Aged Care
Carer Payment and Carer Allowance 2026: Rates, Eligibility and What Happens When Your Parent Moves Into Aged Care
If you care for a parent, partner or relative at home, you may be entitled to financial support from the Australian Government. The two main payments are Carer Payment and Carer Allowance. They are often confused, they have different rules, and both change when the person you care for goes into hospital, respite or permanent aged care.
This guide explains how much Carer Payment and Carer Allowance pay from 20 September 2026, who is eligible, how to apply, and exactly what happens to your payments when your parent moves into an aged care home. All figures are from Services Australia and were current at the time of writing.
CARER PAYMENT · $1,237.70
per fortnight, single (maximum)
CARER PAYMENT, COUPLES · $933.00
per fortnight, each (maximum)
CARER ALLOWANCE · $162.60
per fortnight
CARER SUPPLEMENT · $600
each July, per eligible payment
Rates from 20 September 2026. Pension-based rates are indexed each March and September.
Carer Payment vs Carer Allowance: What Is the Difference?
The simplest way to think about it: Carer Payment replaces income for people who cannot work much because they provide constant care. Carer Allowance is an extra payment for people giving daily care, whether or not they work. Many carers receive both. Each has its own eligibility rules, so it is worth checking both even if you think you only qualify for one. Carer Payment is designed for carers whose caring role limits their ability to work, while Carer Allowance recognises the extra costs and effort of daily care regardless of your other income.
| Carer Payment | Carer Allowance | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | An income support payment, paid at the same rate as the Age Pension | A supplementary payment, paid on top of wages or other payments |
| Level of care | Constant care, every day, for a significant part of the day | Daily care and attention |
| Means test | Income and assets tested, for both you and the person you care for | An income limit only, with no assets test |
| Work and study | Up to 100 hours of work, study, volunteering or training over 4 weeks, including travel | No work hours limit |
| Taxable | Depends on your and the care receiver’s ages. Check with Services Australia | No |
How Much Is Carer Payment and Carer Allowance in 2026?
From 20 September 2026, the maximum Carer Payment is $1,237.70 a fortnight for a single person and $933.00 a fortnight each for a couple, including supplements. This is the same as the Age Pension, and it rises each March and September. The amount you actually receive depends on your income and assets.
Carer Allowance is $162.60 a fortnight. If you care for more than one eligible person, you may receive Carer Allowance for each of them. Unlike Carer Payment, it is not reduced by your assets, and it is not counted as taxable income.
Anyone receiving Carer Payment or Carer Allowance for a period that includes 1 July is also paid the Carer Supplement of up to $600 for each eligible payment each year, paid automatically. If you receive both payments, that can mean up to $1,200 a year. Check the latest figures on Services Australia.
FACT CHECK: Is there a $3,000 carer payment?
No. There is no $3,000 one-off payment for carers. Claims about large new Centrelink payments regularly circulate online and on social media. In 2024, the ABC reported that Services Australia confirmed similar advertised payments “don’t exist”, and warned that such websites can resemble scams.
The genuine extra payment for carers is the annual Carer Supplement, paid each July. Never share your myGov or Centrelink details through a link in a text, email or social media post. Check payments only at servicesaustralia.gov.au or my.gov.au.
Who Is Eligible for Carer Payment and Carer Allowance?
Both payments are for people caring for someone with a disability, a severe medical condition, or who is frail aged. The main requirements are:
Carer Payment
- You provide constant care every day
- The person’s care needs are assessed through a medical report and care needs tool
- You meet the income and assets tests
- The person you care for meets their own income and assets test
- You and the person you care for meet residence rules
Carer Allowance
- You give daily care and attention
- The person’s care needs meet the medical assessment
- Your household’s adjusted taxable income is under the limit
- You and the person you care for meet residence rules
You do not have to live with the person you care for, but Services Australia will check that distance and travel time do not stop you providing the care required. An aged care assessment is a separate process. Getting approved for aged care does not, on its own, make you eligible for a carer payment. Our guide to the aged care assessment team explains that process.
Carer Payment Income and Assets Tests Explained
Your income and assets. Carer Payment uses the same income and assets tests as the Age Pension. If your income or assets are above certain limits, your fortnightly payment reduces, and above the upper limits it stops. The limits are different for singles and couples, and for homeowners and non-homeowners, and they are indexed regularly.
The care receiver’s income and assets. The person you care for also has to meet an income and assets test for you to receive Carer Payment, unless they already receive an income support payment such as the Age Pension. Most older people receiving the Age Pension meet this automatically.
Carer Allowance. There is no assets test, but your family’s combined adjusted taxable income must be under the annual limit set by Services Australia. Because thresholds change, use the Services Australia Payment and Service Finder or call 132 717 to check where you stand before you claim.
How to Apply for Carer Payment and Carer Allowance
STEP 1: Check eligibility using the Services Australia Payment and Service Finder.
STEP 2: Get the medical report. The person you care for usually needs their GP or specialist to complete the Carer Payment and Carer Allowance medical report.
STEP 3: Gather documents covering identity, income and assets for you and the person you care for.
STEP 4: Claim online through your Centrelink account in myGov, or call Services Australia on 132 717 for help.
What Happens to Carer Payment When Your Parent Moves Into Aged Care?
This is where many families get caught out. What happens depends on why your parent is away from home and for how long. You must tell Services Australia within 14 days of any change.
RESPITE STAY · Payments usually continue
You can have up to 63 days of respite each calendar year without your payment stopping. A residential respite stay uses these days.
HOSPITAL STAY · Separate 63 days
For a person aged 16 or over, payments can continue for up to 63 days of hospitalisation each calendar year. These are separate from your respite days.
PERMANENT AGED CARE · Payments generally stop
Once the aged care home provides the care, you are usually no longer considered their carer. Ask Services Australia what other payments you may be eligible for.
According to Services Australia, respite days can be used for anything, including a holiday or simply a break from caring. If your parent is in hospital for more than 63 days in a year, some respite days may be used to keep your payment going, and Services Australia will check in after 12 weeks in hospital.
If the person you care for dies, contact Services Australia as soon as you can. You may be eligible for bereavement payments, which can help during the adjustment period.
Do not confuse these two “63 day” rules
Carer Payment respite days
63 days per calendar year (1 January to 31 December). Set by Services Australia. Lets the carer take breaks without losing payments.
Residential respite days
63 days per financial year (1 July to 30 June), extendable by 21 days. Set under aged care rules. Covers subsidised respite stays in an aged care home.
A respite stay in an aged care home can count toward both, but they are tracked separately and reset at different times.
Common Mistakes Carers Make
Not reporting changes within 14 days. Late reporting of a hospital stay, respite break or permanent move can lead to overpayments that must be paid back.
Not claiming Carer Allowance. Many carers on the Age Pension or working part-time do not realise they may also qualify for Carer Allowance.
Mixing up the two 63-day rules. Running out of Carer Payment respite days while the aged care respite allowance still has days left, or the other way around.
Trusting payment rumours. Acting on social media posts about new payments instead of checking with Services Australia directly.
Planning the Move Into Aged Care as a Carer
Budget for the change. When Carer Payment stops, your household income may drop. Speak with Services Australia early about what payments you may move to, such as the Age Pension if you have reached pension age.
Use respite first. A residential respite stay lets your parent try an aged care home while your carer payments continue, as long as you have respite days left.
Plan the fees. Aged care fees are worked out separately through a Services Australia means assessment. Our guides to aged care home fees and what happens to your home in aged care explain the costs.
Look after yourself. The end of a long caring role brings relief, grief and a big change in routine all at once. Carer Gateway on 1800 422 737 offers free counselling and support. Our guides for the ageing carer in Australia and on carer fatigue may also help.
Other Support for Carers
Financial support is only one part of the picture. Carer Gateway, the Australian Government’s free service for unpaid carers, offers counselling, coaching, peer support, online skills courses and emergency respite. You can reach it on 1800 422 737.
If the person you care for is waiting for aged care services, getting an aged care assessment early helps. It can open up home support and residential respite, giving you regular breaks while your carer payments continue. If a crisis happens, our guide to emergency respite care explains who to call and what to do.
Respite and Aged Care at Superior Care Group
Superior Care Group is a family-owned aged care provider that has cared for older Queenslanders for over 45 years. At Wellington Park in Wellington Point and Merrimac Park on the Gold Coast, we offer residential respite and permanent care with Registered Nurses on site around the clock. If you are a carer thinking about a break, or about the next step for your parent, our team can talk you through availability and what to expect.
Need a break from caring?
Wellington Park (07) 3822 1876 · Merrimac Park (07) 5618 1111
Sources: Services Australia: How much Carer Payment you can get · Services Australia: Breaks from caring (Carer Payment) · Services Australia: Breaks from caring (Carer Allowance) · ABC News: Non-existent Centrelink payment scams. General information only. Confirm your entitlements with Services Australia.
