How to Lodge a Centrelink Claim as a Grandparent on myGov

You've just taken in a grandchild and the first thing you need to do is lodge a Centrelink claim — usually through myGov. The problem is that the online portal was designed for parents, not grandparents stepping into an unexpected caring role. The forms ask for the child's details, care arrangement, and information about the previous carer; they may also ask about immunisation records. Usually none of that is ready.

Getting the Child's Customer Reference Number

You don't need to find the child's CRN before you begin a Family Tax Benefit claim. Services Australia asks for the child's name and date of birth, proof of birth if it is not already on file, details of the previous carer, and details of the care arrangement. If the child has never had a Centrelink service, they may not yet have a CRN; Services Australia issues one after a Child Care Subsidy claim is approved. Call the Grandparent, Foster and Kinship Carer Adviser line on 1800 245 965 for help navigating the claim as a non-parent carer.

Linking Centrelink to myGov

If you already have a myGov account linked to Centrelink (because you receive the Age Pension, for example), you're set — skip to the next section. If not:

1. Create a myGov account at my.gov.au using your email address.
2. From the myGov dashboard, select Link a service → Centrelink.
3. You'll need your own CRN. If you don't have or know it, use the online flow to get one through Digital ID or Centrelink identity verification. If you can't get a CRN online, call Centrelink to prove your identity over the phone or visit a service centre.

You need to prove your identity before Centrelink can link your account. Follow the identity-verification steps shown in myGov and use the information requested there.

Lodging the Family Tax Benefit Claim

Family Tax Benefit is almost always your first claim. It unlocks related payments and establishes your care record with Centrelink.

From your linked Centrelink account:

1. Select Make a claim or view claim status → Make a claim.
2. Under Families, select Get started, then Apply for Family Assistance Payments and follow the prompts for Family Tax Benefit Parts A and B.
3. The form asks about the child's details, your care arrangement, and your income estimate for the financial year.
4. Describe your care arrangement accurately. Services Australia assesses actual care; a court order is not required if the arrangement is informal.
5. Provide the evidence of care requested. This may include a school enrolment letter naming you as the primary contact, a statutory declaration, or a letter from the child's GP confirming the child lives with you.
6. Submit and note the confirmation number.

Services Australia assesses care based on who actually has the child, not who has a court order. Lodge promptly: the claim date establishes the transfer date for your FTB assessment. If you claim a lump sum, you have until 30 June of the next financial year to claim.

Other Claims to Lodge at the Same Time

Once your FTB claim is in, consider lodging these through the same myGov session:

• Child Care Subsidy — if the grandchild attends or will attend approved child care. Lodge a claim through myGov. If you're on an eligible income support payment and provide 65% or more care, you may qualify for the Additional Child Care Subsidy (Grandparent), which covers 100% of fees up to 120% of the hourly rate cap.
• Double Orphan Pension — if both parents are deceased; one is deceased and the other is serving a sentence of 10+ years, held in custody for an offence that could carry a 10-year sentence, in a psychiatric institution or nursing home indefinitely, or whose whereabouts are unknown; or the child is a qualifying refugee who has not lived in Australia with either parent and whose parents are outside Australia or unlocatable. This is a separate claim through Centrelink.
• Foster Child Health Care Card — no income or assets test. Gives the child PBS-concessional prescriptions and access to other state concessions.

You don't need to lodge everything on day one. But getting FTB and the Foster Child Health Care Card in early means faster financial relief and immediate healthcare access for the child.

What to Do If the Birth Parent Is Still Receiving Payments

This is one of the most frustrating situations. You have the child, but the birth parent is still collecting FTB for them. Centrelink cannot simply transfer the payment based on your word — they need to assess the care change.

Lodge your own FTB claim immediately. Centrelink assesses the care change using evidence about where the child lives and who provides day-to-day care. You do not need to contact the birth parent yourself, and Centrelink protects your address and phone number under strict privacy rules.

The Centrelink Payments for Grandparents guide walks through every claim type with the exact forms, evidence checklists, and timelines — so you're not guessing what to upload or when to follow up.

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