My child (11) has recently been diagnosed with an intellectual disability and I’ve been told I need to fill out forms for carers allowance and payment.
I’m currently on single parenting payments, family tax and I work 30 hours a week. I have 3 other children.
If I don’t fill out the forms for carers payment is my child still entitled to ndis funding and speech therapists etc ?
I’ve been told I can’t get carers and single parenting payments at the same time, but carers have a lower tolerance for working, I think someone said I would only be allowed to work a maximum of 25 hours a week but sometimes I do 40 or 50 but usually 30-35.
I love my job because it’s in school hours mostly and gives me a little escape from the house and I see other adults. I have no friends or family in the town I live in. Everyone is 9/10 hours away.
I also don’t want to be selfish and have my child miss out on funding and additional educational support just so I can work though, obviously I’d cut my hours if they let me or I’d quit if they didn’t so I could change to carers payment.
So confusing. I thought with a diagnosis life would become a little easier but now it’s just more and more paperwork and honestly it’s so overwhelming. 😔
Carers payment v’s single parenting payment
Carers payment v’s single parenting payment
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Money
3 Replies
The Centrelink payment you are on should not affect your child’s eligibility for NDIS. It’s your choice whether to see if you can switch to carers payment or not. Depending on the level of care needed, you may not be eligible. Definitely apply for carers allowance. It’s not taxable and isn’t based on your annual income. If you’re eligible it’s an extra $131.90 a fortnight. If you stay on SPP be aware that you’ll be automatically transferred to jobseeker payment when your youngest turns 6 or 8 (whichever it currently is), and go on a job plan, where you’ll need to work a set number of hours per fortnight or apply for a set number of jobs a month.
Mother of son with disabilities here.
1. You don’t have to apply for carers allowance and carers payment. You can if you want to.
2. Carers payments do not effect NDIS nor does NDIS effect Centrelink payments.
3. You are correct, you can’t work as much on Carers payment and you can’t get Carers payment and parenting payment single.
4. To get Carers payment you have to prove that you can’t work in a meaningful way due to the high care needs of your child. That’s obviously not true at the moment for you but it maybe in the future.
5. You can apply for Carers allowance on it’s own. It’s a much lower threshold to be approved.
Yes i had a friend say carers prevents you from working as that's what youre paid for.
Not sure if it affects ndis sorry, hope it doesn't as surely the diagnosis is what gets the child ndis, parents work/payment status doesn't change the child's needs!