Words and abbreviations
Use this glossary alongside the guide for the particular program. Similar terms can have different legal effects.
- FTB
- Family Tax Benefit: family assistance with separate Part A and Part B conditions.
- CCS
- Child Care Subsidy: assistance towards eligible approved childcare fees.
- ACCS
- Additional Child Care Subsidy: extra assistance for specific circumstances, with its own conditions.
- Principal carer
- The person with the greatest responsibility for a child's everyday care, welfare and development. This is a separate test from family-assistance care percentages.
- Care percentage
- The share of a child's care used by a particular program. Different programs use different thresholds and assessment rules.
- Private Collect
- A child-support collection arrangement where parents organise payments. An assessment and FTB consequences can still apply if payments are not received.
- Child Support Collect
- An arrangement where Services Australia collects assessed child support. Ask the agency about safety and collection options.
- Maintenance Action Test
- The FTB Part A rule about taking reasonable action to obtain child support, with grace periods and possible exemptions.
- Parenting plan
- A written agreement about parenting arrangements. Its legal effect differs from a court order.
- Parenting order
- A court order about parenting arrangements. Get legal advice about changing it or responding to safety concerns.
- FDR
- Family dispute resolution: a process to help resolve parenting disputes. Safety assessment and exceptions matter.
- Concession card
- A card linked to particular benefits. Each service decides which cards it accepts and any other conditions.
- Grant
- Assistance that usually does not need repayment, subject to the program's rules.
- Loan
- Money or assistance that needs repayment under agreed conditions, even if no interest is charged.
- Guarantee
- Backing for an eligible loan arrangement. It is different from a cash grant and does not remove lender assessment.
- Balancing
- The process of comparing family-assistance payments with confirmed information, including actual income, after the relevant period.
- Hardship
- Difficulty meeting essential costs or repayments. Ask the responsible agency or creditor about its hardship options.
- Jurisdiction
- The legal system or place whose rules apply. Residence alone may not determine it.
- Separated under one roof
- Living in the same home while separated. Government agencies and courts can require assessment or evidence.
- Catchment
- The area a service covers. It can differ from a state boundary.
- Family violence
- Abuse, control or threatening behaviour in a family or intimate relationship. Specialist services can help assess safety and options.
- Parent Pathways
- A separate government-funded voluntary service for eligible parents. It is different from this independent website, Single Parent Path.