Carer Payment & Carer Allowance Calculator (Australia)

Estimate your Australian Carer Payment (the primary income-support payment for full-time carers, paid at Age Pension rates and means-tested) and Carer Allowance (the flat $159.30/fortnight supplement capped at $250,000 family income). Includes Carer Supplement of $600 per qualifying payment. Rates from 20 March 2026.

Carer Payment vs Carer Allowance — two very different payments

Although they sound similar, Carer Payment and Carer Allowance serve different purposes and have very different rules.

  • Carer Payment (CP) — income-support payment. Pension-style, paid at the same rate as Age Pension. Fully means-tested on your income and assets. Treated as your primary income.
  • Carer Allowance (CA) — flat supplementary payment of $159.30/fn ($4,141.80/year). Paid on top of any other income or payment (including wages, CP, JobSeeker). Hard cut-off at $250,000 adjusted family income per year, no taper.

You can receive both at the same time. Most full-time carers do.

Carer Payment means test

Because Carer Payment is pension-style, it uses the Age Pension's income and assets tests. Both are applied; the one that gives the lower payment is the limiting test.

Income test

  • Free area: $218/fn single, $380/fn couple combined
  • Taper: 50c per $1 of assessable income above the free area
  • Work Bonus: deduct up to $300/fn from employment income before applying the test
  • Deeming: financial assets (savings, shares, managed funds) are deemed to earn 1.25% below $64,200 (single) / $106,200 (couple), and 3.25% above

Assets test

  • Threshold: single homeowner $321,500, couple homeowner $481,500 (higher for non-homeowners)
  • Taper: $3/fortnight per $1,000 of assets over the threshold
  • Cut-off: single homeowner $722,000, couple homeowner $1,085,000

Carer Allowance $250,000 income cap

Since 20 September 2018, Carer Allowance is subject to a family-income eligibility test. Unlike pension-style tapers, this is a hard cut-off:

  • Combined adjusted taxable income under $250,000/year → full $159.30/fn
  • Combined adjusted taxable income $250,000 or more → $0

Adjusted taxable income includes:

  • Taxable income (salary, business, rental, capital gains, etc.)
  • Reportable fringe benefits amount (RFBA)
  • Reportable superannuation contributions
  • Net investment losses
  • Tax-free pensions and benefits

Carer Supplement — $600 each July

If you're receiving Carer Payment or Carer Allowance on the qualifying date (typically the first Tuesday of July), Services Australia automatically pays a $600 Carer Supplement. You get one $600 payment per qualifying payment, so stacking both CP and CA pays $1,200 per year.

Related Centrelink calculators

Carer Payment and Carer Allowance sit within the broader Centrelink ecosystem. These calculators cover adjacent payments:

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Carer Payment and Carer Allowance?
Carer Payment (CP) is the primary income-support payment for people who cannot work because they provide constant care. It is paid at the same pension-style rate as the Age Pension (~$1,200.90/fortnight for singles, ~$905.20/fortnight each for couples from 20 March 2026) and is fully means-tested against income and assets. Carer Allowance (CA) is a flat supplementary payment of $159.30/fortnight (Sep 2024 rate) recognising the extra costs of caring. CA is not means-tested on the amount, but your adjusted family income must be under $250,000/year to qualify. CP and CA can be received at the same time — the payments stack.
Who qualifies for Carer Payment?
You can qualify for Carer Payment if you provide constant care (in the person's home) to either (a) an adult who either receives a qualifying pension or scores 30 or more on the Adult Disability Assessment Tool (ADAT), or (b) a child under 16 assessed under the Child Disability Assessment. You must live in Australia and meet Australian residence rules. Unlike Age Pension, there is no minimum age to receive CP.
What is the ADAT score and why does it matter?
The Adult Disability Assessment Tool (ADAT) is how Services Australia decides if the person you care for has care needs severe enough for you to qualify for Carer Payment (adult care pathway). It combines a questionnaire filled out by the carer with a medical assessment from a treating GP. A combined score of 30 or more qualifies. If the person you care for already receives an age-pension or disability-support-pension level qualifying payment, the ADAT is not required.
How does the $250,000 income cap work for Carer Allowance?
Since 20 September 2018, Carer Allowance has been subject to an adjusted-taxable-income test. If your (and your partner's, if any) combined adjusted taxable income is $250,000 or more per year, you get $0 Carer Allowance — it is a hard cut-off, not a taper. Adjusted taxable income includes your taxable income plus reportable fringe benefits, reportable super contributions, net investment losses, and tax-free pensions/benefits. There is no corresponding income cap on Carer Payment (CP uses its own pension-style means test).
Can I stack Carer Payment with Family Tax Benefit or other payments?
Yes. Carer Payment and Carer Allowance can be paid alongside Family Tax Benefit A & B (if you have dependent children), Rent Assistance, Pharmaceutical Allowance and the Pensioner Concession Card. If you also meet Age Pension eligibility, you generally receive CP instead of Age Pension (they are mutually exclusive — CP would be paid as the primary). CA can also be received by people who are working or who receive other income-support payments.
How much is Carer Supplement?
Carer Supplement is a $600 annual lump sum paid automatically each July to people who received a qualifying payment on the supplement-qualifying date. If you receive both Carer Payment and Carer Allowance, you get $600 twice — one for each qualifying payment — for a total of $1,200. You do not need to apply; Services Australia pays it automatically to eligible recipients.
Is Carer Payment taxable? What about Carer Allowance?
Carer Payment is taxable if the person you care for is of Age Pension age (or if you are over Age Pension age yourself). If they are under Age Pension age, CP is not taxable. Carer Allowance and Carer Supplement are completely tax-free and are not counted as income for most other income tests. However, CA does count towards the adjusted-taxable-income definition for some other payments, and both CA and CP reduce your access to the Low Income Tax Offset by not adding to your taxable income in the way wages do.
What is the Carer Adjustment Payment?
The Carer Adjustment Payment (CAP) is a one-off payment of up to $10,000 for families where a child under 7 has been diagnosed with a severe medical condition within the last 2 years, the carer is ineligible for Carer Payment, and the family is in financial hardship. It is discretionary and not calculated here — apply directly to Services Australia. Not to be confused with the regular Carer Payment.

Related guides

Childcare Subsidy and Family Tax Benefit: How They Interact with Your Tax ReturnHow CCS and FTB are calculated, how they reconcile against your tax return, and the key deadlines and traps to avoid in 2025-26.

Related calculators

Vehicle Stamp Duty Calculator Car stamp duty for all states VIC Car Stamp Duty Victoria motor vehicle duty calculator EV Novated Lease Calculator FBT-exempt electric vehicle savings Car Expense Method Optimizer Compare logbook vs cents-per-km (88c, $4,400 cap) and see which method saves more tax NSW Stamp Duty Calculator Estimate transfer duty, fees and deposits in NSW NSW First Home Buyer FHB stamp duty exemption up to $800k

Tax Accuracy & Sources

Reviewed: March 2026 · Tax year: 2025-26

Carer Payment rates mirror Age Pension rates (20 March 2026 indexation). Carer Allowance rate reflects the September 2024 indexation — the official 2026 indexation had not been published at publication. Real entitlements can vary with Rent Assistance, Pharmaceutical Allowance and individual ADAT assessments. Use Services Australia's Payment & Service Finder for a formal assessment.

Last updated 19 April 2026 Tax year 2025-26

Data sources: ATO (ato.gov.au), Services Australia

This tool is general information only, not financial advice.

Read our methodology →