For example, you need to tell us if any of the following things happen:
- your child begins primary or secondary school for the first time
- your or your partner’s activity details change
- your or your partner's income changes
- your care arrangements change
- your personal circumstances change
- you change your address
- you leave Australia.
Keep in mind, if the changes impact your subsidy, it can take up to 2 weeks to apply. This is because we check your eligibility and pay Child Care Subsidy fortnightly.
If your Centrelink online account is linked to myGov, sign in now to tell us about changes in your circumstances.
If you don’t have a myGov account or a Centrelink online account you’ll need to create them.
You can also use the Express Plus Centrelink mobile app. Read more about what you can do using self service.
If you don't tell us about changes to your circumstances within 14 days, it may affect your subsidy. We may overpay you and you'll have to pay the money back. Read more about Centrelink debts and overpayments.
You don’t need to tell us if either of these apply:
- the hours your child attends child care change
- your child stops attending child care, if you plan on sending them to child care again in the future.
If your child care hours change you should review your family income estimate and activity levels. If your Centrelink account is linked to myGov you can do this online.
Use our online guides to help you update your:
You can also use the Express Plus Centrelink mobile app. It only takes a few minutes to do the update and you can do it yourself online.
Read more about what happens if you increase your child care hours.