Caring for a child with disability or illness as they get older

Changes to Carer Payment and Carer Allowance

When a child you care for is turning 16, Services Australia will write to you. They’ll ask you to request a transfer from child payments to adult payments. If you don’t submit a request, your payments will stop.

Use the Services Australia website to find out more about:

• transferring Carer Payment and Carer Allowance from child to adult
• changes to payments as your child with disability gets older.

Payments the child you care for may get

When the child you care for is 16 or older they may get their own Centrelink payment. Find out about support they may get from Centrelink, the National Disability insurance Scheme (NDIS) and their state or territory government.

When the child you care for becomes independent

As the child you care for grows older and closer to adulthood, they may be able to do more without your help. Find out what they may be able to do as they’re getting older and becoming independent.

Becoming their guardian, power of attorney or representative

As the child you care for gets older you may need to become their guardian or power of attorney. You can also be their representative and use myGov to manage government services for them.

Find out more about power of attorney or guardianship and using myGov to act on behalf of someone else.