Fostering fact sheet
Government of Western Australia
Department for Child Protection
Centrelink benefits for foster carers
There are several payments that foster carers may be
eligible to receive from Centrelink.
Family Tax Benefit
The Family Tax Benefit Part A helps with the cost of
raising children. Payment of this benefit is assessed
on the family’s combined income and is paid per
child.
Family Tax Benefit Part B is extra assistance for
families, including sole parent families, with one main
income. Payment is per family and based on the age
of the youngest child, and is assessed on the income
of the family’s lower earner.
You can choose to receive Family Tax Benefit in
fortnightly instalments or as a lump sum after the end
of the financial year. Fortnightly instalments and lump
sums are paid by the Family Assistance Office (FAO).
DCP69.1209
Fostering Services
Telephone: 1800 024 453
In some cases, depending on the length of time a
foster child is expected to be in the foster carer’s care,
the foster carer may also be eligible for payments of
the Baby Bonus. The foster carer should intend to
care for the baby for at least 26 weeks to be eligible
and part of this period needs to fall within the first 26
weeks of the child’s birth.
Payments are made fortnightly to the foster carer.
Maternity Immunisation Allowance
A foster carer can apply for an Immunisation Allowance
if they are caring for a child between 18 months and
2 years old, and/or between 4 and 5 years of age.
The foster carer is entitled to the payments if the child
is fully immunised at these ages and must provide the
child’s Medicare card details to Centrelink.
If you choose to receive your payments fortnightly,
you will have to provide the FAO with an estimate
of your annual family income for the financial year
ahead. The estimate you provide will be used to work
out your fortnightly payments.
Health Care Cards
State or territory government foster care allowances
are not considered taxable income for Family Tax
Benefit purposes.
1. A foster carer who is in receipt of the maximum
rate of Family Tax Benefit Part A is eligible, in
their own right, for an automatically issued Health
Care Card (HCC). In this instance, subject to
the foster carer informing Centrelink or the FAO
about the foster child, the name of the foster
child will automatically be added to the foster
carer’s HCC.
It is important that you lodge your tax return, or tell the
FAO if you are not required to lodge a tax return, to
receive your full entitlement including your supplement
payments. Failure to lodge a tax return when you are
required to do so may also require you to repay the
full amount of Family Tax Benefit paid to you.
Department for Child Protection
Telephone: (08) 9222 2555
Country free call: 1800 622 258
Web: www.childprotection.wa.gov.au
Baby Bonus
Foster carers and/or foster children are eligible for the
Commonwealth Government Health Care Card in the
following ways:
2. Where a foster carer is not in receipt of the
Health Care Card, a Foster Child Health Care
Card (FCHCC) can be claimed by the foster carer
on behalf of the foster child. The card is issued
in the name of the child to obtain concessions
and services for the child only. The FCHCC is not
means tested.
The Field Worker should ensure that a HCC is obtained
for all eligible children in foster care.
Youth Allowance
Youth Allowance provides assistance for young people
who are studying full-time, undertaking a full-time
Australian apprenticeship or training and/or looking
for work. When children in care turn 16 years of age
they are eligible to claim a Youth Allowance payment.
Children in care are classified as independent and
their eligibility for Youth Allowance is not dependent
on the carers’ income level. A Youth Allowance claim
must be submitted within 14 days of first making
contact with Centrelink and, if the young person is
eligible, their payment may start from the date of their
first contact.
Department for Child Protection
verification letter
4. Enter your Customer Access Number (CAN) and
password.
Foster carers should obtain a letter from the
Department for Child Protection verifying that they
have been given primary care of the foster child, for all
Centrelink claims. This letter must outline the expected
care arrangements for the foster child stating the date
the child came into care and the expected length of
time that the child will be in the foster carer’s care.
Your Case Manager will complete this form for you.
5. Select ‘Apply for Payments’ followed by ‘Make a
Claim”.
How to claim
Online claims - save time, go online.
The many advantages of claiming online include:
• Claims will be processed faster (within 14 days
for online claims, in most instances).
• The convenience to claim wherever and
whenever you want.
• It is safe and secure.
Other payments
• It saves you time.
In addition to the payments listed above, the following
payments may be of particular interest to foster
carers:
• It is the environmentally friendly option.
• Grandparent Child Care Benefit.
• Parenting Payment.
How to get started
To register for online services, visit
www.familyassist.gov.au and select ‘Online Services’.
• Double Orphan Pension.
Under the heading ‘Getting Started’, click on ‘Register’
to register your details.
• Carer Allowance / Payment.
How do I claim once I am registered?
• Austudy / Abstudy.
To use the FAO online services:
For the full list of Centrelink payments please refer to
the Centrelink website at www.centrelink.gov.au.
1. Go to www.familyassist.gov.au.
Note: The complete guide to all Centrelink payments
is available on the Centrelink website via: Publications
/ A-Z Publications Directory / G / ‘Guide to Australian
Government Payments Booklet’.
Note: Online services can also be accessed and
registered at www.centrelink.gov.au.
Unable to go online?
To claim family assistance for a foster child you can:
1. Visit your local Centrelink office and use their
self service computers to submit your Family
Assistance claim online.
2. Call the Family Assistance Office on 13 61 50
(between 8am and 8pm Monday to Friday).
They will mail a paper claim form to you, to be
completed and posted back in the reply paid
envelope supplied.
What should you do if your circumstances
change?
If there are any changes to the information you have
provided, you should contact the Department for Child
Protection immediately. For example, if a child leaves
your care, you get a job, stop studying or change
your address, you must advise the Department at
once, so that your rate of payment can be adjusted
(if necessary).
If you are registered for Online Services you can
update the following information online:
• Family Income Estimates.
• Advise if you do not need to lodge a tax return.
• Advise of return to work details.
2. Select ‘Online Services’.
• Update address and contact details.
3. Under the heading ‘Getting Started’ click on
‘Logon’
If a child leaves your care, you should immediately
inform Centrelink by either calling the Family
Assistance Call Centre on 13 61 50 (8am - 8pm
Monday to Friday), or by visiting your local Centrelink
or Medicare office.