an agency communication log — printable sheets designed specifically for these Centrelink calls, with prompts for every piece of information the adviser will ask for and space to record what they tell you.

See more New South Wales guides →