Parents Like Me! > Financial assistance

... I was put on a single parent pension ... I had had the children for seven years before I found out that I could get an orphans allowance ... I had never been told because they [Centrelink] treated me like a single parent instead of a single grandparent carer ...

Not that long ago, when asked about financial issues, many Grandcarers would angrily state Photo of grandparents that they were not recognised as legitimate carers according to the current guidelines, or that they could not satisfy means test criteria, either because they owned their own home or because were already in receipt of an aged pension or widow or disability benefits.

While many financial benefits and allowances are still means tested, there has been a general loosening of criteria so that Grandcarers may now be eligible for a range of benefits and allowances for which they were not previously.

What's new?

Family Assistance Offices (FAO)
The Australian Government has also finally realised the extent of the confusion caused to clients when dealing with multiple agencies that often do not appear to know, or understand, how each other operates. Thus, it has undertaken to simplify the access process by setting up one-stop shopfront offices across the country. These Family Assistance Offices allow families to get all their Medicare, Centrelink and Tax needs met in one place.

For more information about:

Services offered by the Family Assistance Office
FAO publications, click the link to Are you a Grandparent (or relative) caring for children, or go to the ‘Publications’ page.
Payments to help you raise a child, visit http://www.centrelink.gov.au/internet/internet.nsf/individuals/pg_payments.htm
Payments while your child is ill, injured or has a disability, visit http://www.centrelink.gov.au/internet/internet.nsf/individuals/iid_pay_child.htm

Centrelink Grandcarer Client Services
In Western Australian there is now a dedicated adviser to help Grandcarers access Centrelink payments and services. For more information about Centrelink’s Grandcarer Client Services phone Susan Thornton (WA Grandparent Client Liaison Officer) at 1800 245 965

Medicare Australia
In recognition of the varying degrees of ‘formality’ in care arrangements, the Australian Government has made it easier for grandparents to claim Medicare benefits on their grandchild’s behalf, even if the child does not appear on their Medicare card. The three main of ways of doing this are reproduced from the Medicare website:

When visiting a bulk billing doctor the practice staff can call 13 21 50 to get the child’s Medicare card number to enable the claim to be processed.
The grandparent can pay for the service and have the receipt made out in their name and claim the reimbursement from Medicare Australia.
Where the grandparent is the primary carer, and can provide evidence of this, the child may also be enrolled on their Medicare card.

Hardcopy information for grandparents and other carers can also be downloaded from this page.

Allen, R. (2002). Grandparents as carers: A look at the situation faced by grandparents who are raising their grandchildren on behalf of the children's parents. Perth, Western Australia: KidLink.
Cuddeback, G. S. (2004). Kinship family foster care: a methodological and substantive synthesis of research. Children and Youth Services Review, 26 (7), 623-639.
Department of Human Services (2003). Public parenting: A review of home-based care in Victoria. Melbourne, Victoria: Victorian Government.
Families Australia. (2007). Grandparenting: Present & Future. (Family Issues Series No. 2). Barton, ACT: Families Australia.
Fitzpatrick, M. (2004). Grandparents raising grandchildren: A report commissioned by the Hon Larry Anthony Minister for Children & Youth Affairs (SA17). Melbourne, Victoria: COTA National Seniors.
Grandfamilies:A Resource Guide for Western Australian Grandparents Raising Grandchildren. (2005) (2nd ed.). Perth, Western Australia: Office for Seniors Interests and Volunteering.
Horner, B., Downie, J., & Wichmann, H. (2005). The Intergenerational Response Against Drugs (TIRAD): A needs specific intervention for grandparents parenting grandchildren where the parents have substance abuse problems. A report to Wanslea Family Services and Community Vision Incorporated. Bentley, Western Australia: Centre for Research into Aged Care Services, School of Nursing and Midwifery at Curtin University of Technology.
Landry-Meyer, L., & Newman, B. (2004). An exploration of the grandparent caregiver role. Journal of Family Issues, 25(8), 1005-1025.
Mason, J., Falloon, J., Gibbons, L., Spence, N., & Scott, E., (2002). Understanding Kinship Care. A report on a research project undertaken by The University of Western Sydney and the Association of Childrens Welfare Agencies. Haymarket, New South Wales: Association of Childrens Welfare Agencies.
Orb, A., Davey, M., & Henderson, S. (2004). Perceptions of grandparents as primary caregivers of their grandchildren. Bentley, Western Australia: Centre for Research into Aged Care Services, Curtin University of Technology.