Choosing between Carer Payment and Age Pension

Income and assets tests for the care receiver

We assess the income and assets of the care receiver. We’ll do this if they’re not already getting income support from us or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.

Doesn’t apply.

Reviews

We may review your and your care receiver’s circumstances. This is to confirm the care receiver’s needs still qualify you for Carer Payment.

If you get Age Pension and Carer Allowance, we may review your circumstances. We may also check that you still provide daily care and attention. This helps us confirm that you still qualify for Carer Allowance.

Travelling outside Australia

If you travel temporarily outside Australia without the person you provide care for, we can pay Carer Payment. We can pay you for up to 6 weeks if you have respite days available.

If you travel temporarily outside Australia with the person you provide care for, we can pay Carer Payment. We can pay you for the first 6 weeks. In some circumstances, we can pay Carer Payment for longer than 6 weeks.

If you or the person you provide care for stop living in Australia, your Carer Payment will stop on departure. It won’t stop if you qualify under an international social security agreement.

Read more about Carer Payment if you travel outside Australia.

There are separate rules for Carer Allowance if you travel outside Australia.

You can get Age Pension for the whole time you’re outside Australia. It doesn’t matter if you travel temporarily or to live in another country. Some exceptions may apply.

The rate of Age Pension you're paid outside Australia may change.

Read more about Age Pension if you travel outside Australia.

There are separate rules for Carer Allowance if you travel outside Australia.

Breaks from caring (respite) or hospitalisation

You can take a break from caring for up to 63 days each calendar year. This won’t change your Carer Payment. If you stop providing care for more than 63 days, we may cancel your payment.

You can also have 63 additional days off from caring per calendar year. This is if the person is in hospital temporarily and you still help with their care.

You can take a break from caring. This won’t affect your Age Pension.

Carer Supplement

If you get Carer Payment on 1 July, you’ll be eligible for an annual Carer Supplement. This supplement is $600. You’ll get the Carer Supplement each year for as long as you remain eligible.

If you get Carer Allowance on 1 July, you’ll be eligible for a further annual Carer Supplement. You can get up to $600 for each person you provide care for.

You won’t be eligible for Carer Supplement if you get Age Pension. But you will get Carer Supplement for each person you get Carer Allowance for.

Rent Assistance

You may get a higher maximum rate of Rent Assistance if all of the following applies. You're:

• getting Carer Payment
• single
• sharing privately rented accommodation.

You may get a lower maximum rate of Rent Assistance if all of the following applies. You’re:

• getting Age Pension
• single
• sharing privately rented accommodation.

Working, volunteering, studying or training

You can get Carer Payment and still:

• work
• volunteer
• study
• train.

You can do this for up to 25 hours a week, including travel time. There’s no limit if you get Carer Payment because on 19 March 2020 you got both:

• Wife Pension
• Carer Allowance.

Any income you get may affect your rate of payment.

If you get Age Pension, there’s no limit on how many hours a week you can:

• work
• volunteer
• study
• train.

Any income you get may affect your rate of payment.

Study assistance

If you study and get Carer Payment, you may get a Pensioner Education Supplement and an Education Entry Payment.

If you study and get Age Pension, you can’t get a Pensioner Education Supplement or an Education Entry Payment.

Casual or contract work

You may have to wait to get Carer Payment. This applies if during the 6 months before claiming, you or your partner stopped any of these types of work:

• contract
• casual
• intermittent.

We consider this a seasonal work preclusion period.

If you get Age Pension, there’s no seasonal work preclusion period.

The person you cared for was your partner.

You may get a lump sum bereavement payment if your partner was getting an income support payment from either:

• us
• the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.

You may keep getting Carer Payment for up to 14 weeks. We’ll adjust your regular fortnightly payments to the single rate. You can then consider transferring to another payment such as Age Pension.

You may get a lump sum bereavement payment if your partner was getting an income support payment from either:

• us
• the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.

You’ll keep getting Age Pension.

We’ll adjust your regular fortnightly payments to the single rate.

You weren’t the partner of the person you cared for, but their partner is getting one of the following:

• a Centrelink pension or benefit
• a Department of Veterans’ Affairs Service Pension
• an income support supplement.

You can’t get a bereavement payment.

You may keep getting Carer Payment for up to 14 weeks. You can then consider transferring to another payment such as Age Pension.

You can’t get a bereavement payment.

You’ll keep getting Age Pension.

You weren’t the partner of the person you cared for, and their partner is not getting any of the following:

• a Centrelink pension or benefit
• a Department of Veterans’ Affairs Service Pension
• an income support supplement.

You may get a lump sum bereavement payment.

You may keep getting Carer Payment for up to 14 weeks. You can then consider transferring to another payment such as Age Pension.

You can’t get this lump sum if both of these apply:

• you’re paid Carer Allowance for someone else

• you get Carer Payment because on 19 March 2020 you were getting both Wife Pension and Carer Allowance.

In this situation, you’ll keep getting Carer Payment if you continue to meet the rules for carers.

You can’t get a bereavement payment.

You’ll keep getting Age Pension.

The person you cared for was single.

If you get Carer Payment, you may get a lump sum bereavement payment.

You’ll keep getting Carer Payment for up to 14 weeks. You can then consider transferring to another payment such as Age Pension.

You can’t get this lump sum if both of these apply:

• you’re paid Carer Allowance for someone else
• you get Carer Payment because on or before 19 March 2020 you were getting both Wife Pension and Carer Allowance.

In this situation, you’ll keep getting Carer Payment if you continue to meet the rules for carers.

If you get Age Pension, you can’t get a bereavement payment.

You’ll keep getting Age Pension.