How to Claim All Victoria Kinship Carer Payments Without Missing Any
If you are raising a relative's child in Victoria and want to make sure you are claiming every payment the child is entitled to, the key is understanding that your entitlements come from two entirely separate systems — Services Australia (Centrelink) at the Commonwealth level and the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH) at the state level — and what you can access from each depends on whether your care arrangement is a private informal arrangement, a parental agreement, or a DFFH-endorsed statutory placement. Most kinship carers in Victoria miss at least one significant payment because they do not realise the two systems exist independently, or because they pursue the wrong agency first.
The Two Systems: Commonwealth and State
This is the structural reality that trips up most carers. You are dealing with two governments, two separate sets of eligibility rules, and two application processes:
Commonwealth (Services Australia / Centrelink) — available to informal and formal carers subject to each payment's eligibility and care tests:
- Family Tax Benefit Part A
- Family Tax Benefit Part B
- Additional Child Care Subsidy (Grandparent)
- Foster Child Health Care Card
- Newborn Supplement and Newborn Upfront Payment (child under one)
- Carer Allowance (if the child has a disability or medical condition)
- Parenting Payment (for eligible principal carers of young children; income and assets tests apply)
- Double Orphan Pension (both parents deceased, or one deceased and the other untraceable, incarcerated, or in long-term care)
Victorian State (DFFH) — standard care allowances are for DFFH-endorsed statutory placements:
- Victorian Kinship Care Allowance (fortnightly, age-based rates)
- Establishment payment (setting up for the child's arrival)
- Emergency payments
- Contingency and additional support payments
Victorian State Concessions — available to informal and formal carers subject to each program's eligibility rules:
- Victorian Carer Card (50% myki discount, free weekend travel)
- Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) — $400 per student per year for 2026
- State Schools' Relief (uniforms, shoes, essential items)
The Most Common Mistake
An informal carer searches "kinship care payments Victoria" and lands on DFFH's Kinship Care Allowance page. They call DFFH. They are told they are not eligible because their arrangement is informal — there is no Children's Court order and no Child Protection involvement. They assume there is nothing available. Weeks pass. The child is eating, wearing clothes, going to school, and the carer is paying for everything from their pension or savings.
What they missed: the Commonwealth payment system. They may qualify for Family Tax Benefit, the Foster Child Health Care Card, and potentially the Additional Child Care Subsidy (Grandparent) through Centrelink, regardless of whether DFFH is involved; each payment has its own care and eligibility tests.
Over 72% of kinship carers in Victoria report drawing on personal savings to cover the initial costs of a child's placement. Every fortnight without Family Tax Benefit, if you meet its eligibility rules, is money you may not need to be spending.
Complete Payment Map by Care Arrangement
If You Are an Informal Carer (No Court Order, No DFFH)
This is the most common situation for grandparents who take on a grandchild through a private family arrangement. Your pathway runs through Centrelink:
- Family Tax Benefit Part A — income-tested, paid per child. This is typically the largest regular payment.
- Family Tax Benefit Part B — additional payment for single-parent families or families with one main income.
- Foster Child Health Care Card — not means-tested. Provides reduced-cost PBS prescriptions and access to local government and utility concessions. Apply even if you have a Pensioner Concession Card, because the Foster Child Health Care Card covers the child specifically.
- Additional Child Care Subsidy (Grandparent) — up to 100 hours per fortnight of subsidised childcare at up to 120% of the hourly rate cap. You must receive an eligible income support payment, have 65% or more care of the grandchild, and hold primary day-to-day decision-making responsibility.
- Newborn Supplement + Newborn Upfront Payment — if the child is under one year old when they enter your care, ask Services Australia whether you qualify for these additional FTB Part A payments.
- Carer Allowance — if the child is under 16 and meets Services Australia's disability or severe medical condition criteria. Paid in addition to FTB.
- Victorian Carer Card — apply without a DFFH vendor number using the Section 4 Authorised Professional Declaration signed by a GP, registered nurse, social worker, or school principal. Gives you 50% off myki fares and free weekend travel.
- CSEF ($400/year) — apply through the child's school before the 2026 deadline (26 June). Eligibility requires a valid Centrelink Health Care Card, Pensioner Concession Card, or Veterans Affairs Gold Card on the first day of Term 1 or Term 2, or a formal out-of-home care arrangement.
- State Schools' Relief — ask the school welfare coordinator. Covers uniforms, shoes, and other essentials for families experiencing hardship.
If You Have a Statutory Child Protection Placement (DFFH Endorsed)
Depending on individual eligibility, you may also qualify for Commonwealth payments and state concessions. When DFFH has endorsed the placement, it can also provide:
- Victorian Kinship Care Allowance — fortnightly payment at age-based rates for a DFFH-endorsed placement
- Establishment payment — one-off payment to help set up for the child
- Emergency and contingency payments — additional support through your DFFH caseworker
Your caseworker should be coordinating these claims. If they are not proactively telling you about the Centrelink payments, ask specifically about FTB, ACCS Grandparent, and the Foster Child Health Care Card — these are Commonwealth entitlements that DFFH does not administer and sometimes does not mention.
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The Claiming Sequence That Prevents Missed Payments
The order matters because some payments affect eligibility for others, and because some have waiting periods:
- Call 1800 245 965 first — the Grandparent, Foster and Kinship Carer Adviser line. Have the child's birth certificate (or whatever ID you have), your own identity documents, and any evidence of your care arrangement. The adviser will assess your situation and schedule specialist appointments.
- Lodge FTB Part A and Part B claims — these are typically the highest-value regular payments and should be your first priority.
- Apply for the Foster Child Health Care Card — not means-tested, so do not assume your income disqualifies you. The card covers the child specifically.
- Apply for ACCS Grandparent — if you use childcare and meet the 65% care and income support requirements. This can save thousands per year on childcare fees.
- Check Newborn Supplement eligibility — if the child is under one.
- Apply for Carer Allowance — if the child has a disability or medical condition.
- Apply for the Victorian Carer Card — this can take 4-6 weeks online or 8-10 weeks by mail, so lodge early.
- Apply for CSEF through the school — as soon as the child is enrolled. The deadline is late June each year.
Proof-of-Care: The Step Most Carers Underestimate
For Family Tax Benefit and child-benefit claims, Services Australia requires objective evidence of primary or shared physical care. FTB Part A has a minimum 35% care threshold. Useful evidence includes:
- A completed Victorian Informal Carer Statutory Declaration
- School enrolment records showing you as the primary contact
- Medical records showing you as the child's carer
- Letters from professionals (GP, social worker, teacher) confirming the care arrangement
- Utility bills, receipts, and other documents showing the child lives with you
If a birth parent cannot safely provide written confirmation, Services Australia can verify directly with local schools or medical providers. The Grandparent Adviser line can help assess care evidence and explain the next steps.
Do Not Overlook These
Three payments that kinship carers in Victoria consistently miss:
- Double Orphan Pension — if both parents are deceased, or if one parent is deceased and the other is untraceable, incarcerated, or in long-term care. This is a separate payment on top of FTB.
- Parenting Payment — a separate income-support payment for eligible principal carers of young children, subject to income and assets tests. Mutual obligation requirements begin when the youngest child turns 6.
- Energy and utility concessions — Victorian concessions on electricity, gas, water, and council rates are available to Pensioner Concession Card or Health Care Card holders. The Foster Child Health Care Card provides child-specific PBS and local concessions; check with your provider or council whether it qualifies for household bills.
Getting It All in One Place
The Support for Grandparents and Kinship Carers in Victoria guide maps every payment to your care arrangement type, provides the claiming sequence above with document checklists for each application, includes a printable claim tracker for recording lodgement dates and outcomes, and lists direct contact numbers for every agency mentioned in this post. It covers 47 pages with 7 standalone worksheets including the care-arrangement decision tree and proof-of-care evidence checklist.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to get Family Tax Benefit approved?
Standard Commonwealth family assistance claims are processed within 21 to 45 days. Claims requiring additional proof-of-care review can take longer. Family Tax Benefit may be backdated to the beginning of the current financial year, or to the previous financial year in confirmed special circumstances.
Can I claim Centrelink payments if the child's parent is still alive?
Yes. A parent's being alive or retaining parental responsibility does not by itself prevent you from claiming Family Tax Benefit or other child-related payments, but each payment has separate eligibility rules. For FTB Part A, you need to demonstrate at least 35% physical care of the child. Double Orphan Pension has separate criteria: both parents must be deceased, or one must be deceased and the other untraceable, incarcerated, or in long-term care.
What if I have already been claiming for months and think I missed a payment?
Check the list above against what you are currently receiving. Family Tax Benefit may be backdated to the beginning of the current financial year, or to the previous financial year in confirmed special circumstances. Child Care Subsidy and ACCS backdating is limited to 28 days before the formal claim submission date. Ask the Adviser line (1800 245 965) about the start-date rules for the Foster Child Health Care Card and Carer Allowance, and review your current entitlements against your care arrangement.
Do the Victorian state concessions stack with the Centrelink payments?
Yes. The Victorian Carer Card, CSEF, and State Schools' Relief are separate from and in addition to any Centrelink payments. They are administered by Victorian state agencies, not by the Commonwealth. Claiming FTB does not affect your eligibility for the Carer Card, and vice versa.
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