Families of children with disability may be eligible for financial assistance, payments and other supports to help with the additional costs of caring for their child. Understanding what assistance is available and the eligibility requirements can help you find the support that is right for your family.
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) funds disability services and supports in Australia. It provides individual support for people with permanent and significant disability, their families and carers. The NDIS aims to provide people with a disability with choice, control and flexibility in the management of their program of services and supports.
Assistance from the NDIS is not means tested and does not impact on income support such as the disability support pension or carers allowance.
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Children and young people under 26 receive hearing services through the Australian Government’s Hearing Services Program through Community Service Obligations (CSO) eligibility. Hearing Australia provides services under the program’s CSO.
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Carer Allowance (child) is a supplementary payment for parents or carers who provide daily care and attention for children with a disability or severe medical condition at home. For the purposes of the Carers Allowance (Child), a young person under the age of 16 with a “45 decibels or more hearing loss in the better ear, based on a 4 frequency pure tone average (using 500, 1,000, 2,000 and 4,000Hz)”, is automatically considered to be a child with a disability. As a result, their parent or carer will receive the allowance without need for further medical assessment until the child turns 16 years of age. There is an income test but no assets test.
If you receive a Carers Allowance (Child), your child becomes an excepted person under Australian Tax Office rulings, which may entitle you to some tax benefits. For further information consult the Australian Tax Office and/or your accountant.
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The Carer Payment can help you if you provide constant care to someone for at least 6 months. Constant care means you provide care for a large amount of time daily. This is roughly equal to a normal working day. This care stops you from working full time.
If you aren’t eligible for one person, you may be eligible for Carer Payment if you care for two or more children with disability or medical conditions.
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Medicare provides benefits for certain assessment and treatment services for children and young people with an eligible disability or complex neurodevelopmental condition.
Hearing loss is included as an eligible disability when it results in:
Other eligible disabilities include deafblindness, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, CHARGE syndrome and a range of other specified conditions.
For an eligible disability, a person must:
Eligible children and young people may be able to receive Medicare benefits for:
Eligible allied health professionals include audiologists, speech pathologists, occupational therapists, psychologists, physiotherapists and several other professions.
Different referral requirements apply to complex neurodevelopmental conditions, such as autism.
Medicare benefits may not cover the full cost of an appointment. Health professionals can set their own fees, so there may be an out-of-pocket cost if the service is not bulk billed.
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A GP Chronic Condition Management Plan (GPCCMP) can help people with a medical condition that has lasted, or is expected to last, for at least six months.
Your GP can work with you to develop a plan based on your health care needs and treatment goals. If appropriate, your GP can refer you to eligible allied health professionals.
Under a GP Chronic Condition Management Plan, Medicare benefits are available for up to five individual allied health services per calendar year. These five services are shared across eligible allied health professions and may include audiologists, speech pathologists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, psychologists and others.
Your GP will determine whether a GP Chronic Condition Management Plan and referral to allied health services are appropriate for you or your child.
Medicare may not cover the full cost of an allied health appointment, so there may be an out-of-pocket cost.
