How to Claim Centrelink as an Informal Kinship Carer in the NT Without a Court Order

The Short Answer

You do not need a court order to claim Centrelink payments for a child in your care in the Northern Territory. For Family Tax Benefit, Services Australia assesses factual care and the carer must demonstrate at least 35% of the care time. Additional Child Care Subsidy (Grandparent) has a separate 65% care threshold and is for eligible grandparents or great-grandparents who receive a qualifying income-support payment. A statutory declaration and supporting documents can help establish the care arrangement.

Why Informal Carers Hit a Wall at Centrelink

When a grandparent or relative takes on a child through a "family way" arrangement — no involvement from the NT Department of Children and Families, no court order, just the family stepping in because the parent cannot cope — Centrelink has no government record to verify the arrangement. A formal foster carer has a DCF placement letter. A carer with a parenting order has a court document. An informal carer has none of these, so the burden of proof falls entirely on you.

This is where most claims stall. Carers call the Grandparent Adviser line, are told they may be eligible for Family Tax Benefit, submit a claim online, and then receive a letter asking for evidence they were not prepared to provide. The claim sits in limbo. The child's expenses keep mounting. The carer does not know what "sufficient evidence" looks like, because Centrelink's website describes the requirement in general terms without spelling out what documents work in practice.

The Evidence That Centrelink Actually Accepts

For an informal care arrangement with no court order, Centrelink typically looks for a combination of:

• A statutory declaration explaining when the child came into your care, the circumstances, and the care you provide day to day. It must be witnessed by an authorised witness. In remote NT communities, ask the local health clinic or police station whether an authorised witness is available.
• Third-party letters — a letter from the child's school confirming you are the contact person and handle enrolment, a letter from the child's doctor confirming you bring the child to appointments, or a letter from a community worker who knows the arrangement.
• Financial records showing you are paying for the child's expenses — receipts for school uniforms, medical costs, groceries, childcare fees.
• Date records — a log of when the child is in your care, which is especially important if the arrangement is shared (the child stays with you during the week and visits the parent on weekends, for example).

The statutory declaration is the foundation. The supporting documents strengthen it. Together, they establish the "pattern of care" that Centrelink uses to assess your claim.

Step-by-Step: Lodging the Claim

Step 1: Call the Grandparent Adviser line. Tell them you are an informal kinship carer in the NT with no court order, and that you want to claim Family Tax Benefit for the child. Ask which evidence to provide and whether priority processing can be coordinated if remote-service delays affect access.

Step 2: Gather your evidence before lodging online. Write the statutory declaration, collect the third-party letters, and organise your receipts and date records. Complete evidence can help reduce follow-up requests during assessment.

Step 3: Lodge your FTB claim through myGov (or in person at a Centrelink office if you prefer). Upload or bring your statutory declaration and supporting documents at the time of lodging — do not wait for Centrelink to ask for them.

Step 4: Claim Additional Child Care Subsidy (Grandparent) separately if the child is in childcare or early learning and you meet the eligibility rules. You must be a grandparent or great-grandparent, the child's primary carer with at least 65% care, and receive an eligible income-support payment. The subsidy can cover up to 100% of fees, up to 120% of the standard CCS hourly rate cap, for up to 100 hours per fortnight. Aunts, uncles and other extended relatives are not eligible for ACCS (Grandparent).

Step 5: Consider Parenting Payment Single if you are the principal carer of a child under 14 and meet Centrelink's income and assets rules. The Grandparent Adviser can check your eligibility.

Step 6: Check Double Orphan Pension eligibility if both parents are deceased, or if one parent is deceased and the other is imprisoned for at least 10 years, in care, or unlocatable. DOP is a separate fortnightly payment on top of FTB.

Processing Times and What to Expect

The research does not establish a current processing estimate for informal carer claims. For a current estimate or status update, contact Services Australia or the Grandparent Adviser line. The line can coordinate priority processing for carers facing remote-service delays.

What to Do If a Claim Is Rejected

A rejection is not the end. Centrelink rejections often come down to insufficient evidence rather than ineligibility. If you receive a rejection letter:

1. Read the reason carefully — it will specify which requirement was not met.
2. Gather the additional evidence needed to address that specific reason.
3. Request an internal review by an Authorised Review Officer within 13 weeks of notification to protect full backdating rights for FTB claims. The ARO reviews the decision and can change it.
4. If the ARO upholds the rejection, you can apply to the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART), which replaced the AAT. Ask Legal Aid NT or NAAJA whether they can assist and what eligibility rules apply.

Who This Is For

• Grandparents or relatives in the NT who have taken on a child informally and have no court order or DCF involvement
• Carers who tried to claim FTB but had the claim rejected or stalled for lack of evidence
• Informal carers who are unsure what constitutes "proof of care" for Centrelink
• Community workers or adult children helping an older relative prepare a Centrelink claim

Who This Is NOT For

• Formal kinship carers with a DCF placement — a DCF court order or care plan can support the claim; ask Services Australia which evidence it requires
• Carers with a court order granting parenting responsibility — the order itself is the evidence
• Anyone needing legal advice about obtaining a parenting order — Legal Aid NT is the right starting point

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need the birth parent's permission to claim FTB?

No. A court order or the birth parent's consent is not required if you can demonstrate factual care. If the parent disputes the arrangement, Services Australia assesses care using evidence such as school and medical records or third-party statements. Tell Services Australia if contacting a parent would create a safety risk.

Can I claim FTB if the child stays with the parent some of the time?

Yes, if you provide at least 35% of the child's care. If care is shared or disputed, Services Australia assesses the actual care percentage using evidence such as school and medical records or third-party statements.

Will claiming Centrelink payments trigger a DCF investigation?

Services Australia handles the payment claim, while DCF is responsible for statutory child protection and formal out-of-home care placements. A Centrelink claim is not itself a DCF placement. If you have concerns about child safety or DCF involvement, seek advice from Legal Aid NT or NAAJA.

What if I live in a remote NT community and cannot get to a Centrelink office?

You can lodge claims through myGov, by phone, or through a Centrelink visiting service in your community. Ask the local health clinic, police station, or a Justice of the Peace whether an authorised witness is available for your statutory declaration.

The NT Kinship Carer Support Guide includes a printable evidence organiser that walks you through exactly what to collect, a statutory declaration template with the wording Centrelink looks for, and a chapter on accessing services from remote communities — so you can prepare everything before your first call or office visit.

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