Family Assistance: WWW - Familyassist.gov - Au

Family assistance
The what, why and how
www.familyassist.gov.au
February 2011
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Family assistanceThe what, why and how
Contents
Your guide to family assistance About this booklet Where to go for more information? Introduction What is family assistance How family assistance is set up How to get the most from family assistance Reducing the risk of an overpayment If you get your Family Tax Benefit payment fortnightly and/or Child Care Benefit as reduced child care fees 6 Balancing your payments Assistance with raising a child Paid Parental Leave scheme Baby Bonus Registering the birth of your child Maternity Immunisation Allowance Family Tax Benefit Family Tax Benefit Part A Helping families with the cost of raising children Family Tax Benefit Part B Single-parent families Two-parent families Parents commencing or returning to paid work Child Care Benefit Help with the cost of child care Approved care Registered care You can choose how to receive your benefit Extra help with the cost of child care Child Care Rebate Claiming Child Care Rebate Medicare Medicare Safety Net 2 7 8 8 11 11 11 12 12 12 14 14 14 14 15 15 15 15 16 17 18 18 18 19 3 3 3 3 3 4 5 5 Australian Childhood Immunisation Register Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme Medicare Teen Dental Plan Other assistance Assistance for low income earners Double Orphan Pension Education Tax Refund Health Care Cards Income support concession cards Large Family Supplement Rent Assistance Factors affecting your family assistance Definition of a partner Child Support Scheme Blended families Separated parents Your rights and responsibilities Managing your payments You must tell us if things change Dealing with third parties Getting someone to deal with Centrelink for you Person Permitted to Enquire Nominee arrangements Keeping your personal information private Reviews and appeals More information How to contact us Income Management Centrepay Centrelink self service Medicare Australia Online Services Child Support Agency Online Services Other organisations and useful information 20 21 21 22 22 22 22 22 23 23 23 24 24 25 27 27 28 28 28 28 28 28 28 29 29 29 29 29 30 30 31 31 31
Extra assistance for families with one main income 14
Your guide to family assistance

About this booklet
This booklet provides information about the support you can receive from the Australian Government through the Family Assistance Office. This includes assistance to help with the cost of raising children, and to help balance work and family needs. It provides information about family assistance including details about payments, eligibility and how to get the family assistance you are eligible for. The payments discussed in this booklet include Parental Leave Pay, Baby Bonus, Maternity Immunisation Allowance, Family Tax Benefit, Child Care Benefit and Child Care Rebate. It also includes information about help with the cost of medical care through Medicare, Medicare Safety Net, the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.
Introduction
What is family assistance
The Australian Government offers a range of payments through the Family Assistance Office to support families with their work and family responsibilities.
Each payment is different, depending on the needs of each family

The main payments: Paid Parental Leave schemehelps working parents to spend more time at home with a new baby. Baby Bonushelps with the cost of caring for a new baby or adopted child Child Care Benefithelps with the cost of child care Child Care Rebateprovides additional help with the cost of child care Family Tax Benefit Part Athis is the most common payment to help with the cost of raising children and is paid per child. It includes a supplement per child that may be available after the end of the financial year when your payments are balanced Family Tax Benefit Part Bprovides additional assistance to single parents and couple families with one main income where one parent chooses to stay at home or balance some paid work with caring for children. It includes a supplement per family that may be available after the end of the financial year when your payments are balanced Maternity Immunisation Allowanceencourages parents to immunise their children. Your family may be eligible for more than one of these payments. You may be eligible for other assistance, for example: Double Orphan Pensionassistance for guardians of orphans Health Care Cardfor low income earners and foster parents (including grandparents who are the primary carers of a grandchild) Large Family Supplementprovides assistance for large families Multiple Birth Allowancea payment for triplets, quadruplets, etc. Rent Assistanceto help with your rental expenses.
Where to go for more information?

Visit the www.familyassist.gov.au website. Call the Family Assistance Office on 13 6150* between 8.00 am and 8.00 pm (local time) Monday to Friday. Visit your nearest Family Assistance Office located in Medicare offices and Centrelink Customer Service Centres. *Calls from your home phone to Centrelink 13 numbers from anywhere in Australia are charged at a fixed rate. This rate may vary from the price of a local call and may also vary between telephone service providers. Calls to 1800 numbers from your home phone are free. Calls from public and mobile phones may be timed and charged at a higher rate.
Centrelink payments
This booklet does not provide information about all the support families can receive from the Australian Government. You may be eligible for other assistance from Centrelink: Assistance for Isolated Childrenfor a child who lives too far away from school or has a special health or education need Carer Payment and Carer Allowanceassistance if you are caring for someone who is frail aged, ill or has a disability Crisis Paymentif you are in severe financial hardship due to an extreme circumstance Low income Health Care Card Newstart Allowanceassistance if you are looking for work Parenting Paymentan income support payment for low income families Youth Allowanceif you have a child 16 to 24 years of age who is undertaking full-time study or an apprenticeship, or a child 16 to 21 years of age who is looking for work.
Benefits are balanced to make sure you get the correct amount
If you choose to receive Family Tax Benefit fortnightly or as reduced child care fees, your entitlements are worked out using your estimated annual family income. At the end of the financial year, to make sure everyone gets the correct amount, the entitlements you received based on your estimate are balanced against your entitlements based on your actual annual family income after you and/or your partner have lodged your tax returns with the Australian Taxation Office, or have advised that you are not required to lodge a tax return. The Australian Taxation Office can advise if you are required to lodge a tax return. Your payments will be adjusted to make sure you have been paid the right amount. If you underestimated your familys income for Family Tax Benefit or Child Care Benefit and received more than you were entitled to, you will get an overpayment. All overpayments need to be repaid. Overpayments of Family Tax Benefit and Child Care Benefit may be recovered from your future family assistance payments including end of year supplement payments and from tax refunds.
How family assistance is set up

We know how busy you are, so instead of going to different agencies to get family assistance, you can access services and payments in one placethe Family Assistance Office.
What is a financial year?

A financial year begins on 1 July in any year and ends on 30 June of the following year (e.g. 1 July 2010 30 June 2011).
Benefits are based on your actual annual income

Benefits are based on your and your partners actual annual income if you are partnered, or your income if single. In addition, your childs income must be under the child income limit where applicable. Couples that are living in a same-sex de facto relationship or registered relationship are recognised as partnered for family assistance purposes. People with lower incomes get more assistance than those with higher incomes. Family Tax Benefit Part A and Child Care Benefit are based on your actual annual family income. Family Tax Benefit Part B is based on the actual annual income of the lower income earner and a primary earner income test also applies.
What is a calendar year?

A calendar year begins on 1 January in any year and ends on 31 December of the same year (e.g. 1 January 201131 December 2011).
How and when you get your payments is one of the most important decisions you must make

How to get the most from family assistance
How and when you can get your payments is an important decision you must make. You and your partner need to lodge your tax returns at the end of the financial year to get your full entitlement. If you do not need to lodge a tax return, you should notify the Family Assistance Office to ensure you get your correct entitlement. This choice cannot be used for Family Tax Benefit if you also intend to claim Rent Assistance. If it is possible, consider claiming your family assistance annually. That way, you will know exactly what your familys actual income was. This option may not suit every family, but for some families, it is definitely worth considering. You must lodge a claim for Family Tax Benefit and/or Child Care Benefit within two years of the end of the financial year for which you are claiming.
Choice onebe paid fortnightly and/or as reduced child care fees

You can choose to get your Family Tax Benefit payments fortnightly and/or your Child Care Benefit as reduced child care fees based on your estimate of your annual family income for the current financial year. Your payments will be balanced against your actual annual family income when you and your partner lodge your tax returns. If you or your partner are not required to lodge a tax return you need to tell the Family Assistance Office. If you or your partner have an income that varies during the year choice two may suit you better. A pay increase near the end of the financial year can mean all the payments you have already received were too high. Your Family Tax Benefit instalments will be adjusted automatically as required to avoid or reduce a projected overpayment.
Reducing the risk of an overpayment

An overpayment of family assistance can cause concern but it is important to remember that it is not an accusation of wrongdoing. Overpayments usually occur because people underestimate their income. Families may have more income in a financial year because someone gets a new job with higher pay, a pay rise, variable child support payments, extra overtime, a bonus, or if a family member (you, your partner or a dependent child) joins the workforce. You are at high risk of being overpaid if your family has: an income between $40 000 and $72 000 an income of $94 000 or more more than one income earner a primary earner income of $140 000 or more income changes because of irregular shift work, overtime or bonuses an income that is hard to estimate because you are a casual worker, you work on commission or contract, or have received a bonus or redundancy payment income from business or self-employment a child who may earn or receive taxable income over the income limit. Overpayments can also happen if your family circumstances change and you do not tell the Family Assistance Office. The following information will help you reduce the possibility of overpayment.
Choice twoget some now and some later

Fortnightly Family Tax Benefit payments and reduced child care fees (choice one) are worked out on your estimate of your annual family income, so it is possible that you may be paid too much throughout the financial year. One way to reduce this risk is to take some of your payments fortnightly and the rest after the end of the financial year when your payments have been balanced against your actual annual family income. You can also choose to receive a zero rate of Child Care Benefit throughout the year and receive any entitlement after the end of the financial year when actual income is known. If you are eligible for a zero rate of Child Care Benefit you may still be able to receive the Child Care Rebate.
Choice threebe paid annually

You can choose to get your payment once a year when you know your actual income. You will need to lodge a claim with the Family Assistance Office after the end of the financial year. The advantage of being paid annually is that you will know your actual income and are less likely to be overpaid.
If you get your Family Tax Benefit payment fortnightly and/or Child Care Benefit as reduced child care fees
Step oneplan ahead
If you choose to get your payments fortnightly or as reduced child care fees, the amount you are paid will be based on your estimate of your annual family income. You will be asked to update your estimate at the start of each financial year. If you do not provide an estimate, the Family Assistance Office will calculate one for you. You may have your ongoing Family Tax Benefit instalment payments adjusted automatically as required to avoid or reduce a projected Family Tax Benefit overpayment. This will apply to you if you receive your payment in fortnightly instalments and have notified an increased income estimate to the Family Assistance Office. After the end of the financial year, your payments will be balanced against your actual annual family income. It is important to make sure your estimate of your annual income is as accurate as possible. You can update your estimate as often as you like. If you are unsure about your estimate, you can choose to take some of your payment fortnightly and get the rest after the end of the financial year. Visit www.familyassist.gov.au if you would like to update your estimate online.
foreign income other income, for example, capital gains or commissions. It is important to tell us if there are any changes to your familys circumstances. Some factors that may affect your payment include: changes in family income caused by a new job, going back to work, a lost job, increased work hours, a pay rise, increased profits from business or investment dividends a change in your relationship status children entering or leaving your care changes to child support payments leaving Australia (temporarily or permanently) change to your child care arrangements children starting or leaving school if shared care arrangements change children getting a job or earning over the income limit a change in your address.
Step threeinclude all income

The income you need to tell the Family Assistance Office about is your and your partners adjusted taxable income. Adjusted taxable income is: taxable income, including taxable pensions and benefits (for example Parenting Payment, Parental Leave Pay, Newstart Allowance, Department of Veterans Affairs payments) reportable fringe benefits the value of any tax-free pensions or benefits (for example Disability Support Pension, Department of Veterans Affairs payments) the value of all net losses from any rental property income or investment income you own Reportable superannuation contributions, which generally include discretionary employer superannuation contributions such as voluntary salary sacrificed amounts and, for the self-employed, total superannuation contributions that will be claimed as a tax deduction any foreign income that is not taxable in Australia any tax exempt foreign income under section 23AF and 23AG of the Income Tax Assessment Act, 1936 less the full amount of any child support you and/or your partner pay. If you are unsure if a change will affect your payments contact the Family Assistance Office.
Step twothink about what may affect your payments

Are any of the following likely to affect your or your partners income? If yes, you should try to factor them into your income estimate: working overtime/extra hours receipt of Parental Leave Pay changing casual work, shift work or contract work pay rises lump sum payments receiving a redundancy payout receiving child support payments paying child support payments changing jobs commencing or returning to work work bonuses income from business or self employment

For every $1000 your familys actual annual income is higher than your estimate, you may have an overpayment of up to $500 and will have to pay it back after the end of the financial year. This is why it is important to estimate your income as accurately as possible.
Important information about lodging your tax returns

You and your current partner must lodge your tax return/s or tell the Family Assistance Office that you are not required to do so. If you do not do either of these things, any Family Tax Benefit you have received will become a debt and will have to be repaid. The Australian Taxation Office can tell you whether you are required to lodge a tax return. To be eligible for any top-up payment, including end-of-year Family Tax Benefit Part A and Part B supplements, you and your current partner need to have lodged your tax returns within two years of the end of the financial year you received your payments. To avoid having your Family Tax Benefit for the entire entitlement year raised as a debt, you and your current partner need to lodge your tax return/s within one year of the end of the financial year you received your payments. You will be contacted by the Family Assistance Office if you are going to be affected by this.
Step fourconsider the number of pays you will get

If your salary or wage is paid weekly or fortnightly, the number of individual paydays in a financial year can vary. You need to be aware of this when you estimate your income to avoid being overpaid. If you are unsure, check the number of paydays for the financial year with your employer.
Balancing your payments

Your payments will be balanced after the end of the financial year
If you are receiving fortnightly payments of Family Tax Benefit or reduced child care fees, they will be checked at the end of the financial year against the amount you should have received based on your actual family income. To allow us to check your records with the Australian Taxation Office you need to provide your tax file number. The Family Assistance Office uses this number for matching purposes only and it cannot be retrieved by Centrelink Customer Service Advisers at a later date. If you do not provide your tax file number, or authorise us to get it from the Australian Taxation Office, you will not be able to get family assistance payments. If your fortnightly payments do not match the actual amount you should have received, your payments will be adjusted. This works either way: if you have received too little, you may get a top-up payment. Top-ups may be used to repay outstanding family assistance or tax debts if you received too much, you may get an overpayment, which you will have to pay back. Overpayments of family assistance may be recovered from your future family assistance payments including end of year top-ups, supplement payments and from tax refunds.
What if I dont lodge my tax return?

You may no longer receive your Family Tax Benefit on a fortnightly basis if you or your current partner: do not lodge your tax return/s and as a result, a debt is raised, or do not advise the Family Assistance Office that you are not required to lodge your income tax return/s within the required timeframe. This may also apply if you and your current partner have outstanding tax returns for past years when you were in receipt of Family Tax Benefit. If you and your current partner continue to receive further debts as a result of not lodging your tax return/s, your family assistance payments may be cancelled. If your payments are cancelled, you and your current partner must lodge all outstanding tax returns for the years you were in receipt of Family Tax Benefit, advise the Family Assistance Office that you were not required to lodge one or repay in full all outstanding debts resulting from not lodging your tax returns. Once you have done this, you will need to lodge a new claim for Family Tax Benefit.
Family Tax Benefit supplements

Family Tax Benefit includes a Part A and Part B supplement. The supplements are only available after the end of the financial year when your payments are balanced. This will happen after you and your partner have lodged your tax returns with the Australian Taxation Office. If you or your partner are not required to lodge a tax return you should tell the Family Assistance Office immediately. The supplements may be used to reduce overpayments from the current or previous years. The supplements cannot be paid fortnightly.
have met the Paid Parental Leave work test before the birth or adoption occurs have received an individual adjusted taxable income of $150 000 or less in the financial year prior to the date of birth or date of claim, whichever is earlier, and are on leave or not working from the time you become the childs primary carer. The birth mother or the initial primary carer of an adoptive child must make the claim for Parental Leave Pay, unless there are exceptional circumstances. *For more information on residence requirements see Centrelinkthe basics.
Sharing the care of a child

If children spend time with a person responsible for their care such as their other parent, a step-parent or another carer, that person may be eligible for some family assistance. If a carer has care for at least 35 per cent of the time, they may be eligible for a percentage of Family Tax Benefit for that child. If you care for a child between 14 per cent and less than 35 per cent of the time, you will not be entitled to Family Tax Benefit, but may be eligible for Rent Assistance, a Health Care Card, Remote Area Allowance, Child Care Benefit and/or the lower threshold of the Medicare Safety Net.
Who is a primary carer?

A childs primary carer is the person who is most meeting the childs physical needs. This will usually be the mother of a newborn child or the initial primary carer of an adoptive child. A person may still be eligible for Parental Leave Pay in the event of a stillbirth or infant death. If you are the birth mother, there are some circumstances in which you can receive Parental Leave Pay for up to 18 weeks after the birth even if you are not the primary carer of your child. This may occur if you are unable to care for your child due to illness, or you may be a birth mother in an adoption or surrogacy arrangement.
Assistance with raising a child

Paid Parental Leave scheme
The Paid Parental Leave scheme is an entitlement for working parents of children born or adopted from 1 January 2011. Eligible working parents can get government-funded Parental Leave Pay at the rate of the National Minimum Wage for a maximum period of 18 weeks. Parental Leave Pay is taxable.
The Paid Parental Leave work test

To meet the Paid Parental Leave work test you must have: worked for at least 10 of the 13 months prior to the birth or adoption of your child, and worked for at least 330 hours in that 10 month period (just over one day a week), with no more than an eight week gap between two consecutive working days. A working day is a day you have worked for at least one hour. There are some exceptions to the work test if you cannot meet it due to pregnancy complications and/or premature birth. You do not need to be working full-time to be eligible for Parental Leave Pay. You may meet the work test even if you: are a part-time, casual or seasonal worker are a contractor or self-employed work in a family business such as a farm have multiple employers, or have recently changed jobs.
Am I eligible?
You may be eligible for Parental Leave Pay if you: are the primary carer of a newborn or recently adopted child are an Australian resident*, or a special category visa holder residing in Australia, or are the holder of a certain temporary visa

If you work for a family business, such as a farm, you can include your hours of work even if the business is not generating any income, providing you are undertaking the work for financial gain or benefit. calling 13 6150 to request a claim form, or visiting the Family Assistance Office located in Medicare offices and Centrelink Customer Service Centres.
What should I do before my child arrives?

If you think you are eligible for Parental Leave Pay there are a number of things you should do before your child arrives. Plan your caring role and work leave arrangements Consider what paid and unpaid leave you might take from work, when you would like your Parental Leave Pay to start, and when you might want to return to work. Check the Paid Parental Leave Comparison Estimator Parental Leave Pay and the Baby Bonus cannot be paid for the same child. If you meet the eligibility criteria for both payments, you can choose which payment is the best financial decision for your family. Most eligible families will be better off receiving Parental Leave Pay rather than Baby Bonus. You should check the Paid Parental Leave Comparison Estimator at www.familyassist.gov.au to work out which payment is best for your family. Please note: if you choose to receive Parental Leave Pay, you and/or your partner will not be eligible for Family Tax Benefit Part B and the dependent spouse, child housekeeper and housekeeper tax offsets during the 18 week Paid Parental Leave period. Talk to your employer Organise your leave from work. You should try to do this at least 10 weeks before you intend to take leave. If you have worked for 12 months or more for the same employer you are entitled to up to 12 months unpaid parental leave. For more information on your employment entitlements visit www.fairwork.gov.au
When can my Parental Leave Pay start?

You can tell the Family Assistance Office the date you would like your Parental Leave Pay to start when you lodge your claim. Your Parental Leave Pay can start from the day your child is born or adopted, or a later date. It must be fully paid within 52 weeks from the date of birth or adoption. To receive the full 18 weeks of Parental Leave Pay, your nominated start date for Parental Leave Pay needs to be within 34 weeks of the birth or adoption of your child.
What should I do after my child arrives?

If you lodged your claim early and your circumstances or your caring plans have changed, you should check the Paid Parental Leave Comparison Estimator to make sure you are still better off receiving Parental Leave Pay rather than Baby Bonus. You can change to the Baby Bonus up until the start date of your Paid Parental Leave period. After the birth of your child, you need to register the birth with the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registry in your state or territory. A Proof of Birth form will be given to you at the hospital or by the midwife. You should lodge this with the Family Assistance Office as soon as possible, as your Parental Leave Pay cannot start until you have lodged your claim and Proof of Birth form.
How will I be paid?

Parental Leave Pay will be provided you by either your employer in your usual pay cycle, or by the Family Assistance Office in fortnightly payments. Your employer must provide your Parental Leave Pay if you: have a child born or adopted on or after 1 July 2011 have been their employee for 12 months or more, and will be receiving at least eight weeks of Parental Leave Pay. If your employer is not required to provide your Parental Leave Pay, they can still choose to provide it to you. You and your employer must agree for this to happen, and your employer will need to register for Centrelink Business Online Services and then opt in to provide Parental Leave Pay. If your Parental Leave Pay will not be provided to you by your employer, it will be provided by the Family Assistance Office.
Lodge your claim before your child arrives

If you think you are eligible for Parental Leave Pay you should lodge your claim before the birth or adoption of your child. Lodging a claim for Parental Leave Pay before your child is born or adopted will help prevent any delay in providing Parental Leave Pay. You can lodge a claim up to three months before the expected date of birth or adoption of your child. You can lodge a claim for Parental Leave Pay by: using Online Services at www.familyassist.gov.au
Can I work while receiving Parental Leave Pay?

You must be on leave or not working from the time you become your childs primary carer until the end of your Paid Parental Leave period, to receive Parental Leave Pay. If you return to work before that time your Parental Leave Pay will stop from that day. If you decide to return to work or your circumstances change before the end of your 18 week Paid Parental Leave period you will need to notify the Family Assistance Office. If you decide to return to work early, the unused part of your Parental Leave Pay may be transferred to your partner if they meet the eligibility criteria and claim your unused Parental Leave pay. While receiving Parental Leave Pay, you can Keep in Touch with your workplace. This means you can participate in workplace activities for up to 10 days from the birth or adoption of your child until the end of your Paid Parental Leave period. The days you choose to attend work as a Keeping in Touch day cannot be within the first two weeks after the birth or adoption of your child. The days do not need to be used all at once and you must be paid your usual wages or salary in addition to your Parental Leave Pay for the time you attend work. Keeping in Touch days do not extend your Paid Parental Leave period. For example, your employer may have scheduled a short training course that you want to attend. You and your employer can agree you will take a Keeping in Touch day to attend the training course. Keeping in Touch must be a voluntary decision between you and your employer, your employer cannot make this compulsory. Returning to work to Keep in Touch with the workplace may affect your entitlement to unpaid parental leave under the National Employment Standards in the Fair Work Act 2009. Under the National Employment Standards, employees who have worked for their employer for 12 months or more prior to the birth or adoption may be entitled to access up to 12 months unpaid parental leave associated with the birth or adoption of their child. Unpaid parental leave taken under the National Employment Standards must be taken in a single continuous period. Many employers already have Keeping in Touch arrangements in place and ensure that their employees continue to have access to their full entitlement to unpaid parental leave.
The Government is planning to introduce amendments to the Fair Work Act 2009 into Parliament to ensure that accessing a Keeping in Touch day does not affect your entitlement to 12 months unpaid parental leave under the National Employment Standards. Until this amendment has been passed by Parliament, employees who are eligible for the Paid Parental Leave scheme are advised not to access a Keeping in Touch day if they are unsure how this will affect their entitlement to unpaid parental leave. If you are self-employed, you will be able to keep an eye on your business without being regarded as having returned to work. You will be able to oversee the business operations, and perform the occasional administrative task. If you would like further information on your workplace entitlements under the Fair Work Act 2009, visit the Fair Work Ombudsmans website at www.fairwork.gov.au or talk to a Fair Work Infoline Advisor on 13 1394.
Will the Paid Parental Leave scheme affect existing leave entitlements offered by my employer?
If you are eligible for the Paid Parental Leave scheme, you will be able to access up to 18 weeks of government-funded Parental Leave Pay, as well as any of your existing employerprovided paid or unpaid leave. You can take your Parental Leave Pay before, during or after any paid maternity or parental leave, or other employer-funded leave entitlements (such as annual leave or long service leave). If your employer currently provides paid maternity or parental leave through an agreement, they cannot withdraw the entitlement for the life of that agreement. The Paid Parental Leave scheme provides you with Parental Leave Pay but does not give you an entitlement to leave. The scheme does not change any of your existing leave entitlements. Under the National Employment Standards in the Fair Work Act 2009, if you have been employed by your employer for 12 months or more prior to the birth or adoption, you may be entitled to access up to 12 months unpaid parental leave associated with the birth or adoption of your child. You can also request an additional 12 months unpaid leave on top of this. For information about your workplace entitlements, visit the Fair Work Ombudsman website www.fairwork.gov.au or call 13 1394.
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Baby Bonus
Baby Bonus helps with the costs of a newborn baby or adopted child. Baby Bonus can also be paid if you have a stillborn child or a child who dies shortly after being born. You cannot receive Baby Bonus and Parental Leave Pay for the same child. You must also meet Australian residence requirements* for family assistance purposes. Baby Bonus is paid per eligible child, and is paid in 13 fortnightly instalments. You cannot receive Baby Bonus and Parental Leave Pay for the same child. Where multiple children (newborn or adopted) enter care at the same time you may be eligible to receive Baby Bonus for each child, or you can choose to receive Parental Leave Pay for one child and Baby Bonus for the subsequent children. The Paid Parental Leave Comparison Estimator is an online tool available to provide families eligible for both payments with information to allow them to make an informed decision about which payment to claim. You can access the Estimator from www.familyassist.gov.au *For more information on residence requirements see Centrelinkthe basics. Baby Bonus is payable to families whose estimated combined adjusted taxable income is $75 000 or less in the six months following the birth of your child or the date the child entered your care. If your family does not meet the Baby Bonus income test, you may still qualify for Parental Leave Pay. You can claim Baby Bonus for adopted children who enter your care before they are 16 years of age. To get this payment: you must be eligible for Family Tax Benefit for your child (or would be eligible except for the income test) within 26 weeks of your childs birth or in the case of adoption, within 26 weeks of the child entering your care (see page 9), or if you are claiming for a child other than your own, you must be the primary carer for the child within 26 weeks of the childs birth and be likely to continue caring for the child for at least 26 weeks, and you must not have received Parental Leave Pay for this child. Claims for Baby Bonus can be lodged up to three months before the expected date of birth or the expected date the child will enter your care. You must lodge your claim with the Family Assistance Office: no later than 52 weeks from the day after the birth of the child, or in the case of an adoption, no later than 52 weeks from the day after the child enters your care. To find out how much Baby Bonus is see the Family Assistance Office Guide to Payments factsheet. This is available by visiting www.familyassist.gov.au calling 13 6150 or asking at your nearest Family Assistance Office located in Medicare offices and Centrelink Customer Service Centre.
Registering the birth of your child

You must register your childs birth as required by the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registry in your state or territory. There is no cost for registering the birth of your baby. Birth registration forms are given to parents in hospital. If you have not applied to register the birth of your child when you claim Baby Bonus or Parental Leave Pay, you cannot be paid. This requirement does not apply to parents whose child is stillborn, adopted or born outside Australia.
Maternity Immunisation Allowance

Maternity Immunisation Allowance is a non-income tested payment to encourage parents and guardians to immunise the children in their care. Maternity Immunisation Allowance can be claimed up to three months prior to the expected birth of a child or the expected date a child will enter your care. Maternity Immunisation Allowance is paid in two separate amounts. The first amount will be paid when your child is fully immunised between 18 months and two years of age. The second amount will be paid when your child is fully immunised between four and five years of age. If you were not paid Baby Bonus or Parental Leave Pay, you will need to claim Maternity Immunisation Allowance through the Family Assistance Office on or before the childs second or fifth birthday, depending on whether you are claiming the first or second amount of Maternity Immunisation Allowance. You can claim Maternity Immunisation Allowance for children who are adopted from outside Australia and who enter Australia before they are 16 years of age. If your child was adopted from outside Australia you will need to claim on or before your childs fifth birthday or within two years of their arrival in Australia (whichever is later).
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You must have care of your child for at least 35 per cent of the time to claim Maternity Immunisation Allowance.
Family Tax Benefit Part A Helping families with the cost of raising children
Family Tax Benefit Part A is the most common payment to help you with the cost of raising your children. It is worked out on your actual annual family income, the ages and number of dependent children in your family and is paid per child. Family Tax Benefit Part A includes a supplement for each child. If you were eligible for Family Tax Benefit Part A for part of the financial year you will receive a portion of the supplement. The supplement is only available after the end of the financial year when your Family Assistance payments have been balanced. This will happen after you and your partner have lodged your tax returns with the Australian Tax Office. If you or your partner are not required to lodge a tax return you must tell the Family Assistance Office. The supplement cannot be paid fortnightly and cannot be paid if you and your partner do not lodge tax returns, or do not tell the Family Assistance Office that you are not required to lodge. The supplement may be paid or used to: reduce excess payments, if you were paid too much during the year (based on the estimate you provided) recover Family Tax Benefit and Child Care Benefit overpayments from other years, and/or recover outstanding tax debts. You may be eligible for Family Tax Benefit Part A if you: have a dependent child aged under 16, or have a dependent child aged 16-20 years who has completed a Year 12 or equivalent qualification, or who is undertaking full-time education or training leading to a Year 12 or equivalent qualification, or who is exempt*, or have a dependent full-time student aged 2124, and have care of the child for at least 35 per cent of the time, and meet the income test, and are an Australian resident**, or a special category visa holder residing in Australia, or are the holder of a certain temporary visa. In addition, to receive Family Tax Benefit Part A, your childs income must be under the Family Tax Benefit child income limit where applicable.
What does fully immunised mean?

A child is fully immunised when they are up-to-date with the standard vaccination schedule for their age or are on a suitable catch-up program. For details of this vaccination schedule, ask your doctor or immunisation provider.
Exemptions
You may get an exemption for your child if you have a conscientious objection to immunisation or if there are medical reasons why your child should not be immunised. Please talk to the Family Assistance Office if this applies to you.
Important
You may be eligible for assistance if your child is stillborn or dies before five years of age. Special rules apply if your child was adopted from overseas. Please contact the Family Assistance Office for more information. Maternity Immunisation Allowance can only be paid through the Family Assistance Office. For more information regarding childhood immunisation refer to Australian Childhood Immunisation Register on page 20 or call FreecallTM 1800 653 809.
Family Tax Benefit

Family Tax Benefit is an income-tested payment to help you with the cost of raising children. It is made up of two parts: Family Tax Benefit Part A and Family Tax Benefit Part B. Claims for Family Tax Benefit can be lodged up to three months before the expected date of birth or the expected date the child will enter your care. To be paid you must lodge a claim for Family Tax Benefit within two years of the end of the financial year you are claiming for. For example, if you are claiming for the 201011 financial year, you must lodge a claim for Family Tax Benefit on or before 30 June 2013. For more information, visit www.familyassist.gov.au or call the Family Assistance Office on 13 6150.
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*Your child may be exempted from these requirements under certain circumstances if the child is unable to participate in full-time education or training. Please contact the Family Assistance Office for more information. **For more information on residence requirements see Centrelinkthe basics, available at www.centrelink.gov.au If you care for a child between 14 per cent and less than 35 per cent of the time you will not be entitled to Family Tax Benefit payments, but you may be eligible to receive Rent Assistance, a Health Care Card, Remote Area Allowance, Child Care Benefit and/or the lower threshold of the Medicare Safety Net. You do not have to be a parent to be eligible for Family Tax Benefit Part Ayou could be a foster carer or a grandparent with children in your care. Family Tax Benefit may be shared when you have care of a child for at least 35 per cent of the time. How much payment you are eligible for depends on your familys actual annual income. To assist the families that need it most there is a maximum rate of benefit for those on low incomes and a base rate for families on moderate incomes. There is also an upper income limit. If your family income is above the limit you may not be eligible for any Family Tax Benefit Part A. You should check your entitlement at the end of the financial year when your actual income is known. To find out how much you may be eligible for, check the Family Assistance Estimator at www.familyassist.gov.au or contact the Family Assistance Office on 13 6150. Note: we match information with the Australian Taxation Office, Australias immigration authorities, government departments, other organisations and verify income with employers. We also act on public information received as tip-offs. If you are overpaid benefits, you will probably have to repay the money. If you have deliberately given us incorrect information you may face a range of consequences from recovery fees to criminal prosecution. If your income (including child support) is variable, or you cannot estimate your income accurately, when you advise the Family Assistance Office of a change to your income estimate, your Family Tax Benefit payments may be adjusted automatically.
Child support
Child support payments may affect how much Family Tax Benefit Part A you can receive. If you or your partner have a child from a previous relationship (including same sex relationships) in your care, you or your partner must take reasonable steps to obtain a child support assessment to determine your eligibility for more than the base rate of Family Tax Benefit Part A. To apply for child support from the other parent of the child, contact the Child Support Agency. You should apply for child support within 13 weeks of the latest of the following dates: the date the child was born the date you separated from the childs other parent the date the child came into your care, or the date your percentage of care increased to at least 35 per cent of the time. If there is any reason that makes it difficult for you to apply for child support, you should discuss your situation with the Family Assistance Office. The Family Assistance Office and the Child Support Agency use the same rules to work out the percentage of care you provide. This means that you only need to have your percentage of care worked out once by either the Family Assistance Office or the Child Support Agency. This percentage of care will be used by both agencies to determine both family assistance and child support. For more information, see Child Support Scheme on page 25.
Eligibility for the lower Medicare Safety Net threshold

How you receive your Family Tax Benefit Part A payments determines when you receive access to the lower Medicare Safety Net threshold. If you have care of your children for at least 14 per cent of the time, you may be eligible to access the lower Medicare Safety Net threshold.
Important
The amount you receive is based on your actual annual family income. If you choose to receive your payments fortnightly, you need to give the Family Assistance Office an accurate estimate of your familys annual income.
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Eligibility to receive Medicare Safety Net benefits

To receive higher benefits from the Medicare Safety Net scheme, families must: be eligible for the Family Tax Benefit Part A Medicare Safety Net threshold have registered their family members for the Medicare Safety Net have confirmed their family members names in writing with Medicare, and have reached the Family Tax Benefit Part A Medicare Safety Net threshold. For more information about the Medicare Safety Net, go to page 19.
The supplement cannot be paid fortnightly and cannot be paid if you and your partner do not lodge tax returns, or do not tell the Family Assistance Office that you are not required to lodge a tax return. The supplement may be paid or used to: reduce excess payments, if you were paid too much during the year (based on the estimate you provided) recover Family Tax Benefit or Child Care Benefit overpayments from other years, and/or recover outstanding tax debts.
Single-parent families
Single-parent families who meet the primary earner income test get the maximum rate of Family Tax Benefit Part B, according to the age of their youngest child.
Family Tax Benefit Part B Extra assistance for families with one main income
Family Tax Benefit Part B gives extra assistance to single-parent families and two-parent families with one main income, where one parent chooses to stay at home or balance some paid work with caring for their children. You may get Family Tax Benefit Part B on its own, or both Family Tax Benefit Part A and Part B. You can receive Family Tax Benefit Part B if: you meet the income tests and have a dependent child under 16 years of age, in your care at least 35 per cent of the time, or you have a qualifying dependent full-time student aged up to 18 years (who does not receive Youth Allowance or a similar payment), in your care for at least 35 per cent of the time. You and your partner cannot receive Family Tax Benefit Part B during a Paid Parental Leave period. Family Tax Benefit Part B may be paid after the end of the Paid Parental Leave period. Family Tax Benefit Part B includes a supplement. The supplement is only available after the end of the financial year when your payments are balanced. This will happen after you and your partner have lodged your tax returns with the Australian Taxation Office. If you are not required to lodge a tax return you should tell the Family Assistance Office.
Two-parent families
For two-parent families, where the primary earner meets the primary earner income test, the income of the lower earner is used to assess your Family Tax Benefit Part B entitlement. The amount you receive also depends on the age of your youngest child.
Parents commencing or returning to paid work

If you are a parent who is the lower income earner in a couple and you commence or return to paid work for the first time after the birth of a child or after a child comes into your care, your family may be eligible for the maximum rate of Family Tax Benefit Part B for the financial year period before you commenced or returned to paid work. Eligibility for this extra assistance will be calculated after the end of the financial year when Family Tax Benefit payments are balanced. If you have commenced or returned to paid work for the first time after having a child you should tell the Family Assistance Office. The age of your youngest child will affect your payment, and a higher rate of Family Tax Benefit Part B is paid if your youngest child is under five years of age.
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Child Care Benefit

Help with the cost of child care
Child Care Benefit helps with the cost of child care for approved and registered child care. It is designed to help parents, foster parents and grandparents balance their work and/or family commitments. If you meet the requirements for approved care or registered care, the Australian Government will pay a percentage of the standard fee and you have to pay any gap.
It is only available to residents

You or your partner must be an Australian resident*, or a special category visa holder (New Zealand passport holder) residing in Australia or the holder of a certain temporary visa, or have other special circumstances. *For more information on residence requirements see Centrelinkthe basics.
Immunisation requirements
To get Child Care Benefit for any child under seven years of age you must be able to prove that the childs immunisations are up-to-date. If you give the Family Assistance Office your Medicare number when you claim, proof of immunisation can, in most cases, be checked automatically. There are some exemptions from having to immunise your children for the purposes of getting Child Care Benefit. For more information on exemptions see Australian Childhood Immunisation Register on page 20 or speak to the Family Assistance Office.
Approved care
Approved care includes long day care, family day care, in home care, outside school hours care, vacation care and some occasional care services. Services are approved by the Australian Government to accept your Child Care Benefit directly from the Family Assistance Office on your behalf, so you pay less out of your own pocket. You can ask your child care centre if they are approved. To find an approved child care centre in your area visit www.mychild.gov.au or call the Child Care Access Hotline on FreecallTM 1800 670 305 (TTY Service FreecallTM 1800 639 327). The website and hotline also provide information on quality issues, vacancies and Australian Government assistance with the cost of child care.
Payments for approved care are based on your familys annual income
Families on low incomes may receive the maximum rate of Child Care Benefit. If you are in receipt of an income support payment you may be eligible for the maximum rate of Child Care Benefit. Child Care Benefit starts reducing on a sliding scale between the maximum rate and the zero rate once your family income reaches a certain limit, and depending on the number of children you place in care.
Registered care
Registered care is care provided by grandparents, relatives, friends or nannies for work-related care. It can also include some care provided by individuals in private pre-schools, kindergartens, some occasional care and outside school hours care. The carer or teacher must be registered with the Family Assistance Office for you to receive your Child Care Benefit.
Absences
Payment is authorised for a limited number of general absences for each child per financial year across all approved child care services. These absence days can be taken for any reason with no evidence required. Please talk to your child care provider regarding the absence policy detail. Additional absences for certain reasons may be approved and paid but not counted as one of your childs general payable absences. Please talk to your child care provider regarding the additional absence policy detail and any evidence required for payment authorisation. For more information on absences, read the Absences from child careChild Care Benefit factsheet, available at www.mychild.gov.au
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Your childs attendance

Information about your childs attendance is passed on to the Family Assistance Office to assist with calculating your Child Care Benefit entitlement. You should only ever sign attendance records for the day that your child attends care, or where an absence is used. It is important not to sign attendance records in advance, or sign blank attendance records.
have been overpaid, the rounded amount will go towards reducing this overpayment. If you have been underpaid it may be paid as a top-up after the end of the financial year. You can be eligible for Child Care Benefit but entitled to a zero rate. Throughout the year, if you choose to receive a zero rate of Child Care Benefit and do not wish to be assessed for any entitlement at the end of the financial year, you do not need to give the Family Assistance Office your or your partners tax file number or details of your familys income. If you think your income will provide you with a zero rate of Child Care Benefit, you will still need to claim Child Care Benefit to have your eligibility assessed and to be paid Child Care Rebate. If you use registered care: Child Care Benefit will be paid into your bank account when you lodge your claim form and receipts with the Family Assistance Office for fees that you have paid to the registered carer. This is only available if the carer is registered with the Family Assistance Office to be paid Child Care Benefit for registered care you must lodge your receipts with the Family Assistance Office within 12 months of the care being provided it is important to note that you can only receive the registered care rate of Child Care Benefit for registered care you cannot receive Child Care Rebate for registered care.
You can choose how to receive your benefit

If you use approved care you can: have your Child Care Benefit as reduced child care fees paid directly to the child care service, which means you pay less in child care fees out of your own pocket. The amount of your Child Care Benefit will be deducted from the amount of your child care fees and you will have to pay any gap in outstanding fees, or choose to pay full child care fees throughout the year and receive your Child Care Benefit as a lump sum after the end of the financial year. If you choose to receive your Child Care Benefit as a lump sum payment, any Child Care Rebate will also be paid as a lump sum at the end of the year. If you choose this method, you will be required to lodge a lump sum claim at the end of each financial year. If you prefer not to lodge a Child Care Benefit lump sum payment claim at the end of each year, you should consider claiming Child Care Benefit Reduced Fees at the zero rate. To reduce the risk of an overpayment you can: receive a zero rate of Child Care Benefit and any entitlement after the end of the financial year. If you choose this option you can receive the zero rate of Child Care Benefit throughout the year and any further entitlement at the end of the year and receive Child Care Rebate quarterly adjust your future Child Care Benefit percentage. If you choose this option, every time your circumstances or income estimate changes, the Family Assistance Office will check to see whether you have already been overpaid and will adjust your percentage if necessary, and/or round your percentage. If you choose this option, your child care percentage is rounded down to the nearest whole percentage (e.g. 43.28 per cent will be 43 per cent). If you
The number of hours you can claim

If you are using approved care you can claim: up to 24 hours per child per week. This is available to all eligible families up to 50 hours per child per week. This is available to: parents who are both working or looking for work, training or studying for at least 15 hours per week or 30 hours per fortnight, or grandparents with primary care of a grandchild using child care more than 50 hours per week. This is only for families in certain circumstances who need extra assistance. If you are using registered care you can claim: up to 50 hours per week for work, training or study-related care. Both you and your partner will need to be working, looking for work, training or studying during the week.
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Tell the Family Assistance Office if: your child starts school you are no longer liable to pay your child care fees, for example, if you pay your child care through salary sacrificing the child care service you use changes, or you cease to use child care you or your partner stop working, training or studying or the amount of time you or your partner spend in these activities is less than 15 hours a week or 30 hours per fortnight your income estimate changes, and/or your child leaves your care. You should tell your child care provider if you are using more than one child care service per child as you may be asked to complete a Nomination of eligible hours form. This form will need to be given to each service, as it is needed to ensure that Child Care Benefit can then be passed on to you for the amount of hours that you have nominated at each service.
How can I estimate my child care costs?

The Child Care Estimator lets you estimate child care entitlements that you may be able to receive, based on your individual circumstances. You can estimate your possible: Child Care Benefit and Child Care Rebate as a dollar amount Child Care Benefit percentage eligible Child Care Benefit hours, and out-of-pocket expenses. The Child Care Estimator can help you make informed decisions about child care, and is available at www.familyassist.gov.au and www.mychild.gov.au
Extra help with the cost of child care

Grandparent Child Care Benefit
Eligible grandparents who are primary carers for their grandchildren and who receive an income support payment will be able to receive Grandparent Child Care Benefit, which will cover the full cost of approved child care for up to 50 hours per child per week.
Important
If you choose to have your benefit paid directly to your child care service as reduced fees, you must estimate your familys income as accurately as possible in advance. You can get a zero rate without needing to give us an estimate of your income if you do not wish to be assessed for any entitlement after the end of the financial year. High income families who are eligible for Child Care Benefit at the zero rate may be able to receive Child Care Rebate. Your Child Care Benefit will be balanced after the end of the financial year. Adjustments will be made if your actual family income is not the same as your estimate. If you choose to receive your Child Care Benefit as a lump sum, you must lodge a claim within two years of the end of the financial year for which you are claiming. Your child care provider must send information about your child care, attendance details and fee reductions to the Family Assistance Office. You are entitled to use a full session of care if you have paid for the full session of child care.
Jobs, Education and Training Child Care fee assistance

Jobs, Education and Training Child Care fee assistance provides extra help with the cost of approved child care to eligible parents undertaking activities such as work (paid or unpaid), study, job search, or rehabilitation as part of an Employment Pathway Plan, to help them enter or re-enter the workforce. Jobs, Education and Training Child Care fee assistance can help meet the cost of child care by paying most of the gap feethe difference between the total child care fee and the amount covered by Child Care Benefit, for care related to participation in approved activities. Jobs, Education and Training Child Care fee assistance payments are made directly to the child care service on your behalf. You will still make a contribution towards the cost of care. A different gap fee will be payable for any child care used in the week not related to an approved Jobs, Education and Training Child Care fee assistance activity. Contact the Family Assistance Office to find out if you are eligible for this additional help with your child care costs.
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Child Care Rebate

You may be eligible to receive Child Care Rebate if: you use approved child care you are assessed as being eligible for a zero rate or more of Child Care Benefit, and you and your partner meet the work, training, study test at some time during the week the approved care was provided. The rebate covers a percentage of out-of-pocket child care expenses for approved child care, up to a maximum amount per child per financial year. Out-of-pocket expenses are total child care fees less the persons Child Care Benefit. You and your partner have to participate in work, training or study commitments at some time during a week or have an exemption. No minimum number of hours is required. Please note: if you are not eligible for Child Care Benefit due to your children not being immunised, you will not be entitled to receive the Child Care Rebate. To be eligible for the Child Care Rebate you need to be eligible for the Child Care Benefit at zero rate, or more than the zero rate.
Medicare
Medicare ensures that all eligible Australian residents have access to free or low-cost medical, optometric, certain allied health and dental services and hospital care while being able to choose private health services. Medicare provides access to: free treatment as a public (Medicare) patient in a public hospital free or subsidised treatment by practitioners such as doctors, including specialists, participating optometrists or dentists (specified services only) free treatment by providers who bulk bill.
How does it work?

Having a valid Medicare card is important. Make sure Medicare Australia has your current address to ensure you receive replacement Medicare cards and other important information. Always have your Medicare card available when you are visiting your doctor or pharmacist. You also need your Medicare card to: claim your benefit at a Medicare office make enquiries when claiming be treated as a public (Medicare) patient in hospital have a prescription filled.
Claiming Child Care Rebate

You are not required to lodge a claim for Child Care Rebate, however to receive the rebate you must claim Child Care Benefit as reduced fees or as a lump sum payment. Even if you think your income will provide you with a zero rate of Child Care Benefit, you will still need to lodge a claim for Child Care Benefit to have your eligibility assessed and to be paid the rebate. Child Care Rebate will be paid to you quarterly* after your service has provided details of your child care attendance for the quarter. When you lodge your and your partners tax returns after the end of the financial year, your Child Care Benefit will be reconciled. *If you receive Child Care Benefit as reduced fees (entitled at a rate of zero or more), you can choose to receive Child Care Rebate as an annual lump sum payment rather than quarterly. If you wish to receive the Child Care Rebate as an annual lump sum payment, please contact the Family Assistance Office on 13 6150. If you claim Child Care Benefit as a lump sum payment, Child Care Rebate will only be paid to you as a lump sum.
What else should I know?

If your Medicare card is lost or stolen, let Medicare Australia know over the phone, in person or by mail. A replacement card will be issued and posted to the cardholders address. If you let Medicare Australia know in person you will be given an interim card to use until you receive your new card in the post. If you are registered for Online Services, you can also request a new Medicare card online at www.medicareaustralia.gov.au then For individuals and families > Update your details and request a new replacement Medicare card.
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What Medicare covers
The benefits you receive from Medicare are based on a schedule of fees set by the Australian Government. Doctors may choose to charge more than the schedule fee. You can choose the doctor who treats you for out-of-hospital services.
Enrolling your baby in Medicare

It is important to enrol your baby in Medicare so they can have access to Medicare services and subsidised medicines under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. For more information about enrolling your baby in Medicare go to www.medicareaustralia.gov.au call 13 2011 or visit your local Medicare office. Children enrolled in Medicare are automatically included on the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register. You should also include your baby in your familys Medicare Safety Net registration to give you added protection against high medical costs. If you have not registered your family for the safety net, see How do I register? on page 20.
Out-of-hospital services
Medicare provides benefits for: consultation fees for doctors, including specialists tests and examinations by doctors needed to treat illnesses, including x-rays and pathology tests eye tests performed by optometrists most surgical and other therapeutic procedures performed by doctors some surgical procedures performed by approved dentists specified items under the Cleft Lip and Palate Scheme specified items for allied health services as part of the Chronic Disease Management program.
Medicare Safety Net

If you need to see a doctor or have tests regularly you could end up with high medical costs. The Medicare Safety Net is designed to help you when you need it most. It means that once you reach and qualify for a safety net threshold, visits to your doctor or having tests could end up costing you less. For more information about the safety net thresholds, visit www.medicareaustralia.gov.au then Individuals and families > Services and programs > Medicare Safety Net call 13 2011 or ask at your local Medicare office.
In-hospital services
Public patient
If you choose to be admitted as a public patient in a public hospital, you will receive treatment by doctors and specialists nominated by the hospital. You will not be charged for care and treatment, or after-care by the treating doctor.
How does the Medicare Safety Net work?

Medicare keeps a tally of your out-of-pocket expenses for you. When you register for the Medicare Safety Net, and reach and qualify for one of the safety net thresholds, you may receive higher Medicare benefits for the rest of the calendar year.
Private patient
If you are a private patient in a public or private hospital, you can choose your doctor. Medicare will pay 75 per cent of the Medicare schedule fee for services and procedures provided by the treating doctor. If you have private health insurance, some or all of the outstanding balance may be covered. You will be charged for hospital accommodation and items such as theatre fees and medicines. These costs may also be covered by private health insurance but are not covered by Medicare. For more information go to www.medicareaustralia.gov.au then For individuals and families > Medicare call 13 2011 or visit your local Medicare office.
Who needs to register?

Individuals are automatically registered. All families and couples need to registereven if all your family members are listed on your Medicare card you still need to register for the safety net. Each family member needs to be identified so their medical costs can be counted towards your familys safety net. You only need to register your family once and it is free to register. If you are not sure if your family is registered, or who is in your safety net family, visit your local Medicare office or call 13 2011.
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How do I register?
You can register by visiting www.medicareaustralia.gov.au then Individuals and families > Services and programs > Medicare Safety Net calling 13 2011 or at your local Medicare office. You can also download a Medicare Safety Net registration form from the website and place your completed form in the drop box at most Medicare offices or send it to GPO Box 9822 in your capital city.
Australian Childhood Immunisation Register

The Australian Childhood Immunisation Register (the Immunisation Register) is a national register that records details of vaccinations given to children under seven years of age who live in Australia, helping parents ensure that their children are fully immunised.
What happens next?

If you pay your doctor in full and then claim your Medicare benefit: Medicare Australia automatically keeps a tally of your medical expenses Medicare Australia will contact you when you are nearing a threshold. You can also check your Medicare Safety Net balance: onlinevisit www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/online over the phonecall 13 2011 in personvisit your local Medicare office. If you claim from Medicare before paying your doctor: Medicare Australia will send you a cheque payable to the doctor for you to take to the doctor together with any outstanding balance you then take your receipts to a Medicare office as proof of payment so that Medicare Australia can keep a record of your expenses Medicare Australia will contact you when you are nearing the Medicare Safety Net threshold. Once you reach a threshold and confirm who is in your safety net family, all further out-of-hospital claims you make for that calendar year may automatically attract a higher benefit. You must confirm who is in your family in writing each year with Medicare before any higher benefits can be paid.
How do I enrol my child?

Children under seven years of age who are enrolled in Medicare are automatically included on the Immunisation Register. Children who are not eligible to enrol in Medicare will be added when a doctor or immunisation provider sends the details of a vaccination to the Immunisation Register.
How can I keep track of my childs immunisations?

Immunisation history statements show the immunisation details recorded on the Immunisation Register for children under seven years of age, and any immunisations that are due. Immunisation history statements: will be sent to you when your child turns 18 months and five years of age, or on request will be sent to the most recent address recorded on the Immunisation Register, so it is important to keep your details up-to-date with Medicare Australia can be requested at your local Medicare office, by visiting www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/online or by calling the Immunisation Register on Freecall 1800 653 809.
Will my childs immunisation status affect my family assistance payments?

Your child has to be up-to-date with immunisations, or have an exemption, to receive the Child Care Benefit and the Maternity Immunisation Allowance. You can ask the Family Assistance Office to check your childs immunisation status on the Immunisation Register, or you can provide them with a copy of your childs immunisation history statement.
What are the benefits?

For example, if you reach a threshold and then visit your doctor who charges you $65.00, you will receive your Medicare benefit of $34.30, plus 80 per cent of your out-of-pocket costsgiving you an extra $24.60. So in this example it will only cost you $6.10 to visit your doctor. Out-of-pocket costs are the difference between the Medicare benefit and what your doctor charges you.
Immunisation exemptions
The following immunisation exemptions apply: your child cannot be immunised due to a medical conditionask your doctor to complete a Medical Contraindication form
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your child has a natural immunity to a disease or vaccine is unavailableask your doctor to give you a letter explaining the reasons you have a personal, philosophical, religious or medical belief that your child should not be immunisedask your doctor or immunisation provider to complete a Conscientious Objection form. For more information go to www.medicareaustralia.gov.au then For individuals and families > Programs and services > Australian Childhood Immunisation Register, call Freecall 1800 653 809 or visit your local Medicare office.
Medicare Teen Dental Plan

The Medicare Teen Dental Plan helps with the cost of an annual preventative dental check for eligible teenagers aged between 1217 years.
Am I eligible?
You may be eligible for the Medicare Teen Dental plan if you: are aged between 12 and 17 years, and are eligible for Medicare, and receive Family Tax Benefit Part A, ABSTUDY, Carer Payment, Disability Support Pension, Parenting Payment, Special Benefit or Youth Allowance, or your family/carer/guardian receives Family Tax Benefit Part A, Parenting Payment or the Double Orphan Pension for you, or your partner receives Family Tax Benefit Part A or Parenting Payment, or you are 16 or older and receive financial assistance under the Veterans Children Education Scheme or the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act Education and Training Scheme from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme

Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme Safety Net
If you or your family need a lot of medicine in a calendar year, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) Safety Net helps you with the cost of medicine. Keep a record of your PBS medicine on a Prescription Record Form (PRF) availabe from your pharmacy. Each time you have a PBS medicine supplied, hand your PRF to the pharmacist so the supply can be recorded. Your pharmacist might be able to keep a computer record for you, but if they cant or if you visit different pharmacies, you should keep your own records. If you have a family, ask your pharmacist about combining the amounts recorded for your family PBS Safety Net total. Once you or your family reach the Safety Net threshold you can apply for a PBS Safety Net card from a pharmacist and your PBS medicine will be less expensive or free for the rest of the calendar year. For more information about the PBS Safety Net, talk to your pharmacist, go to www.medicareaustralia.gov.au your local Medicare office or call the PBS information line on 1800 020 613.
How does it work?

Each calendar year, Medicare Australia will send information about the Medicare Teen Dental Plan and a voucher for a preventative dental check to eligible teenagers or their families/carers/guardians. If the teenager is in equal shared care arrangements, a letter and voucher will be sent to each parent or carer. However, the first family to claim the service with Medicare Australia will be entitled to the full benefit payable. For more information go to www.medicareaustralia.gov.au then For individuals > Services and programs > Medicare teen dental plan call 13 2 011 or visit your local Medicare office.
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Other assistance
Some family assistance customers may be eligible for other payments. For more information and to see if you are eligible call 13 6150.
For more information on eligibility for Double Orphan Pension, visit www.centrelink.gov.au or ask at a Centrelink Customer Service Centre.
Education Tax Refund

If you receive Family Tax Benefit Part A, you may also be eligible for the Education Tax Refund. For more information visit www.educationtaxrefund.gov.au or call the Australian Taxation Office on 13 2861.
Assistance for low income earners

Other assistance from Centrelink, such as Parenting Payment, may be available to families in special circumstances or with little or no income. For more information see the Are you a parent or guardian? brochure, available at www.centrelink.gov.au or calling 13 6150.
Health Care Cards

There are several Health Care Cards that can provide you with assistance with medical and pharmaceutical costs. To be eligible for a Health Care Card you must: be an Australian resident*, and be in Australia when you claim. You must also: be receiving an eligible payment from us, or fall into one of a number of other categories. *For more information on residence requirements see Centrelinkthe basics. The cards automatic period of issue (between 12 and 52 weeks) varies depending on payment type and your circumstances. Cards are automatically reissued subject to continued eligibility for the card. In some instances, if you hold an automatically issued Health Care Card, you can retain your Health Care Card for a short period after returning to work. This applies to you if you are a long-term recipient of Newstart Allowance, Sickness Allowance, Partner Allowance, Special Benefit, Widow Allowance, Youth Allowance (job seeker) or Parenting Payment. This provision is designed to assist you to make the transition from being on one of our payments to going back to work. If you receive Austudy, ABSTUDY or Youth Allowance and you are a student or Australian Apprentice, you may apply for a low income Health Care Card. For more information on eligibility for Health Care Cards visit www.centrelink.gov.au or ask at a Centrelink Customer Service Centre.
Double Orphan Pension

Double Orphan Pension helps you meet the costs of caring for children who are orphans.
Am I eligible?
You may receive Double Orphan Pension for a child if: both the childs parents or adoptive parents have died, or one of the childs parents has died and the other parent has been convicted, sentenced or is in custody for a term of at least 10 years, or one of the childs parents has died and the other parent is a patient in a psychiatric institution or nursing home indefinitely, or one of the childs parents has died and the whereabouts of the other parent is unknown, or under certain circumstances, the child is a refugee, and you are the childs guardian, and you have care of the child for at least 35 per cent of the time, and the child is under 16 years of age (or is a full-time student 16 to 21 years of age who does not receive Youth Allowance), and you are eligible for Family Tax Benefit for the child (or would be eligible for payment but your income is above the limit for the child, or you on behalf of the child, are receiving payments under a prescribed educational scheme), and you are an Australian resident, or a special category visa holder residing in Australia, or are the holder of a certain temporary visa.
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Family Tax Benefit Health Care Card
If you get the maximum rate of Family Tax Benefit Part A by fortnightly payments you will automatically receive a Health Care Card. If you do not get Family Tax Benefit Part A but you have care of your child for at least 14 per cent of the time, you may be eligible for a Health Care Card.
Large Family Supplement

If you get Family Tax Benefit Part A for three or more children, you will automatically get an extra amount for each child after the second.
Multiple Birth Allowance

If you have triplets or larger multiple births, Multiple Birth Allowance is added to your Family Tax Benefit Part A. Families may be eligible for Multiple Birth Allowance until the children turn 16 years of age, or if at least three of the children are in full-time study, until the end of the calendar year in which they turn 18 years of age.
Low income Health Care Card

A low income Health Care Card is available to you if your income is below a set level. The income test applies to average gross income for the eight weeks immediately before applying for or renewing the card. The card is not automatically reissued and you must reapply every six months. This card is not subject to an assets test.
Rent Assistance
If you are paying rent and receiving a payment from Centrelink or the Family Assistance Office, you may be eligible for Rent Assistance. Rent can include private rent, lodging, board and lodging, site fees, fees to moor a vessel or service and maintenance fees in a retirement village. If you share the care of a child, you may also be eligible for Rent Assistance.
Foster child Health Care Card

You may be able to get a Health Care Card for a foster child in your care. As a foster carer, you need to establish: you are an Australian resident or a special category visa holder residing in Australia you are not the parent of the child (refers to natural parent, adopted parent or a person legally responsible for a child born through assisted conception procedure or where a surrogacy court order is in place), and the child is in your care. You do not need to be a formal foster carer (for example, caring for a ward of the state). You can be any person caring for a child who is not your legal responsibility as a parent. Examples include grandparents, other kinship carers such as adult siblings and relatives. The foster child Health Care Card is automatically reissued every six months, subject to continued eligibility for the card.
Am I eligible?
You may be eligible for Rent Assistance if you are: paying rent, and receiving a payment from Centrelink or the Family Assistance Office or sharing the care of a child. You cannot receive Rent Assistance if you: have a tenancy agreement with a state or territory housing authority only get Exceptional Circumstances Relief Payment, Interim Income Support Payment, or are in a residential aged care home occupying an Australian Government funded bed. For more information see the Rent Assistance Helping you pay your rent broucher, available by visiting www.centrelink.gov.au or asking at a Centrelink Customer Service Centre.
Income support concession cards

If you receive an income support payment such as Parenting Payment or Newstart Allowance, you will automatically receive a concession card with that payment that also covers your dependants.
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How does it work?

The rate of Rent Assistance depends on: the type and amount of rent you pay for the home you usually live in, and your living arrangementswhether you are single or have a partner, whether you have dependent children living with you or whether you share your accommodation with others. To receive Rent Assistance, you will need to provide details of your rental circumstances. If you have a written tenancy agreement (lease) with your name on it, you need to provide Centrelink or the Family Assistance Office with a copy of your lease and a completed Rent Certificate. The Rent Certificate does not need to be signed by your landlord, authorised agent or the person you pay rent to. If you do not have a written tenancy agreement (lease) with your name on it, you need to provide Centrelink or the Family Assistance Office with a completed Rent Certificate. This must be signed by your landlord, authorised agent or the person you pay rent to. If you have problems getting a tenancy agreement (lease) or Rent Certificate signed, let us know straight away. You can get a copy of a Rent Certificate from a Customer Service Centre or the Family Assistance Office.
Factors affecting your family assistance

Definition of a partner
It is important that the Family Assistance Office knows whether you are a single person or have a partner. This is sometimes called being a member of a couple. Family Assistance Office payments will take into account the combined income and assets of both members of a couple. For Family Assistance Office purposes, a person is considered to be your partner if you and the person are living together or usually live together and are: married in a registered relationship (opposite-sex or same-sex), or in a de facto relationship (opposite-sex or same-sex). A registered relationship is one that is registered under prescribed Australian state or territory laws that provide for registration of certain couple relationships, including civil partnership schemes. These relationships are currently recognised in the Australian Capital Territory, Tasmania, Victoria and New South Wales. Relationships registered in other countries or under local government schemes are not recognised as they are not registered under a prescribed Australian state or territory law. However, evidence of these registrations is a strong indicator that a couple is in a de facto relationship. A de facto relationship is where two people, who are not married or in a registered relationship, are partnered and usually live together as a couple. You will be considered to be in a de facto relationship from the time you start living together as a couple. If you are a member of a couple, Centrelink does not usually assess your relationship. When an assessment is needed, the following factors are considered: finances social relationships nature of your household presence or absence of a sexual relationship, and nature of the commitment.
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Centrelink understands that not all relationships are the same. Some of these factors may not be in your relationship. A decision can still be made that you are a member of a couple even if all of these factors are not present in your relationship. The CSA will be satisfied that a person is a parent of the child in several circumstances, including where: the parents were married when the child was born, or the person is named on the birth certificate as the childs parent, or the person has adopted the child, or where the parent is a man, they were living with the mother between 20 and 44 weeks prior to the birth of the child, or the person has a surrogacy parentage order issued by a court, or a statutory declaration has been made by a person acknowledging they are the parent of the child. Separated parents who have children from a same-sex relationship may be eligible to apply for child support. You need to contact the CSA to apply for a child support assessment. For more information visit www.csa.gov.au or call 13 1272.
Child Support Scheme

The Child Support Scheme aims to balance the interests of separated parents and focus on the needs and costs of raising their children. The scheme aims to: support shared parental responsibility ensure child support is paid in full and on time reduce conflict between parents about parenting arrangements. The Child Support Agency (CSA) is part of the Australian Governments Department of Human Services and is responsible for administering the Child Support Scheme. It provides support and assistance to parents, including calculating, collecting and transferring child support (where parents cannot do this themselves). The CSA also offers products, services and referrals to assist parents with other aspects of their separation.
How does it work?

The Child Support Scheme ensures both parents effectively share the costs and responsibilities of raising their children. A child support formula is used to calculate a parents child support contributions. The formula ensures a balanced and flexible way of working out child support payments and: is based on independent research into the costs of raising children treats both parents incomes in a similar way takes into account the income of both parents and acknowledges that care is a direct contribution towards meeting the costs of raising a child treats children from first and subsequent families in a similar way, and has the same self-support amount deducted from each parents income before child support is worked out. The formula also recognises that every family is unique and takes into account many different family circumstances. Most child support assessments are calculated using the basic formula: 1. The CSA works out your child support income, which is a parents adjusted taxable income minus the self-support amount. If you have other dependent children or more than one child support assessment, this will be taken into account at this step. 2. Both parents child support incomes are added together to get a combined child support income.
Am I eligible?
You do not have to be divorced to apply for child support. You can apply if you are separated and your children are under 18 years of age. Either or both parents can apply, but a parent must provide at least 35 per cent care before they can receive child support. Before an application for child support is accepted the CSA must be satisfied that both of the named parents who are being assessed in relation to the costs of the children are: the legal parents of the child, either natural or adopted, or where the child was born due to assisted conception, considered a parent of that child under the Family Law Act 1975, or where the child was born due to surrogacy, are named as a parent of that child in a court order.
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3. Each parents individual child support income is divided by the combined child support income to get each parents percentage of the total income (income percentage). 4. The CSA works out each parents care percentage of the child. 5. Percentage of care is then translated into a cost percentage for each child using the Child support care and cost table available at www.csa.gov.au 6. The cost percentage is subtracted from the income percentage for each parent. The result is called the child support percentage. If it is a negative percentage, that parent may receive child support because they are contributing more than their share of the costs of the child by the amount of care they are providing. If it is a positive percentage, that parent needs to pay child support because they are not meeting their entire share of the costs of the child directly through care. The CSA go on to steps 7 and 8 using only the positive child support percentage. 7. The costs for each child are worked out using the Costs of children table available at www.csa.gov.au 8. The final child support payable is calculated by multiplying the positive child support percentage by the costs of the child. The final figure for each child is added together to reach the total child support amount the paying parent needs to transfer to the other parent. For more information about the child support formula visit www.csa.gov.au
If you have at least regular care of your child (14 per cent of the time, which is at least 52 nights a year), you dont need to pay the minimum to that family because you already meet some of the childs costs directly through care. Parents who are not receiving an income support payment, yet claim to have very low incomes, will automatically pay a fixed amount per week per child for up to three children, unless they can show the CSA that their income is genuinely low. This is for the benefit of children whose parents have taxable income that does not properly reflect their true capacity to pay child support. It gives paying parents an opportunity to prove they are in fact receiving very little income and should continue to pay only the minimum amount per family. Everyones circumstances are different and you should call the CSA for information about your own assessment. The child support estimators on the CSA website can also give you a guide to how much child support you should be paying in your circumstances. For more information visit www.csa.gov.au or call 13 1272.
Applying for child support

If you are a parent or non-parent carer, for example a grandparent, you may be eligible to receive child support. To apply for a child support assessment you can submit the appropriate forms online at the CSA website www.csa.gov.au or call 13 1272.
What else should I know?

The Family Assistance Office and the Child Support Agency (CSA) use the same rules to work out the percentage of care you provide your children. If you receive Family Tax Benefit and pay or receive child support, you will only need to have your care percentage assessed once by either the Family Assistance Office or the CSA. Parents who are on low incomes pay a minimum rate of child support. If you have child support assessments for more than one family, you will pay the minimum amount per week per assessment. This ensures that children wont miss out because of a parents other child support cases. If you have child support assessments for more than three families, the total amount youll pay will be limited to three times the minimum amount, per week, which will be divided equally between the families.
Child support with the CSAs help

To receive more than the base rate of Family Tax Benefit Part A, you may be required to apply for child support with the CSA. If applicable, once the CSA has calculated the amount of child support, there are two ways it can be transferred between parents: private collect and CSA collect. Private collect is when the CSA tells the parents how much child support is payable and the parents arrange the transfers of money between themselves. Payments can be made in cash to the receiving parent, or via a deposit into their bank account or similar arrangements. Private collect arrangements may include agreed payments to third parties and lump sum payments. The CSA strongly recommends putting your Private collect arrangement in writing so that both of you can see the payment details you have agreed upon.
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If private arrangements dont work out, you can ask the CSA to start collecting payments for you at any time. If you are collecting your child support privately, you still need to contact the CSA immediately if your circumstances change to ensure your assessment remains correct. Most changes can be dealt with quickly and easily over the phone. CSA collect is when the CSA tells the parents how much child support is payable, then collects and transfers the payments. The CSA collects the amount from the paying parent and transfers it to the receiving parent. No money is retained by the CSA; the entire payment is transferred. Both collection options are available even if there are no requirement for Family Tax Benefit Part A. For more information visit www.csa.gov.au or call 13 1272.
Objecting to a CSA decision

If you think the CSA has used incorrect information, has not considered all the facts, or has overlooked relevant details in making a decision, you may be able to object by asking the CSA to formally review a decision. The CSA aims to make a decision about your objection within 60 days, or 120 days when one of the parents is a resident of a reciprocating jurisdiction. You and the other parent will be advised in writing if the objection was allowed, partly allowed or disallowed. The CSA will make the appropriate amendments to your child support records if applicable and confirm this in writing. If you disagree with the outcome of the objection, you may be able to appeal to the Social Security Appeals Tribunal (SSAT) or a court. The SSAT can only consider your appeal after the CSA has made a decision on your objection. For more information, read the Objections, complaints and reviewsyour rights following CSA decisions publication, available at www.csa.gov.au
Child support without the CSAs help

Some parents work out their own child support arrangements without any involvement from the CSA. Parents who choose this option make all the arrangementsyou both decide how much child support should be paid and how it should be paid. If you receive child support and receive only the base rate of Family Tax Benefit Part A (or you dont receive family assistance payments at all), you and the other parent can arrange your child support to suit you, without any involvement from the CSA. The CSA is not involved, but can provide information and support if and when you need it. For more information visit www.csa.gov.au or call 13 1272.
Blended families
A blended family is a family where there are two or more dependent children, and: at least one of the children is a dependent child from a previous relationship of one of the partners, and at least one of the other children: is a dependent child of both partners, or is the child from a previous relationship of the other partner in the couple. If you are a member of a blended family, you and your partner can choose to share your combined Family Tax Benefit amount. To do this, you must both have a child in your care for at least 35 per cent of the time. You can decide between you what percentage of your combined Family Tax Benefit amount you will each receive.
Child support and income support payments

It is important to remember that regardless of your personal income, both parents are responsible for providing financial support for their children. If you receive an income support payment you may be able to pay a lower amount of child support. For more information about the CSAs face-to-face and online services, visit the CSA website at www.csa.gov.au or call 13 1272. To view, download or order free copies of information and support products visit www.csa.gov.au or call Freecall 1800 040 972.
Separated parents
If you receive your Family Tax Benefit annually and have recently separated you may be entitled to share the payment for the period you were partnered. For more information please contact the Family Assistance Office.
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Your rights and responsibilities

Managing your payments
Here are some important points you should keep in mind to get your correct entitlement. Decide how and when you want to get paid. If you get paid fortnightly or as reduced child care fees, plan ahead: estimate your family income as accurately as possible choose to take some of your payment now and get the rest after the end of the financial year. If you get paid annually, lodge your claim within two years of the end of the financial year for which you are claiming. Act earlyas soon as your family circumstances change, contact the Family Assistance Office. Make sure you and your partner lodge your tax returns in the timeframes required by the Australian Taxation Office or advise the Family Assistance Office that you are not required to lodge. Your payments will be balanced after the end of the financial year.
Dealing with third parties

You may deal with a third party who is not a Family Assistance Office staff member. If you do, please remember that the Family Assistance Office has not authorised any third parties to provide information or advice to you about payments and cannot be responsible for the information these parties provide.
Getting someone to deal with Centrelink for you

Some of our customers have difficulty managing their business with us, often because of a disability or illness or because of problems reading, writing, understanding instructions or handling money. We offer customers who are receiving a payment and/or service from us several ways for someone to deal with us on their behalf.
Person Permitted to Enquire

You can arrange with us to authorise a person or organisation to make enquiries about your payment on your behalf. This is referred to as a Person Permitted to Enquire. This is not a nominee arrangement.
You must tell us if things change

To ensure you receive the correct amount of family assistance, you need to let us know if your circumstances change. Some examples of changes include: your relationship status changes; for example you become married, partnered in a registered or de facto relationship (either same-sex or opposite-sex) you separate from your partner or your partner dies you or your partner enters a nursing home or correctional facility the number of your eligible dependants change you start to receive child support/maintenance, or the amount of child support/maintenance you get changes you cease to be a registered foster carer, or are no longer available as a foster carer on an ongoing basis, a registered home schooler or distance educator your child care arrangements change your childs study or work arrangements change. If you are unsure if a change will affect your payments, call the Family Assistance Office on 13 6150.
Nominee arrangements
There are two types of nominee arrangements: Correspondence nominee arrangements enable you to authorise a person or organisation to act on your behalf when dealing with us. Correspondence nominees can: make enquiries on your behalf receive copies of your mail notify changes to your circumstances complete Centrelink forms and statements on your behalf provide us with documents relating to your circumstances, and attend appointments with you or on your behalf. Payment nominee arrangements enable you to authorise a person or organisation to receive your payments into an account maintained by the nominee. A payment nominee can be: given only minimal information regarding issues affecting your payments asked to supply records of how the money received was used for your benefit. The nominee must maintain relevant financial records (monetary penalties may apply if they fail to do so).
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You may choose to either have one nominee for both correspondence and payment arrangements or have different nominees for each type of nominee arrangement. If you are interested in this kind of arrangement, ask for the form authorising a person or organisation to enquire or act on your behalf. A nominee is required to advise us of anything that might affect their ability to act as a nominee. Nominee arrangements are subject to review. We are not obliged to accept a nominee arrangement unless it is in the customers best interests. Individual nominees can register for eServices to view or update information on your behalf. For more information visit www.centrelink.gov.au or ask at a Centrelink Customer Service Centre.
Reviews and appeals

If you think a decision we have made about your payments is wrong, you have the right to have that decision reviewed by the Family Assistance Office. For more information call the Family Assistance Office on 13 6150.
More information
How to contact us
Visit www.familyassist.gov.au or www.centrelink.gov.au Call the Family Assistance Office on 13 6150* between 8.00 am and 8.00 pm (local time) Monday to Friday. Visit your nearest Family Assistance Office located in Medicare offices and Centrelink Customer Service Centres. Call 13 1202 to speak to someone in your language. *Calls from your home phone to Centrelink 13 numbers from anywhere in Australia are charged at a fixed rate. This rate may vary from the price of a local call and may also vary between telephone service providers. Calls to 1800 numbers from your home phone are free. Calls from public and mobile phones may be timed and charged at a higher rate.
Keeping your personal information private

You have a right to have the personal information that we collect about you kept private. We are bound by legislation that contains strict confidentiality provisions that limit who can look at information about you and when and to whom it can be given. We are also bound by the Privacy Act 1988. Specific details of how your information will be used and who it may be given to can be found in the privacy notices we provide when you give us personal information. The Your right to privacy factsheet is also available online by visiting www.centrelink.gov.au asking at a Centrelink Customer Service Centre or calling the 13 or 1800 number most relevant to your circumstances. Limited information about you may be used as part of market research undertaken by the Department of Human Services, Centrelink, and its policy departments or by research organisations on behalf of Centrelink or policy departments. Your privacy is protected throughout this process. For more information visit www.centrelink.gov.au and see the Market research and you factsheet. If you have a question about privacy, confidentiality or access to information, ask to speak with the Centrelink Privacy Officer in your area.
Income Management
Income Management is a way to help you manage your money. It means that part of your Centrelink payments will be set aside by Centrelink to help you pay for things you and your family need. It applies only in selected locations. Your income managed money can be used for priority items such as food, rent, utilities and clothing. The rest of your regular fortnightly payments will be paid to you in the usual way. You can spend your income managed money by using the BasicsCard, or by organising direct payments to organisations such as stores, landlords or utility providers. For more information about Income Management visit www.centrelink.gov.au or call the Income Management Line on 13 2594.
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Voluntary Income Management

If you are not subject to Income Management and are on relevant Centrelink payments, you can choose to participate in Voluntary Income Management. This means that Centrelink can help you manage your payments. Voluntary Income Management applies only in selected locations. You will need to talk to Centrelink to see if your payments can be income managed. Once you sign up you will have to stay on it for at least 13 weeks. After that you can stop whenever you like. For more information about Voluntary Income Management visit www.centrelink.gov.au or call the Income Management Line on 13 2594.
This service is free of charge and you can apply to join or withdraw from the service at any time. To join the Rent Deduction Scheme you need to contact your local housing authority and ask for a deduction form. For more information visit www.centrelink.gov.au or ask at a Centrelink Customer Service Centre.
Centrelink self service

Centrelink self service is a quick and convenient way to report, update or view your personal details without having to speak to a Centrelink Customer Service Adviser or visit a Centrelink Customer Service Centre. Online Servicesare secure, convenient and protect your privacy. Some of the options that make it easier for you to do business with us: report income, Activity Test/participation requirements and changes to your circumstances view your Centrelink payment history and check when and how much your next Centrelink payment will be apply for an Advance Payment print an Income Statement, Rent Certificate or Reporting Statement update contact details, bank account details and study details view a summary of your current income and assets view, add, change or cancel deductions check appointment details and reporting dates, and claim for Age Pension, student payments and family assistance payments. Phone Self Serviceprovides you with a convenient way to do some of your Centrelink business: call 13 6240to access a range of phone services call 13 3276(13 EARN)to report income, Activity Test/participation requirements and changes to your circumstances. For more information about reporting requirements visit www.centrelink.gov.au Nominee access to Online Servicesgives nominees the choice to do Centrelink business on behalf of a customer they are a nominee for, using Online Services. Secure Online Mailgives you the choice to view some letters from Centrelink online rather than having them sent to your postal address.
Income Management for Child Protection

Income Management for Child Protection can help families who find it difficult to manage their money to provide their children with things they need. You will be referred to be income managed if a case worker from the relevant child protection authority believes it will help you take care of your children. Centrelink will then meet with you to discuss Income Management and when it will start. Income Management for Child Protection applies only in selected locations.
Centrepay
Centrepay can make it easier for you to pay your bills. Centrepay is a free service that lets you have money taken from your Centrelink payments and paid directly to your rent or other bills such as electricity or gas. For more information about Centrepay see the Manage your bills for freeCentrepay brochure. This is available by visiting www.centrelink.gov.au or asking at a Centrelink Customer Service Centre.
Rent Deduction Scheme

If you pay rent to a state or territory housing authority you can choose to have your rent taken automatically from your Centrelink payment and sent directly to your housing authority. The Rent Deduction Scheme is a service provided by us in partnership with state and territory housing authorities.
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Electronic Message Reminderis a free personalised reminder service that sends an SMS text message or email to remind you about appointments and other messages. For more information about Centrelink self service see Centrelinkthe basics or visit www.centrelink.gov.au
Child Support Agency Online Services

CSAonline is the Child Support Agencys secure online service that lets you view and update your child support online. By using CSAonline you can: send and receive secure electronic messages view and update your details check your latest account information and history of payments made and received check when your payments are due and how much access most CSA letters and print some letters tell us about changes in care arrangements for your children tell us about changes to your income estimate complete a general enquiry form to get in touch with the CSA register non-agency payments. To login or register visit www.csa.gov.au
Medicare Australia Online Services

Medicare Australias Online Services provides you with an extra way to view, update and request information and services from Medicare Australia. You can register for Online Services at www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/online or at a Medicare office. Online Services is useful if you cant get to a Medicare office or just prefer to do your business online. Once registered for Online Services, you can: request a replacement or duplicate Medicare cardonly two replacement Medicare cards can be requested online per year register and update your bank account detailsclaim at your doctors and get your Medicare benefit paid into your bank account update your personal detailssuch as contact details, preferred language, Indigenous status and Medicare card address view, print and save your Medicare claims history statementfor up to 12 months from the date of the request view your Medicare Safety Net balance view, print and save your Medicare benefit tax statement previous and current financial years available view your Individual Healthcare Identifier number history view and update your Individual Healthcare Identifier number alternate names view your Care Plan access history view your organ donor registration details view your childs immunisation history statementa statement of your childs first seven years is available to parents of children aged up to 14 years.
Other organisations and useful information

Carers Australiathe national peak body for carers, representing the needs and interests of carers at the national level. The members of Carers Australia comprise the eight state and territory Carers Associations. Visit www.carersaustralia.com.au or call Freecall 1800 242 636. Family Relationships Centres/Family Relationship Advice Lineprovide information, advice and dispute resolution to help parents/carers focus on the needs of the children and develop workable arrangements for the children without going to court. Visit www.familyrelationships.gov.au or call Freecall 1800 050 321. Raising Children Networkprovides information to parents to give them the power to make informed choices about how they raise their children. Visit www.raisingchildren.net.au
Disclaimer
The information contained in this publication is intended only as a guide to payments and services. It is your responsibility to decide if you wish to apply for a payment and to make an application, with regard to your particular circumstances. This information is accurate as at February 2011. If you use this publication after that date, please check with us that the details are current.
FPR011.1102
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Family assistance

The what, why and how

Help in other languages

National Relay Service

Centrelink information in other formats

RPH Australian Network

Sign language interpreters

Family assistanceThe what, why and how

Extra assistance for families with one main income 14

Family assistanceThe what, why and how

Your guide to family assistance

Each payment is different, depending on the needs of each family

Where to go for more information?

How family assistance is set up

What is a financial year?

Benefits are based on your actual annual income

What is a calendar year?

Family assistanceThe what, why and how

Choice onebe paid fortnightly and/or as reduced child care fees

Reducing the risk of an overpayment

Choice twoget some now and some later

Choice threebe paid annually

Step threeinclude all income

Step twothink about what may affect your payments

Family assistanceThe what, why and how

Important information about lodging your tax returns

Step fourconsider the number of pays you will get

Balancing your payments

What if I dont lodge my tax return?

Family Tax Benefit supplements

Sharing the care of a child

Who is a primary carer?

Assistance with raising a child

The Paid Parental Leave work test

Family assistanceThe what, why and how

What should I do before my child arrives?

When can my Parental Leave Pay start?

What should I do after my child arrives?

How will I be paid?

Lodge your claim before your child arrives

Can I work while receiving Parental Leave Pay?

Family assistanceThe what, why and how

Registering the birth of your child

Maternity Immunisation Allowance

What does fully immunised mean?

Family Tax Benefit

Family assistanceThe what, why and how

Eligibility for the lower Medicare Safety Net threshold

Eligibility to receive Medicare Safety Net benefits

Parents commencing or returning to paid work

Family assistanceThe what, why and how

Child Care Benefit

It is only available to residents

Your childs attendance

You can choose how to receive your benefit

The number of hours you can claim

Family assistanceThe what, why and how

How can I estimate my child care costs?

Extra help with the cost of child care

Jobs, Education and Training Child Care fee assistance

Child Care Rebate

How does it work?