Need to talk? Call 1800 882 436.
It's a free call with a maternal child health nurse. *call charges may apply from your mobile

Is it an emergency? Dial 000
If you need urgent medical help, call triple zero immediately.

beginning of content

Family Tax Benefit Part A and Part B

9-minute read

Key facts

  • Family Tax Benefit (FTB) is a 2-part payment for eligible families to help with the cost of raising children.
  • To be eligible for Family Tax Benefit Part A, you must have a Family Tax Benefit (FTB) child in your care, meet residency requirements and meet an income test.
  • Family Tax Benefit Part B gives extra help to single-parent families, non-parent carers and some families that only have one main income.
  • You can choose to receive your Family Tax Benefit as an annual lump sum or a fortnightly payment.
  • The easiest way to apply for the Family Tax Benefit is via your myGov account linked to Centrelink.

What is Family Tax Benefit?

Family Tax Benefit (FTB) is a 2-part payment for eligible families to help with the cost of raising children.

The Family Tax Benefit is made up of 2 parts:

  • Part A — a payment made per child, depending on the family’s circumstances
  • Part B — a payment made per family to give extra help to families that need it

Who is eligible for Family Tax Benefit Part A?

To be eligible for Family Tax Benefit Part A, you must:

  • have a Family Tax Benefit child in your care
  • meet residency requirements
  • meet an income test

Family Tax Benefit child (FTB child) criteria

An FTB child must be:

The child must be in your care for at least 35% of the time and not be receiving other benefits, such as Youth Allowance or ABSTUDY.

Residency requirements

You must be living in Australia and fulfill one of the following criteria:

  • be an Australian citizen
  • hold a permanent visa
  • hold a Special Category visa
  • hold a temporary visa, such as a Partner Provisional or Temporary Protection visa

The child must meet these residency requirements or be living with you.

The payments might be affected if you’re living outside Australia. New arrivals to Australia usually wait one year before they can get Family Tax Benefit Part A, but there are some exemptions.

Income test

You must lodge a tax return at the end of the financial year. This needs to be completed within the 12 months following the end of the financial year. If you are not required to lodge a tax return you must notify Services Australia.

Any child support you receive will affect the payment.

Other requirements

To receive the payment, the child must also meet early childhood immunisation requirements and have a health check if they are turning 4.

To find out more about eligibility, visit the Services Australia website.

How much does the Family Tax Benefit Part A pay?

Family Tax Benefit Part A pays a maximum of $197.96 per fortnight for children up to 12 years and $257.46 per fortnight for children up to 19 years, if they are eligible.

The amount you receive depends on:

  • your income
  • the ages of children in your care
  • The number of children in your care

The payments can either be made fortnightly or as a lump sum at the end of the financial year to your bank, credit union or building society. Payments are made to a parent, guardian or an approved care organisation.

Family Tax Benefit Part A can also include a supplement at the end of the financial year after Centrelink balances your family assistance payments. If you are eligible, you may receive a supplement of up to $788.40 for each eligible child in the 2021 ­– 2022 financial year, and $817.60 for the 2022 – 2023 financial year.

How much you get depends on:

  • how many children you have in your care
  • if you share care with someone else
  • your family’s income
  • the number of days you were eligible for Family Tax Benefit Part A

Family Tax Benefit Part A may also include:

For more information about what you can claim, visit Centrelink’s Payment and Service Finder.

What is Family Tax Benefit Part B?

Family Tax Benefit Part B gives extra help to single-parent families, non-parent carers and some families that only have one main income. It recognises that you may not be able to work due to your circumstances or the age of the child.

Who is eligible for Family Tax Benefit Part B?

To receive Family Tax Benefit Part B:

  • You must have a Family Tax Benefit child (FTB child) in your care who is under the age of 13.
  • If you are a single parent, grandparent or non-parent carer, the child must be under 18 years and must meet study requirements if they’re aged 16 to 18.
  • The family must care for the child at least 35% of the time.
  • The family must meet Australian residency requirements.
  • The family must meet an income test.

You can’t receive FTB Part B while you’re receiving Parental Leave Pay.

To find out more about eligibility, visit the Services Australia website.

How much does the Family Tax Benefit Part B pay?

Family Tax Benefit Part B pays a maximum of $168.28 per fortnight for children under 5, and $117.46 per fortnight for children aged 5 to 18, if they are eligible. Payments are made either fortnightly or as a lump sum at the end of the financial year to your bank, credit union or building society account.

Family Tax Benefit Part B includes a supplement of up to $383.25 per family for the 2021 – 2022 financial year and $397.85 per family for the 2022 – 23 financial year. The supplement is paid after you and your partner have lodged your income tax returns at the end of the financial year, or told Services Australia if you are not required to lodge a tax return.

You might also be eligible for:

For more information about what you can claim, visit Centrelink’s Payment and Service Finder

How do I apply for Family Tax Benefit?

The easiest way to claim is online. To claim online, you need a myGov account linked to Centrelink. If you don't have a myGov account or a Centrelink online account you'll need to set them up.

If you can’t claim online, you can either:

Resources and support

To find out more about Family Tax Benefit eligibility, visit the Services Australia website.

For more information about what you can claim, visit Centrelink’s Payment and Service Finder.

For more information on claiming Family Tax Benefit, visit Services Australia.

Learn more here about the development and quality assurance of healthdirect content.

Last reviewed: November 2022


Back To Top

Need more information?

Family Tax Benefit - Services Australia

A 2 part payment that helps with the cost of raising children.

Read more on Centrelink website

Medicare and other benefits

Medicare provides all Australians (and some overseas visitors) access to a wide range of health and hospital services at low or no cost.

Read more on Pregnancy, Birth & Baby website

Payments for families

Payments to support families are available from the Australian Government if you are the parent or carer of a child. Find out if you might be eligible.

Read more on Pregnancy, Birth & Baby website

Stillborn Baby Payment - Services Australia

A one off payment if you have a stillborn baby.

Read more on Centrelink website

No Jab No Play, No Jab No Pay | NCIRS

National and state legislation in relation to immunisation requirements for child care

Read more on National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS) website

Family payments and support | Parents and families | Queensland Government

Financial support for families, including the Baby Bonus, Parental Leave Pay, Family Tax Benefit, childcare assistance and help with medical costs.

Read more on Queensland Health website

Immunisations for access to family assistance benefits and early childhood services | Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care

All children up to 19 years of age must meet the immunisation requirements for Family Tax Benefit (FTB) Part A and Child Care Subsidy (CCS).

Read more on Department of Health and Aged Care website

Benefits & Payments | Department of Social Services, Australian Government

Improving the lifetime wellbeing of people and families in Australia.

Read more on Department of Social Services website

Most useful information for Having a baby - Services Australia

The pages voted most useful by other website visitors.

Read more on Centrelink website

Most useful information for School - Services Australia

The pages voted most useful by other website visitors.

Read more on Centrelink website

Call us and speak to a Maternal Child Health Nurse for personal advice and guidance.

Need further advice or guidance from our maternal child health nurses?

Healthdirect Australia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to the Traditional Owners and to Elders both past and present.

This information is for your general information and use only and is not intended to be used as medical advice and should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any medical condition, nor should it be used for therapeutic purposes.

The information is not a substitute for independent professional advice and should not be used as an alternative to professional health care. If you have a particular medical problem, please consult a healthcare professional.

Except as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, this publication or any part of it may not be reproduced, altered, adapted, stored and/or distributed in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of Healthdirect Australia.