Australian carers will receive a $600 cash boost to supplement ongoing Centrelink payments next month, Services Australia revealed on Wednesday.
The Carer Supplement will automatically hit the bank accounts of eligible recipients between July 3 and August 2.
Carers will receive the $600 annual supplement for each of the carer payments they receive.
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That includes the Carer Payment, which provides income support for over 300,000 Australians who, “because of the demands of their caring role, are unable to support themselves through substantial paid employment,” according to Government data.
It will also supplement the Carer allowance, which can be received in addition to income support payments, and is received by over 640,000 carers who “provide daily care and attention at home for a person with a disability, severe medical condition or who is frail and aged.”
The payment will also supplement recipients of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs Partner Service Pension and Carer Allowance, and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs Carer Service Pension.
Not all recipients reflected in the government datasets will receive the Carer Supplement, Services Australia confirmed.
“How much you get depends on the percentage of care you provide,” Services Australia said.
“You’ll get a Carer Supplement for each eligible payment you get. For example, if you get a Carer Payment and a Carer Allowance, you’ll get two Carer Supplements.”
For a recipient who receives a single Carer Payment for their two children, for example, in addition to two payments of Carer Allowance, they would receive three payments of Carer Supplement up to $1800.
For carers who share the responsibility of caring for someone, and receive a partial payment, they will also receive a percentage of the Carer Supplement based on how much care they provide.
“This payment doesn’t add to your taxable income,” Services Australia said.