MEDIA RELEASE: Hard-working Vic carers welcome payment changes

The important Carer Payment will be more flexible and available to Victorian carers who were previously limited in the amount of volunteer work or study they could undertake while receiving it.  

Carer Payment recipients can also now undertake paid work up to 100 hours over a four-week period while receiving their benefit.   

Travel time, education and volunteering activities will no longer count as part of the working 100 hours.   

Carers Victoria CEO Judith Abbott said, "We welcome these changes that provide greater employment flexibility for carers, and we look forward to the Australian Government taking further concrete actions to ease the financial burden unpaid carers face in their vital role." 

Carers in Victoria are experiencing high levels of financial stress and are unlikely to have financial reserves to endure unexpected shocks or expenses.  

Income support through Carer Payment is less than 30% of the average weekly earnings of carers who receive it. 

The changes being introduced aim to reduce barriers to employment for carers receiving the Carer Payment and support them to re-enter the workforce or boost their career prospects with full or part-time study.   

The changes will come into effect this week on March 20, as a result of legislation passed by the Australian Government in July last year.  

Sue Richards from Richmond, who cares part time for her aged mother Sandra, is embracing the payment changes as they come into effect and looking to return to the workforce in the near future.  

"I’m studying a Bachelor of Nursing at Swinburne University and it’s been helpful both in lifting the quality of care I can offer mum, and in providing a path next year for me to return to work," she said.  

"These changes to the Carer Support payment feel like a bit of a weight lifted. It's not just about the money; it's about knowing I can access more resources and focus on what truly matters: giving mum the best possible quality of life." 

For more information on the Carer Payment changes, visit Services Australia.  

About Carers Victoria  

Established in 1992, Carers Victoria is the peak body representing all unpaid carers in Victoria. Through its work, it aims to advance understanding of unpaid carers and improve their access to assistance. www.carersvictoria.org.au 

Media contact: Tim Roman, Communications Lead  
e: tim.roman@carersvictoria.org.au |  ph: 0411 231 797