How to understand your assessment

Getting your assessment notice

When we’ve finalised your claim, we’ll send you a notice to let you know the outcome. If you get your letters online, we’ll send it to your myGov Inbox.

We’ll tell you:

• if you’re eligible
• the child care fee assistance you’ll get
• the withholding amount.

Understanding your assessment notice

Your assessment notice will have a Child Care Subsidy summary table on it. The table tells you about the child care fee assistance you’re able to get. The table will have the following headings:

• child name
• subsidy type
• subsidy percentage
• subsidised hours per fortnight
• withholdings.

Child name

This will list any children you’ve made a claim for.

Subsidy type

This tells you what you’re eligible for.

If you’re eligible for Child Care Subsidy, you may also be eligible for Additional Child Care Subsidy.

Subsidy percentage

This is your Child Care Subsidy percentage. We work it out based on your family income estimate.

Your Child Care Subsidy percentage will apply to the lowest of either the:

• hourly fee you’re charged by your child care service
• hourly rate cap.

If your subsidy percentage is zero, it means your family income estimate was $533,280 or more. But it’s important you still submit a claim for this subsidy. Just in case your income changes when we balance your payments after the end of the financial year. If your actual family income ends up being less than $533,280, we’ll pay you the additional subsidy you’re entitled to.

If you’re eligible, but your percentage is zero, you may still be eligible for Additional Child Care Subsidy.

Read more about how your family income affects your Child Care Subsidy percentage.

Subsidised hours per fortnight

This is the number of hours of child care we’ll subsidise. We work this out based on your hours of activity per fortnight. If you have a partner, we use the lower of your 2 activity levels.

If your subsidised hours is zero, it’s because you or your partner do less than 8 hours of activity.

You need to do at least 8 hours of activity per fortnight. Recognised activities include working, training, studying and volunteering. For example, 4 hours a week of any recognised activity will give you 18 hours of subsidised care a week.

Read more about how your activity level affects Child Care Subsidy.

Withholdings

We withhold 5% of your Child Care Subsidy each fortnight to reduce the likelihood of an overpayment. An overpayment could result in a debt after the end of financial year when we balance your payments.

You’re able to vary this amount to suit your circumstances. You can do this up to twice a year online.

If your Centrelink online account is linked to myGov, sign in now and select View withholdings.

Sign in to myGov

If you’d like to change it more than this, you’ll need to call the Families line.

Updating your details

It’s important to make sure your details are correct so we pay the right amount of subsidy.

You need to tell us if:

• your circumstances change
• any details you gave us in your assessment change
• any details you gave us in your claim change.

The easiest way to update your details is online. If your Centrelink online account is linked to myGov, sign in now to update your details.

Sign in to myGov

We’ll reassess you if you give us new information.

Read more about when to report a change in circumstances.