Centrelink Non-Parent Carer Claim: Change of Care for Grandparents in Australia

The First Centrelink Call After a Child Arrives

When a grandchild or relative's child moves into your care, one of the first things you need to do is tell Centrelink. Until you do, the biological parent may still be receiving Family Tax Benefit and other child-related payments for a child they are no longer caring for — and you receive nothing to help cover the costs.

This process is called a "change of care." It transfers the child-related payment entitlements from the person who was receiving them to the person who is now providing primary care. It is not automatic. You have to initiate it.

How the Change of Care Process Works

1. Call the Grandparent, Foster and Kinship Carer Adviser Line on 1800 245 965. This dedicated line bypasses the standard Centrelink phone queue. The advisers are specialists in non-parent carer claims and can walk you through the entire process. Lines are open Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.

2. Lodge your claims through myGov. The adviser will direct you to lodge claims for the specific payments you are eligible for — typically Family Tax Benefit Part A and B, and possibly Parenting Payment Single, Additional Child Care Subsidy, or Double Orphan Pension depending on your circumstances.

3. Provide proof of primary care. Centrelink assesses your percentage of care to work out the Family Tax Benefit share: at least 35% care can qualify for a share, and more than 65% qualifies for 100% of FTB for the child. For informal kinship carers (no DCP placement, no court order), evidence may include:

   • A completed statutory declaration detailing when the child entered your care, the care percentage, and the absence of parental support
   • A school enrolment letter showing your address
   • A GP or medical registration statement
   • A Medicare card listing the child under your name
   • Written statements from professionals (teacher, daycare worker, social worker) confirming the care arrangement

4. Centrelink contacts the parent. Services Australia will contact the biological parent to verify the change of care. If the parent confirms, the transfer proceeds. If the parent disputes it, Centrelink conducts a neutral internal care assessment using the evidence both parties provide. You do not need to confront the parent yourself — Centrelink manages this process independently.

5. Lodge promptly. For an older child, submit an FTB claim as soon as you think you are eligible; FTB can also be claimed as a lump sum within 12 months after the financial year ends. Parenting Payment is generally assessed from the claim and document date, but can be backdated to when the child came into your care if you submit the claim and documents within four weeks. Upload any requested documents within the 14-day window Centrelink provides.

What If the Parent Will Not Sign Anything

Many kinship carers hesitate to claim because the biological parent refuses to cooperate, and they fear that involving Centrelink will create family conflict. This is one of the most common anxieties among informal carers, and it is well understood by the specialist advisers on the 1800 245 965 line.

Centrelink does not require the parent's signature or consent to process your claim. It requires evidence that you provide primary care. A statutory declaration by you, combined with third-party evidence (school letter, GP statement, Medicare card listing), is sufficient. Centrelink contacts the parent as part of its own assessment — if the parent does not respond, the department proceeds based on the evidence available.

Where care is actively disputed, Centrelink can initiate a care percentage determination. This is an administrative process — not a court proceeding. Both parties provide evidence, and Centrelink makes a determination on the percentage of care each person provides.

Key Forms You May Need

• Form SS284 (Relationship Details) — assesses your living arrangements to determine single or partnered payment rates
• Form SS293 (Relationship Details — Separated Under One Roof) — required if you live in the same residence as an ex-partner
• Form MS011 (Application to Copy or Transfer a Child onto a Medicare Card) — adds the child to your Medicare card, which also serves as proof of care

These forms are available through myGov or at your local Centrelink office.

Backdating Rules

Family Tax Benefit can be claimed as fortnightly instalments or as an annual lump sum. For an older child, lodge a fortnightly claim as soon as you think you are eligible. A lump-sum claim for a financial year must be lodged within 12 months after that year ends (for example, a claim for 2025-26 must be lodged by 30 June 2027).

Parenting Payment is generally assessed from the date you submit your claim and documents. If you submit both within four weeks of the date the child came into your care, Services Australia can backdate the payment to that date. This is why rapid lodgement matters.

Getting It Right First Time

A rejected or delayed Centrelink claim when you are already financially stretched is demoralising. The two most common causes of delay are incomplete evidence and incorrect care percentage reporting. The Adviser Line (1800 245 965) exists specifically to help non-parent carers avoid these problems. Use it.

The South Australia Kinship Carer Support guide includes step-by-step instructions for every Centrelink claim relevant to kinship carers, along with the evidence checklist, form references, and a proof-of-care worksheet to help you organise your documentation before you call.

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