Proving Care to Centrelink as a Kinship Carer in the ACT

Why Proof Matters More Than a Court Order

You would think that a grandparent who is feeding, housing and getting a child to school every day would not need to prove it. But Services Australia assesses non-parent carer claims based on actual care evidence, and without a court order spelling out who has the child, the burden of proof falls entirely on you.

Getting this right determines whether you receive Family Tax Benefit, the Foster Child Health Care Card, the Double Orphan Pension and every other entitlement you are eligible for. Getting it wrong — or being too slow — means the payments keep going to the parent who is no longer providing care.

The Non-Parent Carer Statutory Declaration (Form CS4647)

This is your primary document. Form CS4647 is a formal statutory declaration to Services Australia that you have primary day-to-day care of a child without a court order. You fill in the child's details, your relationship, the nature of the care arrangement, and sign it before an authorised witness.

Authorised witnesses in the ACT include Justices of the Peace, pharmacists, solicitors, police officers and other approved categories. Check the ACT Government's current directory for JP service locations.

Professional Support Letters

Professional support letters can provide third-party corroboration. They should be on official letterhead and signed by someone who can attest to your care role from their professional interaction with the child. Examples include:

• ACT public school principals or registrars — confirming the child is enrolled with you as the primary contact and that you routinely drop off, pick up and attend school events
• General practitioners — confirming you bring the child for medical appointments and manage their healthcare
• Child and Family Centre staff — confirming you attend playgroups or parenting programs with the child
• Social workers or community nurses — confirming your primary care role based on their professional observations

Letters from more than one independent professional can add corroboration. Services Australia can also consider financial and administrative records as evidence of actual care.

Financial Evidence

Receipts and bank statements showing you are paying the child's daily expenses add weight:

• School fees, uniform purchases, book packs
• Childcare or OSHC invoices in your name
• Medical and pharmacy receipts for the child
• Clothing, footwear and extracurricular activity costs

You do not need to produce an exhaustive record, but a consistent pattern of child-related spending over several weeks strengthens your position.

Administrative Records

Other documents that corroborate care without requiring a professional letter:

• ACT school enrolment form listing you as primary carer and emergency contact
• The child's immunisation records through the Australian Immunisation Register
• Sport or recreational membership forms listing you as the parent/guardian

When the Parent Disputes Your Care

If the biological parent tells Centrelink they still have care, Services Australia triggers a formal care determination. Both sides submit evidence and Centrelink decides who holds actual care.

The determination considers the evidence from both parties. Ask Services Australia how your payments will be handled while it is underway. Your evidence dossier can document who the child lives with, who makes daily decisions, who takes the child to school and medical appointments, and who pays for the child's expenses.

If the determination goes against you, request an ARO (Authorised Review Officer) review within 13 weeks. The ARO is a senior officer independent of the original decision-maker. If the ARO also rules against you, appeal to the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) — the first tier is free.

Start Collecting Evidence Immediately

The single most important piece of timing advice: begin collecting evidence from the first day you take on care. The earlier your evidence trail starts, the stronger your claim. A statutory declaration signed three months after care began, with supporting letters from professionals who saw you with the child during that period, is much more convincing than a declaration filed hastily after a claim rejection.

The ACT Kinship Carer Support guide includes a structured evidence assembly checklist and a claim progress log for tracking every form, reference number and phone call.

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