The Welfare Rights Centre (WRC)

An important resource ALL carers should know about, with a range of useful information including about Carers Allowance!

Article | November 22, 2011

The Welfare Rights Centre, is an independent community legal centre specializing in social security law and issues associated with Centrelink benefit payments etc. The Centre services all of NSW excluding the Illawarra which has its own separate similar service.

Essentially there are three key areas that WRC is able to provide advice on:

Qualification determination meaning assessment criteria and means to access Carer Payments, Carer allowance, Newstart etc

Variety of exemptions that apply or adjustments that can be made to activity requirements to be eligible
General issues on eligibility requirements; debts considerations etc.

Of particular interest to callers to ARAFMI telephone Infoline and mental health carers generally, is information relating to the benefits which may be available to carers and their loved ones through Centrelink, like qualification issues (Disability Support Pension, Carer Payment, Carer Allowance, Newstart).

Importantly, even if a carer is deemed NOT eligible for a Carer Payment, they MAY in fact be eligible for a Carer Allowance instead.

Carer Allowance Facts and basic criteria:

Carers Allowance pays $110.00 per fortnight and not means tested for receipt

Minimum of 20 hours of care giving is necessary and/or daily act of caring is necessary for eligibility
Payments may be split by 2 carers
2 carers may each get a separate Allowance
Care may take the form of sustaining life
Care may take the form of supporting daily bodily functioning

Some TIPS and DEFINITIONS carers should be aware when dealing with Centrelink to access benefits:

When completing forms (for payment eligibility etc) always define or describe “care” you provide based on an average bad day in the life of care-giving.
Carers have up to sixty three days per calendar year for which they can claim; this does not include days not providing care or weekends. Full time caring is care giving equivalent to thirty eight hour working week.
Two people in household may each get a carers payment if there is an exchanged care agreement for two or more disabled children as long as there is at least one disabled child being cared at all times.

Welfare Rights Factsheets