Centrelink · Carer Allowance

Carer Allowance Calculator

Check your Carer Allowance eligibility against the family income cap and estimate your fortnightly rate — a flat payment per qualifying care receiver, separate from the means-tested Carer Payment.

No assets test$162.60/fn flat rateIncome cap < $250,000
01 —INPUTS

Your and your partner’s combined adjusted taxable income, before tax. There’s no assets test for Carer Allowance.

Carer Allowance pays per qualifying care receiver — enter how many separate Carer Allowance claims you hold or expect to hold.

This is what triggers the Health Care Card note below, not the payment rate itself.

02 —RESULTS
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Enter your combined family income to see your Carer Allowance

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Current rate

A flat rate, not a taper

Component Amount
Carer Allowance per qualifying care receiver, flat rate $162.60/fn
Family adjusted taxable income cap combined, you + partner, per year < $250,000

Rates effective 1 January 2026. Carer Allowance is not part of your taxable income. Rates are indexed by the Department of Social Services on 1 January each year.

Not Carer Payment

Two different Centrelink carer payments

Carer Allowance (this page)

Supplementary flat payment, no assets test, hard family-income cutoff, can be paid on top of other income or income support.

Carer Payment

Pension-rate income support for carers who can't do substantial paid work, with its own income and assets tests. Model it with the Carer Payment & Carer Allowance Calculator, which also includes Carer Allowance in the combined estimate.

Worked examples

Three examples generated by the same calculation engine

One adult care receiver

Combined family income $90,000, one qualifying care receiver.

$162.60 /fortnight

Caring for a child under 16

Combined family income $110,000, one child under 16.

$162.60 /fortnight

Plus a Health Care Card for the child.

Above the income cap

Combined family income $260,000, above the $250,000 cap.

$0.00 /fortnight

Not eligible — no tapered rate above the cap.

FAQ
What is the difference between Carer Allowance and Carer Payment?
They're different payments. Carer Allowance is a supplementary payment of a flat $162.60/fortnight per qualifying care receiver, with no assets test and no taper — you either qualify for the full rate or you don't. Carer Payment is a means-tested income-support pension for carers who can't do substantial paid work, with its own income and assets tests. Many carers get both. If you want the Carer Payment means test, use the Carer Payment & Carer Allowance Calculator, which models both together.
How much is Carer Allowance in 2026?
Carer Allowance is $162.60 a fortnight for each person you provide qualifying care for. It isn't means-tested below the family income cap — your work income won't reduce it. The rate is adjusted by the Department of Social Services on 1 January each year.
What is the Carer Allowance income test?
There's no assets test. The income test is a hard cutoff: your and your partner's combined adjusted taxable income must be less than $250,000 a year, before tax. Below that cap you get the full flat rate regardless of exactly how much you earn; at or above it, Carer Allowance is not payable. There is no income test on the person you care for.
Do I get a Health Care Card with Carer Allowance?
If the person you care for is younger than 16, you automatically receive a Health Care Card for them. It helps with the cost of their medicine and health care. There's no separate Health Care Card entitlement tied to caring for someone 16 or older through Carer Allowance itself.
Can I get Carer Allowance for more than one person?
Yes. Carer Allowance is paid per qualifying care receiver, so if you separately qualify for more than one person — for example two children with disability — each one generates its own fortnightly payment. If you share the care of someone with another carer who isn't your partner, you may only get a part payment based on your share of the care.

Related guides

Family Tax Benefit Rates 2026-27: Part A & Part B Explained The current FTB Part A and Part B maximum and base rates, the $69,131 free area, the $123,078 higher threshold, and how the two income tests taper your payment. Family Tax Benefit Supplements 2026: The $80,000 Threshold & End-of-Year Top-Up How the FTB Part A ($970.90/child) and Part B ($478.15/family) supplements work — the $80,000 income cliff, the balancing-time payout, and the immunisation gate. Are Centrelink Payments Taxable? The Full 2026 Breakdown Which Centrelink payments are taxable, which are tax-free, the beneficiary tax offset, and why payment plus wages can leave you with a tax bill.

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Tax Accuracy & Sources

Reviewed: August 2026 · Tax year: 2026-27

This calculator checks the Carer Allowance family income cap and applies the flat published rate per entered qualifying care receiver. It does not determine formal medical or care-receiver assessment, shared-care part rates, or Carer Payment means testing.