Income while the person you are caring for is in hospital

@Carerofpotsie Hi Carerofpotsie I think it all depends upon how long they are in a psych unit. If the person you care for is in for a certain period of time the magistrate then gets involved as regards to who looks after the carer's payments, disability allowance etc. I could be wrong here and I am sounding a bit vague but I do know it depends upon the time the person is in hospital for. Check with centrelink to make sure. Cheers. gp

Thanks I tried to search the site but couldn’t find out what the period of time was atm the one I’m caring for is still at home but it is just a bit of a thought that if it happens what I would be up against

@Carerofpotsie It has happened to me just recently .... you have a bit of time I know that but the exact amount I cannot say. Might have to brave centrelink and go in for a visit .... that is always joyous. Good luck with it and let us all know I would be curious myself.

@Carerofpotsie if you are on a carer payment you are allowed i think 59 days hospital and 59 days respite relief from care.

Depends who you talk to weather they grant you the hospital days or not, something to do with the wording around you still have to be caring. My wife had multiple hospital admissions last year, the first few admissions were classed as respite a later person (centrelink) then reversed that and applied the hospital days for all time spent in hospital. Which was good as I would have run out of 'away days' and had my payment cut otherwise.

You really need to discuss centrelink and discuss but it should not be a problem.

Edit

I just checked the centrelink website and it is 63 days respite and 63 days hospital. https://www.humanservices.gov.au/individuals/enablers/breaks-from-caring-when-you-get-carer-payment

@Carerofpotsie

thanks for raising this question. i had actually never even thought of it. my mum has been in and out of hospital the past few weeks, i have been going to and from hospital every day and doing things for her whilst she has been in hospital so i didnt even view it as not being her carer during her hospital stay. i hope that makes sense?? i should look into it though. im more exhausted now that mum is in hospital than when she was at home! may i ask who you care for?

@Determined

thanks for that info! i just had a look on centrelink website - it said after you use up the 63 days of payments from providing care for someone in hospital they dip into the 63 days of respite care. is this what they did to you? hope you dont mind me being nosy!

how have you been??

hi @Bunniekins *waves* 🙂

I have an 18 year old who has postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, in appropriate sinus tachycardia gastropersis NERD just to name a few, then on top of those issues there is depression gender diphoria and autism ( very high functioning) and all that comes with those.

@Bella1978 Hi beautiful Bella1978 hope you mum is on the improve soon. xxx

Hi @Bella1978, ok to ask I don't mind

Yes that is what happened for me, after hospital days were used up then the respite days were used.
If you are going in and doing things for your mum then classifying hospital days is unlikely to be a problem. It was a grey area for me as despite visiting daily I was not tehcnically doing anything for my darling while she was there.

For us they also took off the days (didn't use hospital or respite) I took my darling out even if it was only for a couple of hours as hospital / respite is for each 24 hour period. (Same helpful chap worked that one out for us).