FTB Immunisation and Four-Year-Old Health Check Requirements for Grandparent Carers

When a grandchild moves into your care, their vaccination record might be incomplete — and if it is, your Family Tax Benefit Part A can be reduced. The No Jab, No Pay policy reduces FTB Part A by $36.54 per fortnight per child whose immunisations aren't up to date. That's $952.94 per year.

How No Jab, No Pay Works for Non-Parent Carers

The policy is straightforward: children receiving FTB Part A must meet the National Immunisation Schedule. If the child's record on the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) shows they're not up to date, the reduction applies to whoever is receiving FTB for that child.

As a grandparent carer, this means the reduction hits your payment — even if the vaccination gaps happened while the child was in the birth parent's care. Centrelink doesn't distinguish between who caused the gap; it looks at the child's current immunisation status and the current FTB recipient.

The first thing to do when a grandchild arrives is check their immunisation status. You can view this through:

• Your Medicare online account (once the child is linked to your record)
• Asking the child's GP to check the AIR or provide an immunisation statement

Catching Up on Vaccinations

If the child is behind schedule, book a catch-up appointment with a GP as soon as possible. The GP can check the child's AIR record and advise on a catch-up schedule.

After the vaccines are administered, check that the AIR record is up to date and check your Centrelink payment record. If the FTB reduction continues, contact Services Australia.

If a medical issue affects vaccination, ask the child's doctor or immunisation provider and Services Australia what documentation applies to the FTB requirement.

The Four-Year-Old Health Check

There's a second requirement that catches grandparent carers: an eligible health check for a four-year-old. If you're receiving an income support payment (Age Pension, DSP, Parenting Payment, etc.) and the child in your care turns 4 during an income year, the child must complete an eligible health check.

Ask the GP or another recognised provider whether the check meets the FTB requirement, and confirm with Services Australia that it has been recorded.

If the check isn't completed, FTB Part A is reduced by the same $36.54 per fortnight. This only affects carers on income support — if you're a self-funded grandparent not receiving a pension, the health-check requirement doesn't apply to your FTB.

Practical Steps When a Grandchild Arrives

1. Check the child's AIR record via Medicare or your GP
2. Book catch-up vaccinations immediately if anything is overdue
3. If the child is turning 4, schedule an eligible health check
4. Keep copies of vaccination and health check records in case Services Australia asks for them

The FTB immunisation reduction is one of those penalties that bites before you even know it applies. Getting ahead of it in the first week saves nearly $1,000 per year.

For the full claim sequence, including how immunisation requirements interact with FTB lodgement deadlines, see our Centrelink Payments for Grandparents guide.

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