Hi,
My partner recently left me and I am currently studying to return to the workforce. I have applied for parenting payment single and when I was talking to Centrelink the other day I was told by the lady I should be eligible to also apply for a carers pension for my youngest (ASD) child and that because I have eligibile children, I would be able to receive both payments.. does anyone know if this is actually correct as it seems strange?
5 Replies
I’m sure it’s either 1 or the other not both!
It’s wrong and ASD is not an automatic criteria for getting carers pension. You may qualify for the carers PAYMENT automatically (if you aren’t already receiving it). I’d apply for single parent payment, FTB and the carers payment (as that can be received at the same time as other payments).
The carers pension has extremely lengthy waits and is really designed for parents who can’t work because there child’s disability is so severe. Our application, took 6 months including one appeal. My son is severely autistic, severe intellectual disability, epilepsy (uncontrollable) and I could not work or study due to his high care needs.
One or the other unless you get the allowance. You may get the carer allowance with parenting but not the career payment and parenting.
If you have documentation, it doesn't hurt to apply. Careers payment however limits your activity work, study, volunteer to 25hours per week.
Parenting payment & carer allowance OR carers payment (which is more than PPS) & carers allowance. Get PPS organised and allowance and then go about putting through a very thorough report for carers payment.
ASD is particularly hard to get carers pension for, you will need to jump through a lot of hoops and it will have to be severe. Get SPP, talk to doctor and maybe apply if they think you would be eligible. Also, if your children are under school age it is especially hard to get as Centrelink deem all toddler/young children as having high needs (nappies/toileting, speech, unable to feed themselves), so you have to prove care is well beyond what is normal for a child your child’s age.