How to Navigate Centrelink as an Informal Kinship Carer in the ACT Without a Case Manager

If you're an informal kinship carer in the ACT — raising a relative's child without a court order or a Community Services Directorate (CSD) placement — you don't have a case manager guiding you through Centrelink. Statutory placements typically come with casework support from CSD or an approved provider. You get the phone queue. This page walks through how to check which Centrelink payments the child may qualify for and how to prepare for claims without a case manager.

The single most important thing to understand: as an informal kinship carer, you prove care through evidence, not through orders. Most claims below require evidence of "actual care," and the same evidence may support more than one claim.

The Claim Sequence That Saves You Repeat Trips

Most informal carers call Centrelink about whichever payment they've heard of first. Assembling care evidence before calling can help you discuss more than one claim with the adviser.

The efficient sequence for an informal kinship carer in the ACT:

Step 1: Assemble Your Proof-of-Care Folder

Before calling anyone, gather:

• Your identity documents (driver's licence, Medicare card, passport)
• The child's birth certificate (if available — not always possible in emergency placements)
• Any documentation of when and why the child came into your care (text messages, a letter from the parent, a police report reference number)
• A statutory declaration stating you are providing primary day-to-day care (form CS4647 — it must be witnessed by an authorised witness; check the form for who may witness it)
• Any professional evidence already available — for example, a letter from the child's school, GP, or social worker confirming you present with the child and manage daily routines

Use this folder to organise the evidence for each claim.

Step 2: Call the Grandparent Adviser Line First

Call 1800 245 965 — the dedicated Grandparent, Foster and Kinship Carer Adviser Line — not the general Centrelink number. These are specialist advisers who understand non-parent carer claims. They can:

• Record or update your care arrangement
• Explain which payments and evidence may apply to your situation
• Advise whether a referral to a Centrelink social worker is appropriate

Write down the adviser's name, the date, the reference number, and exactly what they told you. You'll need this record.

Step 3: Claim Family Tax Benefit (FTB) Parts A and B

FTB is the foundation payment. You need to demonstrate at least 35% actual care of the child. As an informal carer without a court order, you'll submit:

• Your completed Non-Parent Carer Statutory Declaration (CS4647)
• The professional support statements from your evidence folder
• The child's birth certificate or identity documents

Submit through myGov if you already have a linked Centrelink account. Otherwise, call the Grandparent Adviser Line and ask how to lodge your claim.

Critical timing rule: Lodge as soon as possible after the child comes into your care. FTB can generally be backdated to the start of the current financial year if claimed before 30 June, with limited backdating of up to 13 weeks in special circumstances such as extreme trauma or hospitalisation.

Step 4: Apply for the Foster Child Health Care Card

This is the most commonly missed entitlement. The Foster Child Health Care Card:

• Has no income test on the carer — your pension, wages, or assets don't matter
• Covers concession-rate PBS prescriptions for the child
• Lowers the child's Medicare Safety Net threshold
• Informal kinship carers may qualify if they provide ongoing care for a child who is not their biological or adopted child

Apply through Services Australia. You'll need the proof-of-care evidence you already assembled. The card is issued in the child's name.

Step 5: Claim Additional Child Care Subsidy (Grandparent) If Applicable

If the child attends approved childcare and you're receiving an income support payment (Age Pension, DSP, JobSeeker, Parenting Payment), ACCS Grandparent covers up to 100% of the benchmark fee for up to 100 hours per fortnight. No activity test — you don't need to be working, studying, or volunteering.

Apply through your myGov Centrelink account or via the Grandparent Adviser Line. Check with the childcare service and Services Australia what information each needs for your claim.

Step 6: Check Double Orphan Pension Eligibility

If both of the child's parents are deceased — or if one parent is deceased and the surviving parent is incarcerated for at least 10 years, admitted to a psychiatric hospital indefinitely, or has whereabouts unknown after reasonable search efforts — the child may qualify for the Double Orphan Pension. This is a non-means-tested fortnightly payment paid in addition to FTB Part A.

Not every informal carer qualifies, so check the criteria with Services Australia when a parent's circumstances may meet one of these conditions.

Step 7: Copy the Child onto Your Medicare Card

Complete a Medicare Copy/Transfer form (MS011) to add the child to your Medicare card. This provides a Medicare card listing the child under your account. Use the child's details to access immunisation history through the Australian Immunisation Register. You'll need the child's birth certificate and your proof-of-care evidence.

What Happens If the Parent Disputes Your Claim

If the child's biological parent tells Centrelink they're still the primary carer, Services Australia will initiate a formal care assessment. This is where your evidence folder matters most.

Acceptable evidence for a disputed care claim includes:

• School records: The child's enrolment listing you as the primary contact and emergency pickup person
• Medical records: GP or paediatric records showing you attend appointments and consent to treatment
• Financial records: Receipts showing you pay for the child's clothing, food, school fees, and medical expenses
• Professional statements: Letters on official letterhead from the child's school, GP, maternal health nurse, or registered social worker confirming the care arrangement

Keep originals. Submit copies. Document everything.

The ACT-Specific Entitlements Outside Centrelink

Centrelink is Commonwealth. The ACT Government runs its own programs that informal carers often miss:

• Future of Education Equity Fund: $400 (preschool), $500 (primary), or $750 (high school/college) per student per year for carers holding a Centrelink concession card. Apply through the ACT Education Directorate — applications open 1 December each year.
• ACT Utility Rebate: Up to $800 per year in electricity, gas, and water credits for Pensioner Concession Card or Health Care Card holders.
• Carers ACT: Free advocacy, peer support, and their resource hub for kinship carers navigating the system.

These don't come through Centrelink and won't be mentioned by a Centrelink adviser.

Who This Is For

• Grandparents, aunts, uncles, or family friends in the ACT who are raising a relative's child without a CSD placement order or court order
• Informal kinship carers who have never navigated the Centrelink system for a child before
• Carers who called the general Centrelink line and were given conflicting or incomplete information
• Family members helping an elderly relative manage the paperwork for a child in their care

Who This Is NOT For

• Statutory kinship carers with a CSD placement — your case manager coordinates these claims for you
• Carers seeking legal advice about obtaining parenting orders or guardianship — contact Legal Aid ACT (1300 654 314)
• Kinship carers outside the ACT — the Centrelink claims process is national, but the territory-specific grants and the school/medical paperwork differ

The Guide That Maps This Entire Process

The ACT Kinship Carer Support guide includes the full claim sequence above with evidence checklists for each step, worked examples of proof-of-care folders, the school enrolment and medical consent walkthroughs that sit outside Centrelink's scope, and the complete ACT contact directory. Start with the free checklist to see if the approach suits you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a lawyer to claim Centrelink payments as an informal kinship carer?

No. Centrelink claims don't require legal representation. What you need is evidence of actual care — the statutory declaration, professional support statements, and financial records described above. A lawyer becomes relevant if you're seeking parenting orders or if a custody dispute is affecting your claim, but the Centrelink claim itself is an administrative process.

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

Ask the Grandparent Adviser Line for a current estimate for your claim. If the parent disputes care, Services Australia may initiate a formal care assessment. Keep a record of your lodgment and follow up through the adviser line if you need an update.

Can I claim Family Tax Benefit if the child's parent still lives with me?

Generally no. Non-parent carers who reside in the same dwelling as the child's birth parent are usually barred from receiving FTB for that child. Exceptions exist if the parent is severely incapacitated and unable to provide care. Discuss your specific situation with the Grandparent Adviser Line.

What if I can't get a professional support statement?

If the child has only recently arrived and hasn't yet enrolled in school or visited a GP under your care, submit the CS4647 statutory declaration with any available receipts or administrative records, and ask Services Australia what other evidence it needs. Add professional statements as they become available; a school record listing you as primary contact can help show the care arrangement.

What if the guide doesn't cover my situation?

Email [email protected] for a full refund. No time limit, no conditions.

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