Support, guidance & advice for todays primary carers
Understanding Carer Payment and Carer Allowance
Article by
PaulK
Adjust text size:
Caring for Ageing Loved Ones? Here’s What You Need to Know About Carer Payments and Allowances
If you’re providing unpaid daily care for an ageing parent, spouse, or loved one, you may be eligible for financial support from the Australian Government in 2025. Two of the main forms of carer support are the Carer Payment and Carer Allowance. Here’s a simple breakdown to help you understand what’s available.
What Is the Carer Payment?
The Carer Payment is a fortnightly income support payment for full-time carers. If you’re unable to work full-time because you are caring for someone who is frail aged or has a serious illness or disability, this may apply to you.
Eligibility Requirements:
- You provide daily care for someone in their home.
- Both you and the person you care for must be Australian residents.
- The care must be ongoing for at least six months.
- The person you care for must pass a care needs assessment.
Income and Assets Tests:
- Singles: You can earn up to $212 per fortnight before your payment is reduced.
- Couples: Combined income can be up to $372 per fortnight before reductions apply.
- Payments cease entirely if income exceeds approx. $2,510 (single) or $3,836 (couple) per fortnight.
- Assets must also be under set thresholds (e.g. $321,500 for single homeowners).
Work Flexibility (from March 2025):
- Carers can work up to 100 hours over a 4-week period.
- Respite days (1 day = 8 hours of excess work) can offset any extra work temporarily.
- Payments can be suspended (not cancelled) for up to 26 weeks if limits are exceeded.
Annual Carer Supplement:
- Eligible carers automatically receive a $600 payment between July and August each year.
What Is the Carer Allowance?
The Carer Allowance is a supplementary payment of $153.50 per fortnight. It’s available to carers providing daily care to someone with a medical condition, disability or who is frail aged.
Key Facts:
- It is not income tested, but your combined adjusted taxable income must be under $250,000 annually.
- There is no assets test.
- You may also be eligible for a Health Care Card to help with medical expenses.
You can receive the Carer Allowance even if you’re still working or receiving another payment.
Carer Payments vs Carer Allowance: What’s the Difference?
| Feature | Carer Payment | Carer Allowance |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Income support for full-time carers | Supplement for additional daily care |
| Income/Assets Tested? | Yes | No |
| Amount (fortnightly) | Varies (based on income/assets) | $153.50 |
| Can Work While Receiving? | Up to 100 hrs/4 weeks (with limits) | Yes |
| Supplement Payment | $600 annually | Yes, if eligible |
How to Apply for Carer Payments and Allowances
To apply or check your eligibility:
- Visit Services Australia
- Use the online eligibility checker.
- Gather supporting documents (e.g. medical reports, proof of care).
- Apply online via your myGov account linked to Centrelink.
Final Thoughts: Don’t Miss Out on What You’re Entitled To
Many carers don’t realise they qualify for support. Whether you care full-time or part-time, financial assistance is available to help ease the burden. Make sure you check both the Carer Payment and Carer Allowance – you may be eligible for one or even both.
Comments
Jan. 30, 2026
Ageing Technology in Australia:
Jan. 19, 2026
New My Aged Care website
Sep. 01, 2025
The Heart Behind The Carer:
Celebrating our 3 Million Informal Carers
Sep. 01, 2025
Support at Home Pricing:
What’s Really Behind the Rising Costs?
Sep. 01, 2025
Healing Paws: Bringing Comfort, Connection & Joy
When it comes to carer payment I don’t understand why your partners income should be taken into account. The work carers do doesn’t lessen with how much one’s partner earns, often 24/7, sleep deprived, no time for self, often caring for own family as well and looking after their loved ones home as well as the loved one, often doing the work of what would be 3 shifts for aged care workers. I would love to see an aged care worker be called into the bosses’ office and asked how much their partner earned before working out their pay for the week. Government payments aren’t a bottomless pit, this is true, but the tax payers money saved by carers looking after their loved ones instead of adding to the aged care bill, is enormous.
Maybe the parents could pay for the services they receive. What else so they spend their money on!?
Just a thought.
Hi Helen, do you mean the parents pay their family members to pay them for what they do? I don’t think a family member carer would ever want or accept that. And a lot of carers are actually helping their parents to pay their bills. Not all older ones retired with super. They worked long and hard before that, so rely on a pension. And the cost of everything at the moment is crazy isn’t it.
Thank you for reading and replying to my comment Helen.
That’s a terrible idea . What if they need to spend money on their grandchildren ?
I agree, please contact Centrelink and welfare minister hiw you feel about partners income
I feel the same. Very grateful for the carer payment because I now have to pay for work around the house and garden and servicing car which hubbie did. The payment changed our tax bracket and had to pay $3000 extra tax.
Hi s jackson
Are you both retired or just your husband ,and you get carers to care for him
Hi are u saying that getting the carers payment forces u to pay more tax?
Totally agree, I left my full time job to care for my loved ones and because of my husband’s income – I am not entitled to carers allowance. I’m now $80k a year behind financially to care for my children
I couldn’t agree more & the piece you have written here is intelligent, articulate, factual & succinct. I firmly believe you should present this to your local M.P. & also your Stae Health Minister & our Federal Health Minister. I am without a partner but agree 100% that your partners income should not effect yours as that has not one thing to do with the care you provide. I was a Registered Clinical Nurse for almost 30 years before having to cease work to care for my mum. I KNOW how much we are saving the Government by caring for our loved ones. Your analogy about being called into the bosses office re our partners wage before they decide what they will pay us as Nurses is GOLD. I NEVER had to do 72 hour shifts with no rest as I have done weekly since my carer role began. If it was a “work” obligation, it is illegal for one but pretending that it’s not I would be paid masses of overtime, receive meal allowances as well as a large sum for not having 10 hours off between shifts.
My situation is also one I would not experience in a paid employment role in aged care. I have worked tirelessly, completely alone… (my sister & her children excommunicated my mum 12 years ago).I have ZERO support & do absolutely everything from “caring” work, to mums financial obligations, bills etc etc. again, roles not undertaken in a professional role. My mum has had Hypoxia (amongst many other conditions) & lack of oxygen to the brain causes significant cognitive defecits, in my case my mother had become increasingly paranoid, delusional about events that had happened in her mind yet were not based in reality. An example is when I myself was in hospital for surgery for 3 days, mum keeps saying I stood over her bed at 2:30 in the morning calling her filthy names, that I locked her out of the house for 3 days & 3 nights without her home oxygen & that I refused to help her get an ambulance when she took “a bad turn”…None of these things occurred, I wasn’t even here, but mum told various agencies this (ambulance, police & hospital staff) & I was banned from going to see her at the hospital. The doctors, Nurses & Social Workers refused to speak to me & they are currently keeping her in the hospital (14 weeks so far) til they can place her in a facility. The Police investigated 5 times, & found the claims to be unsubstantiated but this made no difference to the hospital. It’s a situation that has been heartbreaking for me, especially given how I put my own life on hold to care for my mum, well above & beyond what would have been expected of me in a Professional position.
Thank you for your msg, it made everything much clearer for me as I was unable to express myself with any clarity of mind due to my current circumstances…
I feel for you and will pray for all to be settled and you to be believed. It is so hurtful when hospitals and departments judge you on heresay rather than facts
So sorry u went thru that! Sounds like her dementia is bad enough for her to stay in the hospital
Completely agree, I gave up work to look after my mum with dementia. When I applied for the Allowance, I was told my husband earns too much, at which time I said this is my mother not my husbands. I said not only is he now responsible for me he is also responsible for my mother at which time I was very promptly told that is not true, I said Well who is paying for the bills now”. I don’t work my mum doesn’t work and the only income is from my husband, so he is responsible for both of us. It was like belting my head up against a wall.
Completely agree!
How much will I get paid per fortnight for both carer payment and carer allowance combined
When on carer allow & husband in hospital, he has cancer, stoma bag for urine (no bladder) as carer going to hospital am & pm for 4 weeks, helping him eat, as often staff didn’t, showing & helping staff change stoma bag, taking washing home & returning, still doing the caring roll till his passing, When does carer allowance stop?
I would not have been able to purchase my new property without the assistance of HACK MAVENS CREDIT SPECIALIST, who aided me in removing all negative entries from my credit report and raised my score from 550 to 830+ across all three credit bureaus. Should you require his services, You can reach him via email at H A C K M A V E N S 5 AT G M A I L DOT COM or call/text/Whats-App at [+1 (2 0 9) 4 1 7 – 1 9 5 7]. You can thank me later.
Iv just become a carer recently for an 83 yr old frail women,,I’m in a housing dept home and have needed to add this women on my rental agreement,,The lady had advised me that the women I’m careering for needs to pay rent as well which is fair enough,,Then she advised me that they have to combine my age pension and my carers payment together,I said wha,,Center link is paying me the $159 F/N to care for this lady and your taken part of that money away ,she replied yes by law,,when you take a look at the parents that has 2,3 or more children the housing dept doesn’t calculate the kids payment into the rent yet they receive much more then I do for carding for this frail lady 24/7,,This is so wrong,Oh and wait for this my rent will go up from $166 F/N to $250 a F/N,,that’s an extra $90 I will have to pay extra which won’t leave me much for my bills,elec,food,I need some help here ,Cause when you look at it $159 isn’t enough to care for some one and then to be told that my rent will be going up not to mention that housing dept will be taken some money from my carers payments as well so unfair and so unjust,Because to have some one put in an old peoples home is getting to expensive for this gov to.be paying nurses to take care of them,,Yet the gov feels that $159 is a lot of money to be paying s carers,I need for this gov to have a bloody say to Chermside housing about raising my rent and also that they should not be takeing any money from my carers payment at all,thank you,
I was diagnosed with Herpes four years ago. For over two years, I relied on prescribed medications and treatments, but unfortunately, my condition continued to worsen. The flare-ups became more frequent, the discomfort increased, and even simple daily tasks became difficult to manage.Last year, out of desperation and hope, I decided to try a herbal treatment program from NaturePath Herbal Clinic. Honestly, I was skeptical at first, but within a few months of starting the program, I felt some changes. My discomfort eased, my energy levels improved, and I felt I had more control over my daily life again.It’s been a meaningful experience for me, and I feel more like myself than I have in years. This is simply my personal story. You can visit their website at http://www.naturepathherbalclinic.com
whatsapp +27604189106
HIRING GENUINE HACKERS TO CONSULT RECOVERY SPECIALISTS
I want to sincerely thank Safeguard Recovery Expert for their extraordinary skill; they are real heroes, and I wish I had met them sooner rather than reaching out to other hackers for help. If you read this comment, you might be able to get your hacked or blocked bitcoin investment back. I’m posting it for anybody who have been affected by cryptocurrency investment, mining, and trading frauds.
Email:
safeguardbitcoin@consultant.com
safeguardbitcoin.wixsite.com/safeguard-bitcoin–1
WhatsApp: +44 7426 168300