{"id":5205,"date":"2019-11-09T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-11-08T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mindchamps.org\/au\/blog\/maximise-child-care-subsidy\/"},"modified":"2020-08-14T18:55:19","modified_gmt":"2020-08-14T10:55:19","slug":"maximise-child-care-subsidy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/franchise.mindchamps.org\/au\/blog\/maximise-child-care-subsidy\/","title":{"rendered":"Getting the Most from your Child Care Subsidy (CCS)"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Child Care Subsidy (CCS) has been in effect for over a year and it can still be confusing! <\/span>The new system has replaced Child Care Rebate and Child Care Benefit, but many people are still in search of answers<\/span>. Befuddling<\/span> or not, there\u2019s no doubt the CCS plays a vital role in creating more accessible care for Australian families. Whether you\u2019re a new-comer or simply recalculating your benefits, we can all do with some help navigating these waters.<\/p>\n

Never fear! We are here to break down the details and show how you can understand (and maximise) your subsidy – perhaps even sneaking in another day for your Champ.<\/p>\n

Calculating your Child Care Subsidy<\/h2>\n

First things first – what is Child Care Subsidy? Well, it\u2019s a system through which the government allocates funds in order to bring down the cost of certain services for families who meet certain requirements. It takes the form of a percentage by which a price can be decreased, and this percentage can go up to 85%.<\/span> The g<\/span>overnment calcuates your Child Care Subsidy based on:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Total Family Income<\/li>\n
  2. Hours of Care Required<\/li>\n
  3. Hourly Rate<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    It should also be noted that children have to be 13 or younger, not in secondary school and properly immunised in order to be eligible for CCS.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Total family income<\/h2>\n

    Your Child Care Subsidy p<\/span>ercentage is calculated based on your family’s total income. These numbers change with the CPI increase each year. Hence your entitlements can differ year to year even if your circumstances stay the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
    Family Income<\/strong><\/td>\nChild Care Subsidy Percentage<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    $0 – $68,163<\/td>\n85%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    $68,163 – $173, 163<\/td>\n50% – 85%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    $173,163 – $252,453<\/td>\n50%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    $252,453 – $342,453<\/td>\n20% – 50%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    $342,453 – $352,453<\/td>\n20%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    $352,453 or more<\/td>\n0%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

    Where your combined annual income exceeds $188,163, <\/span>a Child Care Subsidy cap will become applicable, and this amounts t<\/span>o $10,373<\/span> per child. Benefit holders who earn below this are exempt.<\/p>\n

    Hours of care required<\/h2>\n

    Your required care hours are based on the Activity Levels & Hours <\/u><\/em><\/a>of the least<\/strong> active member of your family per fortnight.<\/p>\n

    What counts towards your Active Hours<\/em><\/h3>\n

    Only recognised activities<\/u><\/em> <\/a>will count towards your active hours. Centrelink will determine the hours of Child Care Subsidy you are eligible for based on these.<\/p>\n

    Activity counts as:<\/p>\n