What happens when your child turns 18

At 18, your child can do all of the following:

• apply for a tax file number (TFN) without your help
• access their immunisation history statement themselves
• open their own bank account
• get their own Medicare card
• be eligible for a payment
• be on the Australian Organ Donor Register.

Find out more about applying for a TFN on the Australian Taxation Office website.

You can also read more about what happens with FTB at this age, if your child does any of these:

• starts employment
• continues to meet study requirements
• stops secondary study.

If you have a child with disability, you may continue to qualify for Child Care Subsidy until they’re 18. Read more about Child Care Subsidy.

Youth Allowance

Once your child turns 18, they may be eligible for Youth Allowance. They may be eligible if they’re studying or undertaking an Australian Apprenticeship. They may be eligible even if they’re dependent and living at home.

Your income will impact your child’s eligibility for payments until they’re considered independent, which is usually when they turn 22.

Read more about dependent or independent for Youth Allowance.

FTB Part A

We’ll continue to pay FTB Part A until your child completes Year 12 or an equivalent qualification. When FTB Part A stops depends on when they complete their study. We may pay FTB Part A until the end of the calendar year in which your child turns 19.

FTB Part B

We pay FTB Part B per family, generally for the youngest child. It may continue until the end of the calendar year your child turns 18 if you’re one of the following:

• a single parent
• a non-parent carer
• a grandparent carer.

Child support

Normally child support payments stop when your child turns 18.

If your child is in secondary education, you can apply to extend it to the end of the school year. Call the Child support enquiry line to find out if you can.

Child Dental Benefits Schedule

Child Dental Benefit Schedule (CDBS) covers part or the full cost of some dental services for eligible children. We’ll tell you if your child can get the CDBS.

For each child, you can claim up to $1,095 over 2 consecutive calendar years. The cap amount is indexed yearly on 1 January. The increase in cap amount will only apply to a child or teenager who received their first eligible service in that calendar year.

An 18-year-old is eligible for the calendar year if they were both:

• 17 for at least one day in the calendar year
• gets an eligible Australian Government payment for at least one day in the calendar year.

Getting Medicare benefits

Your child must update their bank details to get Medicare benefits. They need to do this whether they have their own Medicare card or choose to stay on your card.