How to Claim All Centrelink Payments as a Kinship Carer in Queensland Without Court Orders

If you are raising a relative's child in Queensland without a court order, you may qualify for one or more Commonwealth payments through Centrelink. The main payments to check are Family Tax Benefit Parts A and B, Additional Child Care Subsidy (Grandparent), Double Orphan Pension, Carer Allowance, and Carer Payment. Eligibility depends on care percentage, income, the child's circumstances, and other rules. This page walks through each payment, what you need to prove, and the order to claim them in.

You do not need a court order to claim any Commonwealth payment. Services Australia assesses actual physical care — the fact that the child lives with you and you provide their day-to-day needs — not your legal status. What you do need is evidence, and assembling the right evidence before you start claiming is the difference between a smooth process and months of back-and-forth.

The Payments in Claiming Order

1. Family Tax Benefit Part A and Part B (claim first)

FTB is your foundation claim. It establishes your status as a non-parent carer with Centrelink, and that care determination flows through to your other claims.

FTB Part A is paid per child. In 2026–27, the maximum fortnightly rate is $235.48 for children aged 0–12, and $306.46 for children aged 13–15 (or 16–19 in full-time secondary study). The rate depends on your household income — maximum rate applies up to $69,131 combined income, then tapers. An end-of-year supplement of up to $970.90 per child is paid after tax reconciliation for household incomes of $80,000 or less.

FTB Part B is paid per family. Maximum fortnightly rate is $200.34 if the youngest child is under 5, or $139.86 if the youngest is 5 to 18. Eligible single carers may receive the maximum if income is $124,327 or less. For partnered carers, the secondary earner can earn up to $7,154 before FTB Part B starts reducing.

What you need to prove: At least 35% actual physical care of the child. Without a court order, you need:

• Form CS4647 — a statutory declaration, sworn before a JP or Commissioner for Declarations, stating that the child lives with you and you provide their daily care
• Form FA012 — details of the child's care arrangements, including how long the child has been with you and the care split with any other carer
• Third-party letters — from the child's school (confirming you are the primary contact), GP (confirming you attend medical appointments), childcare provider, or community worker
• The child's birth certificate

How to claim: Through myGov (link your Centrelink account) or by calling the Grandparent, Foster and Kinship Carer Adviser Line on 1800 245 965. The adviser line is the better option for first-time claimants — the advisers are trained for non-parent carer situations and can guide you through the forms.

Processing time: Typically 21 to 56 days. Payments generally start from the date of claim lodgement, not the date processing finishes — so lodge as soon as you have your evidence together.

2. Additional Child Care Subsidy — Grandparent (claim alongside FTB if applicable)

If you are a grandparent (not an aunt, uncle, or other relative) receiving an eligible income support payment (Age Pension, Disability Support Pension, Carer Payment, or JobSeeker) and you provide at least 65% of the child's care, you can access the ACCS Grandparent rate.

What it provides: Up to 100 hours of fully subsidised child care per fortnight, covering up to 100% of the actual fee charged (up to 120% of the standard CCS hourly rate cap). This effectively eliminates gap fees at most approved childcare centres. The activity test — which normally requires you to work, study, or volunteer to access higher hours — is completely waived for ACCS Grandparent recipients.

Even if you do not qualify for ACCS Grandparent, the standard Child Care Subsidy 3-Day Guarantee (effective January 2026) provides all CCS-eligible families with at least 72 subsidised hours per fortnight (3 full days per week) without any activity test.

What you need to prove: Grandparent relationship, receipt of a qualifying income support payment, and at least 65% care of the child. Your FTB care determination may satisfy the care requirement.

How to claim: Through myGov or by calling 136 150. If you are already claiming FTB, your care determination is on file.

3. Double Orphan Pension (claim if the specific conditions apply)

DOP is a non-means-tested, non-taxable supplement of $81.60 per fortnight per child (2026 rate). You must provide at least 35% of the child's care. It is not just for children whose parents have both died — the eligibility is broader than the name suggests:

• Both parents are deceased, OR
• One parent is deceased and the other is serving a prison sentence of 10 years or more, confined indefinitely to a psychiatric institution or nursing home, or their whereabouts are unknown after reasonable enquiry, OR
• The child is an admitted refugee and both parents live outside Australia or their whereabouts are unknown

What you need to prove: Death certificates, prison sentence documentation, or evidence of the surviving parent's unavailability. Plus the same care evidence as FTB.

How to claim: Complete Form SC003 (Claim for Double Orphan Pension). If you have not claimed FTB for the child, claim FTB first. You cannot claim DOP online, but you can submit the completed form and supporting documents through your Centrelink online account, by post, or in person.

4. Carer Allowance (claim if the child has a disability or medical condition)

If the child under 16 you are caring for has a severe disability or medical condition requiring daily care and attention beyond what a child of the same age would normally need, Carer Allowance pays $162.60 per fortnight (2026 rate). It is non-means-tested and non-taxable — it does not reduce your other payments.

What you need to prove: The child's medical condition or disability, documented by their treating health professional on form SA332A or SA431. Plus your care evidence.

How to claim: Forms available through myGov or by phone. The medical report must be completed by the child's GP, paediatrician, or specialist.

5. Carer Payment (claim if caring responsibilities prevent you from working)

Carer Payment is an income support payment for people whose caring responsibilities prevent them from engaging in substantial paid employment. It is income- and assets-tested, so it interacts with your other income sources. If you are already receiving the Age Pension, you generally cannot receive Carer Payment as well — but Carer Allowance (above) stacks on top of the Age Pension.

The Evidence Strategy

The proof-of-care evidence you gather for your FTB claim is reused across all other claims. Build your evidence folder once, thoroughly, and keep copies:

Strongest evidence:

• Letters from the child's school on school letterhead, confirming you are listed as the primary carer, attend parent-teacher meetings, and handle day-to-day school matters
• Letters from the child's GP or medical practice confirming you bring the child to appointments
• A statutory declaration (CS4647) sworn before a JP — available at courthouses, many post offices, and some community centres

Supporting evidence:

• Receipts for the child's clothing, school uniforms, medical expenses, and childcare fees in your name
• The child's birth certificate
• Any written communication from the birth parent acknowledging the arrangement (text messages, emails, letters)
• Letters from childcare centres, community organisations, or social workers

If the birth parent is hostile or absent:

• Police reports or domestic violence protection orders
• Hospital or medical records documenting the circumstances
• Letters from women's shelters, community services, or other agencies involved
• A statement explaining why the birth parent cannot be contacted safely

The Grandparent Adviser Line (1800 245 965) can help you work out which evidence you need for your specific situation. They have heard every variation.

What You Cannot Claim as an Informal Carer

Queensland state allowances — the fortnightly caring allowance ($652.40 to $763.98), establishment payment, start-up allowance, high support needs and complex support needs allowances, the activities boost, and regional remote loading — are all reserved for carers formally approved under the Child Protection Act 1999. If Child Safety has not placed the child with you through their process, these payments are not available to you regardless of your circumstances.

This is the biggest gap in the system for informal kinship carers. The state treats informal arrangements as private family matters; financial support comes entirely from the Commonwealth.

Who This Is For

• Informal kinship carers in Queensland who know they should be claiming something from Centrelink but are not sure what or how
• Grandparents on the Age Pension who have taken on a grandchild and want to maximise their entitlements without accidentally affecting their pension
• Carers who have claimed FTB but did not know about ACCS Grandparent, Double Orphan Pension, or Carer Allowance
• Anyone who has tried to navigate the Services Australia website and found the information scattered across too many pages to make sense of

Who This Is NOT For

• Formally approved kinship carers receiving the Queensland state caring allowance — you may still be eligible for Commonwealth payments on top, but your Child Safety caseworker should have connected you with Centrelink during the approval process
• Carers with a parenting order or consent order — your evidence requirements are simpler (the court order itself is usually sufficient) and the claiming process is more straightforward
• People outside Queensland — the state context (what you cannot claim, which community services exist) is Queensland-specific; the Commonwealth payment information applies Australia-wide

Putting It Together

The Queensland kinship carer guide walks through each of these claims in full detail, with the evidence organiser, form references, and worked scenarios for a pensioned grandparent, a working-age aunt, an Indigenous kinship arrangement, and a rural or remote carer. It includes the agency decision matrix that maps your specific care arrangement to the correct payments and agencies.

Full refund, no time limit. Email [email protected] if the guide does not help. The free one-page checklist is available at /au/queensland/kinship-carer-support/ if you want to see what is covered before buying.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will claiming FTB for a grandchild affect my Age Pension?

Receiving FTB does not reduce your Age Pension. Services Australia assesses FTB separately under its care and income rules. If you receive an eligible income support payment, you may get the maximum FTB Part A rate if that payment is not reduced to zero because of employment. FTB Part B for single carers has a separate income test.

How long does it take for Centrelink to process an informal care claim?

FTB claims typically take 21 to 56 days to process. If the birth parent disputes your care, the process may take longer because Services Australia may need to conduct a care assessment. Payments generally start from the claim lodgement date, so you are not penalised for processing time. If you are in financial hardship, tell the Grandparent Adviser Line — emergency processing may be available.

Can I claim all these payments at the same time?

Yes, if you meet each payment's eligibility rules. FTB, ACCS Grandparent, Double Orphan Pension, and Carer Allowance can be received together; Carer Payment may also overlap where eligible, but it generally cannot be paid with Age Pension. Lodge your FTB claim first because the care determination it establishes supports your other claims. Then add ACCS, DOP, Carer Allowance, or Carer Payment as applicable.

What if the child's birth parent objects to my Centrelink claim?

Services Australia may need to assess care if the parent disputes your claim. You do not need the birth parent's permission to claim. If direct contact with the parent would be unsafe, tell the Grandparent Adviser; they can help you navigate the evidence process without requiring direct contact with that parent.

Can I backdate my claim to when the child first arrived?

Generally, Commonwealth payments start from the date you lodge the formal claim, not from when the child arrived. Backdating is restricted, with limited exceptions such as newborn claims or catastrophic disruption — ask Services Australia about your circumstances. The takeaway is to lodge as soon as possible, even if your evidence is not yet complete — you can add supporting documents after the initial claim.

Do I need to declare the child's income (such as child support received)?

Child support received for the child can affect your FTB Part A rate through the Maintenance Income Test. If the birth parent is paying child support through the Child Support Agency, Centrelink will automatically account for it. If there is no child support arrangement, you do not need to pursue one — a maintenance action exemption may apply if seeking child support would put you or the child at risk. The Grandparent Adviser Line can advise on exemptions.

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