What's the difference between CCR and CCB???

[OceanPrincess]

I am trying to figure this out!

It seems from reading the FAO and Centrelink websites that CCB is the one that most people get from having their kidlets in child care. The standard child care, long day care, family day care type thing. Up to 50hrs per child can be claimed, or whatever.

Then they say you can also claim CCR... but only after you have claimed CCB.

Is this right?

And if I am looking to hire a nanny, privately, to offer in home care to my kids, am I able to claim any sort of rebate?

I know that as a private nanny I cannot claim the standard CCR as she is not classed as "register care" or whatever the exact term is. What I'm trying to understand is what else is on offer.

Can someone help?

[AliBaby]

I think the CCR and CCB are the other way round. Most people get CCR but only low income earners will get CCB or a percentage of it as a reduction in their fees.

I think you can get CCRebate for a nanny if she goes on the books and registers herself as a registered carer.

Hopefully BG will come and answer more about it. She is fabulous at explaining this stuff

[black_rose]

No it's the other way Ali, ccb is what most people get, it reduces your fees. The ccr is for people working or studying more than 15 hours a week upto $7500 a year. It was paid quarterly but it's changing next financial year.

[The[cookie]Doctor]

Child Care Benefit is paid on a means tested sliding scale basis to everyone (but means tested).
You dont currently have to do anything to qualify for the minimum 24 hrs CCB - but your eligibility for a benefit % is means tested.
As b_r said, Child Care Rebate is for people working or studying more than 15 hours a week up to an arbitrarily elected $$$ number each financial year (currently $7500).
You can elect to receive this quarterly or annually, however as b_r said, it is changing in the 2012 financial year and families can elect to receive it or have it paid to the service fortnightly.
For both approved and registered care, both parents must be working or studying to increase 24 hours to a maximum of 50.

Only 'APPROVED' care is eligible for CCR.
As far as I know APPROVED care is only different to REGISTERED care, in that approved carers participate in government stipulated quality assurance and meet the requirements for QA.
For example NCAC (national child care accreditation council) or NQF (national quality framework), are the 'regulating' QA bodies. If a centre of FDC were to fail accreditation they may no longer be considered an approved type of care.

As far as I can tell a Nanny would not make you eligible for CCR.

HTH.

[FabFiona]

To give you an example in my situation... We both work, me three days, DH full time.

CCB: Don't qualify as we earn too much.
CCR: We get the 50% rebate on our fees as it is not linked to how much you earn.

DS is in approved childcare.

There is no Govt subsidy (whether CCR or CCB) that covers nannies.

[Floweryfields]

Put simply
CCB reduces your fees with the centre (based on your family income) -ie you might get 50% ccb and you pay the gap to the centre.
CCR is half of the gap that you pay the centre (which is tested, so you both either need to work, study, etc to receive this) paid quarterly direct to you if you qualify.

[OceanPrincess]

I am so confused! The FAO website says that the CCR can be used for nannies... Hmm!

Hopefully BG might be able to help me out... Seeing as I've been on hold to the FAO for 25mins...

[briggsy's girl]

i'm here!! will type answers now!

[briggsy's girl]

CCB - child care benefit
paid to everyone up to 24 hours of subsidised care per week, for those working/studying/training, it can be paid up to 50 hours per week (minimum 15 hours work/study/training for BOTH parents), beyond 50 hours if required and proven
amount is variable depending on income
CCB can be paid at a zero rate (meaning 0%) depending on incomes
it can be paid direct to child care centre to reduce fees, or can be held for a lump sum payment at tax time

for one child in care, you can get ccb up until combined income is around 135k

calculation
the government pay a basic rate of a maximum of 3.68 per hour (fdc pays more than that, but we'll look at normal day care)

based on your income estimate, you get a percentage of that. so if your CCB is 50%, you get $1.34 per hour off your child care.

most child care centres charge a per day amount. on a $66 a day, 11 hour centre (cos round numbers work for me)!
your hourly charge is $6 per hour, you get $1.34 rebated for ccb, so you pay 4.66 per hour, $51.26 per day


CCR - child care rebate

to qualify for CCR, you have to qualify for CCB (even at a zero rate - this is what happens when your incomes are too high)
it is only payable to those families in which BOTH parties meet the work/study/training test. you do NOT have to meet it for at least 15 hours. 1 hour per week is sufficient. you will get CCR for up to 24 hours if you are working less than 15 hours, 50 hours if you work more

CCR is currently half of your out of pocket costs, paid either quarterly or annually, to a maximum of 7500 per child per annum

in the above example, after CCB, the out of pocket cost was $51.26

the CCR for this person would be $25.63 rebated quarterly or annually

if paid quarterly, the final quarter waits until you do your tax to ensure all ccb and ccr for the year is paid properly





now - the fun bit
from july 4

CCR will be able to be paid more regularly. it can be paid direct to the child care centre to reduce your fees, or direct to you every time the child care centre lodges usage statements (or your normal quarterly or annually)

BUT, you only receive 85% of your CCR entitlement if you opt for direct to centre or direct to you. the other 15% is again held til tax time in case of estimates not being correct.

in the above example, out of pocket costs were 51.26 a day. you would take 85% of your half of out of pocket costs (so 42.5% of total) and take that off the daily bill

so instead of paying 51.26, you'd pay only 29.48 per day

does that help?


as for nannies - some do qualify for ccb for approved care - you just have to find an approved agency. most are registered carers which is a whole different kettle of fish

[briggsy's girl]

please don't be offended by the way i'im going to ask this, but can you PLEASE tell me if i havent "dumbed this down" enough. when you're on the phone, you can feed off someones level of understanding straight away. i don't know if i've simplified it enough in writing though (and can't think of another way to say it sorry!! i'm sick!)

[OceanPrincess]

No offense taken BG. You have written it well thanks!

But I'm still confused

We are going to be using a private nanny. She's not with an agency. She will be here, in our home, for 8hrs a day for 2 or 3 days. DH works full time, I'll be working 3 days (24hrs).

We can't claim CCB because she isn't an approved care facility I think. Can we still claim the CCR?

ETA - does my description above mean I need that other kettle of fish??

[briggsy's girl]

no
CCR is dependent on the care qualifying for CCB

you may qualify for REGISTERED child care IF the nann is registered (i believe in Victoria she needs a license issued by ummmm, ummmmmmmm i think it's DHS, and a department for early child hood or something equally complex that i can't remember)

if she is registered with them, she can provide you receipts for care, outlining the week the care was provided, the number of hours, and the fee charged. provided you are both meeting the work/study/training test for at least 15 hours (which it appears you are), you will be able to claim back Registered Care (often referred to as informal care)

the payment you would receive is paid ONLY after you supply receipts (most people do it quarterly or six monthly) and is all of about 60c an hour to a maximum of 50 hours (i think)


ok, had to check so i didn't misinform you - from the c'link website

Registered care

You are paid Child Care Benefit for registered care directly when you lodge a claim and provide your child care receipts to the Family Assistance Office[1].

The current registered care rate for a non school-age child in up to 50 hours of care per week is $0.615 per hour or $30.75 per week.

Payment rates for school-age children are 85% of the non school-age rate.

[OceanPrincess]

Ahhhh it's beginning to make sense now!!! 60c per hour is pretty average... But better than nothing I guess...

Thanks BG!