Centrelink the ATO – Government and Carers
Fact list
- Carers must provide 143 hours minimum care per week in order to collect the $1.91 per hour carers payment.
- If a carer works or studies or volunteers or all/any of these things combined over these hours – and this is including travel time the carer is terminated from the carer payment as ineligible – even if they have made less in income than the payment.
- There are no tax offsets if a carer cannot leave the person they care for while they work and must pay for the cost of care in order to do so.
- A carer on a middle income paying for care of an adult can end up earning as little or less than the carers payment after costs associated with care.
- The carers payment is taxable if caring for a parent over the age of 65.
- Families cannot offset the cost of equipment caring for a child or adult with disability.(see treasurers response) page 2 and 3.
- If a carer resides in public housing the carer pays 25% of their untaxed income for rent with no adjustments for the cost of care needed to be paid in order to earn that income (even if caring for an adult who under Australian law is financially responsible for themselves).
- In 2009 the Australian government spent 1.938 billion in carers payment.
- In 2009 the Australian government spent 1.801 billion in carers allowance.
- In 2009 it was estimated that unpaid care saved the economy more than 33 billion.
- In Australia a person with disability has no rights to services until they are 65 years of age which means their carer (usually mother) is not eligible for help until they are over 80.
- Australia has parent carers begging for help who are still caring for severely disabled sons and daughters into their 80′s and 90′s.
- An elderly parent carer can be accessing services for their own age related disabilities but still be expected to provide all care to severly disabled middle aged sons and daughters.