About the Child Disability Allowance
The Child Disability Allowance is a non-taxable allowance. It is paid to the principal carer of a dependant chi ld or young person under the age of 18 Years with a serious disability. It recognises the extra care and attention provided.
Serious disability can include: physical, sensory, neurological, psychiatric or intellectual disability, or chronic medical condition.
It is not paid to cover costs associated with the child or young person’s disability as these costs are not in themselves a qualification for the Child Disability Allowance.
The ChildDisability Allowance is not income or asset tested.
Who qualifies?
To qualify for the Child Disability Allowance, the child or young person must be under the age of 18 years and:
- have a serious physical, sensory, neurological, psychiatric, intellectual disability or chronic
- medical condition
- need constant care and attention because of that disability
- be likely to need that care and attention permanently or for a period exceeding 12 months
- meet the required living arrangements.
Note: children or young people with a terminal illness with a life expectancy less than 12 months meet the permanency criteria.
Care and attention
The child or young person must need constant care and attention, over and above the ordinary care and attention required by a child or young person of the same age.
To demonstrate the need for the additional level of constant care and attention, one of the following situations needs to arise from the serious disability. Either the child or young person requires:
- frequent attention from another person in connection with their bodily functions
- attention and supervision substantially in excess of that normally required by a child of the same age and sex
- regular supervision from another person in order to avoid substantial danger to themselves or others.
