Centrelink Payments for Kinship Carers in 2026: ACT Guide

The Complete List of Centrelink Payments for Kinship Carers

If you are a grandparent or relative raising a child in the ACT, you likely qualify for several Commonwealth payments through Services Australia (Centrelink). The key is knowing which ones apply to your situation and how they interact.

Here is every Centrelink payment relevant to kinship carers in 2026.

Family Tax Benefit (Parts A and B)

FTB is the foundation payment for most kinship carers. Part A provides per-child assistance based on the child's age and your combined household income. Part B gives additional support to single-income families and non-parent carers.

To qualify, you need to exercise at least 35% actual care of the child. You do not need a court order — Centrelink accepts evidence of informal care through statutory declarations and professional support letters.

One important rule: if you live in the same household as the child's biological parent, you are generally barred from receiving FTB for that child unless exceptional circumstances (like severe parent incapacity) apply.

FTB Part A is also subject to the Maintenance Action Test. As a non-parent carer, you may need to take reasonable steps to obtain child support from both biological parents. If seeking child support would cause severe hardship, family violence or if the parents are untraceable, you can apply for an exemption.

Double Orphan Pension

The Double Orphan Pension is a non-means-tested fortnightly payment for carers of a child whose parents are both deceased, or where one parent is deceased and the other is incarcerated for at least 10 years, admitted to a psychiatric institution indefinitely, or their whereabouts are unknown after reasonable search.

The base rate as of January 2026 is $81.60 per fortnight. It is paid on top of FTB Part A. About 200 claims are processed nationally each year, with roughly half granted — it is a niche but important payment for carers in these circumstances.

Carer Allowance (Child)

If the child you are raising has a recognised severe disability or medical condition that requires daily care and attention, Carer Allowance pays a non-means-tested supplementary fortnightly amount of $162.60 (January 2026 rate). For how it interacts with your other payments, check with Services Australia.

You apply by completing a Carer Allowance claim through myGov or by contacting the Grandparent Adviser Line.

Carer Payment (Child)

This is an income support payment — distinct from Carer Allowance — for carers whose caring responsibilities prevent them from engaging in substantial paid employment. It is means-tested and paid at the pension rate. If you are already receiving the Age Pension, you would not receive Carer Payment on top (they are alternative income support payments, not cumulative).

Foster Child Health Care Card

The Foster Child Health Care Card is one of the most underused entitlements for kinship carers. It is issued in the child's name, carries no means test against your income or assets, and gives the child:

• PBS medicines at the concession rate
• Lower Medicare Safety Net thresholds
• Eligibility for bulk-billed GP visits
• Access to the Child Dental Benefits Schedule

Any non-parent carer — formal or informal — qualifies, provided you can demonstrate ongoing care of a child who is not your biological or adopted child.

Additional Child Care Subsidy (Grandparent)

If you are a grandparent (or great-grandparent) receiving a Centrelink income support payment and you have primary care of the child, ACCS Grandparent covers up to 100% of the childcare fee benchmark for up to 100 hours per fortnight. It exempts you entirely from the standard participation activity test.

This applies to approved centre-based day care, outside school hours care (OSHC) and vacation care.

For children identified as vulnerable or at risk of abuse or neglect, childcare providers can also apply for ACCS Child Wellbeing, which grants fee relief for 13-week periods.

How to Claim

Call the Grandparent, Foster and Kinship Carer Adviser Line on 1800 245 965 as your first step. These specialist advisers understand the specific rules for non-parent carers and can walk you through which payments to claim and in what order.

For most claims, you will need:

• The Non-Parent Carer Statutory Declaration (form CS4647)
• The child's birth certificate
• Your own identity documents
• Professional support letters from a GP, teacher or social worker confirming your care
• Medicare details (if applying for the Foster Child Health Care Card)

Lodge claims as early as possible after taking on the child. FTB can be backdated to the start of the current financial year if lodged before 30 June, but backdating beyond that is limited to 13 weeks in special circumstances.

Keeping Track of It All

Multiple payments, multiple forms, multiple agencies — it adds up fast. The ACT Kinship Carer Support Guide pulls every payment into one reference, with a claim progress log to track what you have lodged, what is pending and what decisions have come back.

See more Australian Capital Territory guides →