To qualify for Working for Families, you need to be the principal caregiver of a dependent child.
Who is the principal caregiver?
You’re the principal caregiver if you're aged 16 years or over and you’re responsible for the day-to-day care of a dependent child on a permanent basis for at least a third of the time in a 4 month period.
You do not need to be the child’s parent but a child-care institution ─such as a boarding school ─ cannot be a principal caregiver.
Your responsibilities
As a Working for Families customer you must:
- check your information
- tell us about changes to your family situation
- tell us about changes to your income or hours of work
- tell us about changes to your contact details or bank account.
Shared care of a child
In some cases, you can still be the principal caregiver even if you share the care of your child with someone else.
Last updated:
11 Mar 2025