Who is eligible for the Relatives Allowance Package?
Children who are orphaned or who cannot be cared for by their parents and who are in the permanent full-time care of relatives may attract a Relative Allowance Package from Children and Family Services.
A child is in the permanent care of a Relative where there is an agreement between the parent(s) and Relative Carer. In some cases the care arrangement may be formalised via a Family Court Order.
The child should not be the subject of a Children's Court Assessment or Care and Protection Order, that has transferred the custody and/or guardianship of the child to the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.
To be eligible for the allowance, the relative carers must have taken all possible action to obtain maintenance payments from the person or estate that is liable to support the child. Applicant relative carers should also be in receipt of Centrelink assistance such as carer payments and Family Tax Benefit.
What is a Relatives Allowance Package?
The Relative Care Assistance Program provides financial assistance for each eligible child. Children are eligible until the age of 18 years providing that when they are aged 16 and 17 years they are receiving Youth Allowance payments from Centrelink at the dependent (at home) rate. The level of assistance per eligible child is:
- a fortnightly payment of $28;
- two lump sum payments of $364 (or pro-rata payments for children who have been in the program for less than six months) payable in May and November; and
- a Christmas payment of $75 payable in December.
In addition the Program provides an annual clothing payment of $165 for children under 16 years of age payable in January. A pro-rata payment is paid for new applications received during the year.