The Centrelink 26 week rule explained

If your child hasn't use care with any provider for 26 weeks or more, Centrelink will cease the eligibility for this child.  

What does this mean for families?

It means that Centrelink will require you to submit a new child care subsidy claim.  The 26 week rule applies per child, not per family.  If one child continues to attend, the subsidy would remain in place for that child.  However if another child in the family doesn't attend, then you would need to submit a new claim for that child.

I have been affected by this rule, what do I need to do next?

You will need to submit a new child care subsidy claim.  Please follow the below link.  This will direct you to log into your MyGov account and answer the questions to submit a new claim. Your claim can take 6-8 weeks to complete once it has been submitted.  To find out the status of a claim, you can contact Centrelink on 13 61 50. This line operates from 8am till 8pm Monday to Friday.

Make a child care subsidy claim

Want to find out more on the Centrelink website?  Please click on the below link.

Centrelink 26 week rule