Tag: CCS Eligibility

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CCS Eligibility

Residence rules for Child Care Subsidy (CCS)

To be eligible for Child Care Subsidy you must meet the residence rules.

On the day you claim, you or your partner must be living in Australia and also have one of the following:

  • Australian citizenship
  • a permanent visa
  • a Special Category visa
  • a certain temporary visa that is partner provisional or temporary protection type visa.

Special Category visa (SCV)

You’ll generally get a Special Category visa (SCV) if you came to Australia on a New Zealand passport, and you didn’t apply for a visa first. The type of SCV you get depends on when you arrived in Australia.

Temporary protection type visas

If you hold a temporary protection type visa, you can claim some payments and concession cards.

Temporary protection type visas include:

  • subclass 060 – Bridging F
  • subclass 070 – Bridging (Removal Pending)
  • subclass 449 – Humanitarian Stay
  • subclass 785 – Temporary Protection
  • subclass 786 – Temporary (Humanitarian Concern)
  • subclass 790 – Safe Haven Enterprise
  • subclass ZB 951 – Criminal Justice Stay (only when granted for certain purposes).

Partner provisional visas

If you hold a partner provisional visa, you can claim some payments and concession cards.

Partner provisional visas include:

  • subclass 820 – Partner (temporary)
  • subclass 309 – Partner (provisional).

Please note: Most temporary residents do not meet the residence rules and so are not eligible, for example, the temporary skill shortage visa 482.

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CCS Eligibility CCS News CCS Rates

CCS Family eligibility and entitlement from 10 July 2023

From 10 July 2023, CCS is changing. This page outlines what’s changing for providers and services that administer CCS. Families can use the CCS Calculator at www.childcaresubsidycalculator.com.au to find out what their future rates may be.

Who can get CCS?

Families must meet eligibility criteria to get CCS.

Parents must:

  • care for their child at least 2 nights per fortnight or have 14% share of care
  • be liable for child care fees at an approved child care service
  • meet residency requirements.

Their child must:

  • meet immunisation requirements
  • not be attending secondary school (unless an exemption applies)
  • be 13 or under (except in certain circumstances).

If a child doesn’t attend a session of care at least once in 26 consecutive weeks, they will stop being eligible for CCS. If a child starts to attend care again, a family can make a new claim for CCS.

How much CCS can a family get?

The amount of CCS a family can get depends on their circumstances.

The family income limit to get CCS is increasing to $530,000. The maximum amount of CCS is increasing from 85% to 90%.

CCS rates from 10 July 2023

Family incomeSubsidy rate
$0 to $80,00090%
More than $80,000 to below $530,000Decreasing from 90% The percentage decreases by 1% for every $5,000 of income a family earns 
$530,000 or more0%

Number of children in care 

Families with more than one child aged 5 or under in care can get a higher subsidy for their second child and younger children.  

From 10 July 2023, the rates for each child are worked out using two separate income tests.

The ‘standard rate child’ is usually the eldest CCS eligible child aged 5 or under. From 10 July 2023, the standard rate child will get the standard CCS rates.

The ‘higher rate child’ is the second and any younger children aged 5 or under. The higher rate for second and younger children is calculated using the for second and younger children.

The higher subsidy for second and younger children will end when a family earns $362,408 or more.

Rates for second and younger children from 10 July 2023

Family income  Second and younger children subsidy rate
$0 to $138,11895%
More than $138,118 to below $183,118Decreasing from 95%The percentage decreases by 1% for every $3,000 of income a family earns 
$183,118 to below $262,40880%
$262,408 to below $352,408Decreasing from 80%The percentage decreases by 1% for every $3,000 of income a family earns
$352,408 to below $362,40850%
$362,408 or moreHigher CCS rates no longer apply, all children in the family will receive the standard CCS rate

2023–24 hourly rate caps

Care typeHourly rate cap
for children below school age		Hourly rate cap
for school-age children
Centre Based Day Care$13.73$12.02
Outside School Hours Care$13.73$12.02
Family Day Care$12.72$12.72
In Home Care (per family)$37.34$37.34
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CCS Eligibility CCS News

New CCS eligibility rule is starting from 11 July 2022: 26-week rule

A new CCS eligibility rule is starting soon.

From 11 July, a child who hasn’t used care at least once in the previous 26 weeks will no longer be eligible for CCS.

If a child has not attended care since 10 January 2022, their CCS will cancel from 11 July. The rule will apply on an ongoing basis from this date. Families will need to submit a new CCS claim if the child re-commences care.

Services Australia will notify impacted families. Child care centres do not need to take action.

Services Australia will not raise CCS debts when applying the 26-week rule. Any changes to CCS entitlement will only apply from the date of cancellation.

Will the rule impact a family’s higher CCS?

Families with more than one child aged 5 or under in care can get a higher CCS for their second child and younger children.

The 26-week rule may affect a family’s entitlement to the higher CCS.

If a standard rate child’s CCS eligibility ends, Services Australia will reassess all other children in the family to determine:

  • the new standard rate child
  • new subsidy rates.

If a child starts to attend care again, after their CCS was cancelled, the family can lodge a new claim for CCS.

The 26-week rule will not affect any backpay made to combined families for any higher subsidy they were eligible for between 7 March and 30 June 2022.

If families have questions, please contact Services Australia.