Parenting Payment v's Carer Payment

Ok, I'm all confused, which is easily done these days..... :rolleyes:

At the moment I get FTB A & B.... and Parenting Payment while Ad isn't working. Ad gets newstart.

Ad is at Centrelink today letting them know he has part time work. So not sure yet if he'll be earning enough to keep Newstart and my Parenting Payment up, or get some, or lose it altogether.

I just rang and got them to send me the Carer Payment and Allowance forms. If I do get theses payments I lose the Parenting payment.

Does the Carer payments affect FTB??


The site says if we are a couple, we both get the payment. How does that work, and can Ad get that while working, or will I get the single rate?

Do we both apply, or will they work that out automatically when I apply?

Kane is demanding more and more time as he gets older, with his hearing loss and intense speech therapy, and the guy I spoke to said provided the doc writes down all the extra care it takes us, and the travelling that makes working even harder, we should be fine.

I really cant go sit at centrelink with questions, I'm just not up to it. I need to go in when I kinda know what i'm doing if that makes sense....:redface:

ok, carers payment is like disability pension - but is paid to the carer of someone who has a severe disability that requires at least a certain amount of additional care every day. given you've not qualified for carer allowance in the past, unless your doctor makes a hell of a lot of changes to the application this time, you won't qualify again. it is paid to the primary carer of the child

it is not usually paid alongside ppp - as ppp is paid to the primary carer of the children. unless you are now stating, and your doctor supports it - that K takes so much care that you are unable to be the primary carer for the other children, then the PPP won't be paid - Ad would still have to go on and off newstart as he is at the moment.

with the income thing - as you're probably aware, if he has work, his newstart will cut out when it goes over about $770 a fornight (give or take) - the PPP will be impacted as well - if he earns enough that you get no PPP at all, this has to happen 6 fortnights in a row before your payment is cancelled.

I understand that if the Carer payment goes ahead, I lose PPP.
Thats fine. Ill probably lose it soon with Ads work anyway, I hope!!! I'd love him to earn enough that we dont get it!! ;)

The actual form has changed from when i did it last time too. The guy went through it with me a little.
Kane wasn't having speech therapy before, he was too little. And he is still failing his hearing tests, which is actually a point on the form, not something the doc needs to add this time.
Since he cant get intense therapy up here, (we have 1 speechie for the whole area, Kane hasn't even had his pre lim app yet!! :o ) and we are travelling 10 hrs each trip for speech, it covers the amount of travel taken to get treatment. Thats considered extra hours of care.
Also his hearing tests cant be done here either, and he needs these regulary to go with his speech.

I do have some hearing test results here that I will take in to the docs with me.
I did ask the guy about my doc filling in the form, when its his specialist in Sydney that can better explain the extra work we do with Kane on a daily basis between visits. He said for the doc to write that the specialist have more understanding of the extra work, but that he is aware of how much time it takes each day to go through the speech workbooks, and that we get no help at all locally for him.

There is also a section to mark whether the child is delayed in normal developemental stages, and in speech and hearing he definatly falls into the "way below normal" range.

No other adult can understand his mumblings. As his hearing is so bad, he actually speaks like a deaf person.
Have you seen the lady on Play school that signs for the kids? How she is mumbly? Kane speaks similar to that,(but worse) and will always speak that way without intense and long term help. He already has grommits in, and it didn't seem to work... I though they did, but the hearing test showed no difference... :wall:

If I dont qualify, then thats fine. I dont want a payment I'm not entitled to. :D

Far out Jodie! I can't believe that there is only one speechie where you are! I hope he gets in with the local one soon so you don't have to travel so far for it anymore :hug:

hun, i wasn't saying you won't qualify - just letting you know that the qualification for payment is harder for the payment than the allowance!

last time i looked travel wasn't an indicator of time spent, which put "rural" people at much more of a disadvantage - glad it's included now

with the PPP - i was saying i dont' think your DH will be able to get it as you are still the primary carer - PPP is only for the primary carer kwim?

Yeah, BG thats whats confusing me, sorry I must of wrote it wrong.... :redface: I meant Ad getting the carers Payment too....

I looked in the rates for the Carers payment.... there is one payment for singles, and another one for "couples" with an amount they get "each"?? Its less than the single one, but you both get it?

I thought if I did get it, it would be just for me, not under a couple thing?

Like with Ad on newstart... he gets $400 p/f, as he is a couple, and I get $400 p/f as PPP. As a single you get over $500 I think.

The Carers one was written very similar, as in for both of us?? But I dont understand why we would both get payments, not just the one?


Yep, there is a question that asks how much of your time is spent going to and from appointments, as that is "extra" over a "normal" child, and takes you away from family and work.

Trill, we used to have 2!! Yippee!!! :doh: NOT....

If I can get Carers payment, I could afford to go to Armidale and pay for the private one there!!! :D :D

the single rate is always higher - basically, they look at it that, if there are two people in a house, they will share the expense of things like gas, electricity and water. if you're single, you'll pay twice as much for these things. so, only one of you will get the payment, and it will be paid at a lesser rate than what a single parent on carers would get (as they have to foot the bills on a single income)

i guess they look at it that, if you're single, you get 500 for everything. if you're partnered, you won't have twice the expense, so you get 800 ish between you

i so hope that makes sense - very hard to put it in words when you can't confirm understanding as you go lol

Yep, I understood why its done that way for Newstart and PP,( and I'm glad it is, the $800 is better than $500!) but I wondered why its like that for the Carers payment?

I thought it would be for the primary carer, but if I read it right, we would both get it, if we earnt under the limit?
I wondered if I buggered it up and didn't read it right..... It seems strange we would both get it... happy if we do, but I think I must have it wrong..... :redface::redface:
And if we do both get it, do we both have to apply, or will the one form cover us??

P.S.....Thankyou AGAIN for your help, you must think I'm pretty simple!!! :rofl:

the only way two people can get it is if there are two people requiring additional care - so if you had two kids and both you and A had to stay home to care for them as the care needs were that much more kwim?

a lot of times the mention of both people being on payment is made as there will be an adult on disability pension, another on carers kwim?

ooh, just thought i'd add - i just checked the site - the info on payment amounts (which are more than you said) apply to a single person, or a member of a couple - not both members.

HTH

carer payment is a better payment to recieve as there are two parts.
One is $500 and the other $150 So its 650 a f/t and you still get FTB a and B

Your hubby can get carers too if he is providing care for your son. (If i read right)
This will increase your overall amount per f/t

Dont stress about the forms. Just take them to his dr and then answer the q's you need to answer after the dr. that way it will be easier for you and whilst it can take a while to get processed it is well worth it for the extra money every f/t and you will get backpaid from the date you hand in the forms so go the the dr asap

Goodluck

i think you'll find you read the info wrongly. it says if you're a member of a couple. not payment per person within a couple

in any case, it doesn't apply here - PB's child requires additional care that she is able to provide. her DH is able to go to work - it doesn't take two people full time to care for his issues. the criteria are pretty black and white - you have to be taking care of your child for significant additional time than a child without a disability would require you to care for them...