How much CCS should I receive?
Your CCS is calculated using three components:
- Your combined family income
- Your level of ‘activity’
- Your childcare provider’s hourly rate
It can be a little complicated … So, we made it easy for you to understand how much you might be eligible for with our simple CCS Calculator
Let’s take a look at each of the factors used to calculate your CCS, and what they mean for you.
Your Combined Family Income
Your family’s combined income will help determine the CCS percentage you’re entitled to. Remember, you will need to contact Centrelink
when your combined income increases or decreases – this can be done at any time through your Centrelink online account through myGov or the Express Plus Centrelink mobile app.
|
Your family income |
Child Care Subsidy percentage |
| $0 to $83,280 | 90% |
| More than $83,280 to below $533,280 | Decreasing from 90%. The percentage decreases by 1% for every $5,000 of income a family earns. |
| Over $533,280 | 0% |
*These amounts are correct for 2024-2025 and may be adjusted according to CPI.
Number of Children in Care
- Families earning less than $362,408 with more than one child could benefit from a higher Child Care Subsidy of up to 95% for their younger children.
Your Level of ‘Activity’
CCS is linked to how much a family contributes to the Australian economy through activity – both paid and unpaid. This activity level is calculated from the parent with the lowest number of hours of activity per fortnight.
|
Activity level each fortnight |
Hours of subsidised care each fortnight |
| Less than 8 hours | 0 hours if you earn above $83,820 24 hours if you earn $83,280 or below |
| More than 8 to 16 hours | 36 hours |
| More than 16 to 48 hours | 72 hours |
| More than 48 hours | 100 hours |
*These amounts are correct for 2024-2025 and may be adjusted according to CPI.
**Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children can each get at least 36 hours of CCS per fortnight this is regardless of the amount of activity you do.
What Counts as an Activity?
- Paid work (including all-time between drop off at the Centre and pick up at Centre, commute time, lunch breaks etc)
- All types of work across all jobs/employers
- Authorised leave (e.g. maternity leave, long service leave, annual leave)
- Unpaid leave of up to 6 months
- Unpaid work in a family business
- Time spent setting up a business that has not yet started to operate
- Training and study (including additional study outside scheduled hours, holidays and non-class periods)
- Work experience/internships (paid or unpaid)
- Volunteering
- Looking for work (including contacting employers, preparing resumes and letters of application, preparing for and attending job interviews etc)
Exemptions to the Activity Test
There are some exemptions to the activity test. To discuss your individual circumstances, please contact our Concierge Team on 1300 001 119.
- Universal access: 4 -year-old preschool/kindergarten programs. If your child attends an early education program, such as preschool, you may be exempt. If you’re exempt, you’ll have access to 36 hours of subsidised care per fortnight. You’ll be exempt if all of the following apply:
- you’re entitled to less than 36 hours of subsidised child care per fortnight
- you have a child in an early educational program, such as preschool or kindergarten
- it’s the year before your child starts primary school
- it’s a centre-based day care service – this is long day care and occasional care.
- Individuals on JobSeeker payments may qualify for 36 hours of activity per fortnight, plus any other recognised activity (e.g. volunteering, studying etc).
- Individuals receiving Carer’s Allowance may qualify for 72 hours of activity per fortnight.
- When you’re a Grandparent. You’ll be exempt if you or your partner are the principal carers of a grandchild or great-grandchild. The exemption will only apply to that child. This means you can get 100 hours of subsidised care per fortnight for your grandchild or great-grandchild. You won’t be exempt for any other children you have in your care. The hours of subsidised care you can access for them will depend on your activity level.
Your Childcare Provider’s Hourly Rate
The third factor taken into consideration when calculating your CCS is the hourly rate charged by your childcare provider. CCS is calculated according to whichever is the lowest:
- The Centre’s actual hourly fee (which is the daily fee divided by hours of operation); or
- The Hourly Rate Cap of $14.29 per hour.
The best way to learn more about subsidised child care is to come into a Guardian Centre and speak to a member of our team. We’d love to help you and we can show you how we can support your child to grow and thrive.
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