Family Tax Benefit for Grandparent Carers in Australia

Family Tax Benefit is the single biggest regular payment most grandparents raising a grandchild can claim from Centrelink — and you don't need a court order to get it. What you do need is at least 35 percent care of the child, evidence that the care is real, and an understanding of how Part A and Part B work differently when you're a non-parent carer.

How the 35 Percent Care Rule Works

Services Australia decides FTB eligibility based on actual, physical care — not who holds legal custody. If your grandchild sleeps at your home at least 128 nights per year (roughly 35 percent of the time), you qualify for a shared-care proportion of FTB Part A. At 65 percent care or more, you receive the full single-carer rate.

The assessment is based on the actual care pattern over a 365-day period or a representative fortnight. If the arrangement has recently changed, tell Centrelink when it changed and provide evidence of the current care pattern. Lodge your claim as soon as the child arrives — even if the biological parent hasn't yet stopped receiving FTB for that child. If care is disputed, Services Australia assesses the arrangement using the evidence provided.

You do not need to apply for child support from either biological parent. Non-parent carers are statutorily exempt from the Maintenance Action Test, so you can receive the maximum FTB Part A rate without pursuing child support.

Part A vs Part B: What Each Pays

FTB Part A is paid per child. For a child aged 0–12, the maximum is $235.48 per fortnight ($6,140.30 annualised). For a teenager aged 13–19 in full-time secondary study, it rises to $306.46 per fortnight. There's also an end-of-year supplement of $970.90 per child, paid after annual income reconciliation if your combined adjusted taxable income is $80,000 or less.

The income test tapers at 20 cents per dollar once combined family ATI exceeds $69,131, then 30 cents per dollar above $123,078.

FTB Part B is paid per family, not per child. For grandparents, it comes with a significant advantage: while parents lose Part B when their youngest child turns 13, grandparents and great-grandparents keep it until the end of the calendar year the child turns 18, as long as the child is in full-time secondary education. The rates are $200.34 per fortnight for a youngest child aged 0–4, and $139.86 for ages 5–18.

Single grandparent carers get Part B at the maximum rate if their ATI is $112,578 or less. Partnered grandparents face a secondary earner test: the lower earner's income above $6,497 reduces the payment by 20 cents per dollar.

How to Claim as a Grandparent

You claim through myGov linked to your Centrelink account, or by lodging paper form FA001 at a service centre. The key evidence Centrelink needs:

• A statutory declaration confirming you provide daily care
• School enrolment showing you as primary contact
• A letter from the child's GP confirming you attend medical appointments
• Any documentation from a state child protection agency, if applicable

If you're already receiving Age Pension or Disability Support Pension, you don't switch to Parenting Payment — you stack FTB Part A and Part B on top of your existing pension. There is no rule against receiving both an income support payment and Family Tax Benefit simultaneously.

Two Traps to Watch

Immunisation: Under the No Jab, No Pay policy, FTB Part A is reduced by $36.54 per fortnight per child if the child's immunisation schedule isn't up to date. If a grandchild arrives with incomplete vaccinations, book a catch-up schedule with a GP as soon as possible and update the Australian Immunisation Register.

Lump sum deadline: If you don't claim FTB fortnightly during the financial year, you can lodge a lump-sum claim by 30 June of the following year. If you think you may miss the deadline, contact Services Australia promptly to ask about your circumstances.

Getting It All Organised

FTB is usually the first payment a grandparent carer should secure because it unlocks the care-percentage assessment that feeds into other claims like Additional Child Care Subsidy and the Foster Child Health Care Card. Our Centrelink Payments for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren guide maps the full claim sequence — FTB through to Double Orphan Pension — so nothing falls through the cracks during those first overwhelming weeks.

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