Healthy Start for School
- Overview
- Who is affected by Healthy Start for School
- Relevant health checks
- What you need to do
- How to notify the Family Assistance Office
- What happens if you donít tell the Family Assistance Office
- Scenarios
- Related information
Overview
Healthy Start for School was introduced by the government to help make sure that children are healthy, fit and ready to learn when they start school.
If you and/or your partner receive an income support payment at any time during the financial year in which your child turns four, your child is required to undergo a relevant health check. If the health check is not completed, part or all of your Family Tax Benefit Part A Supplement for your child will be withheld.
Who is affected by Healthy Start for School
If you are affected, you will receive a letter from the Family Assistance Office explaining what you need to do.
The Healthy Start for School initiative will affect you if you:
- receive Family Tax Benefit Part A for a child turning four this financial year (between 1 July and 30 June), and
- you and/or your partner receive an income support payment from Centrelink (such as Parenting Payment or Newstart Allowance) or from the Department of Veterans' Affairs.
Relevant health checks
A health check, for the Healthy Start for School initiative, is an assessment of your childís physical health and general well-being and will include height, weight, hearing and vision tests. This basic health check will help with the early identification of health risk factors and development delays and conditions.
Relevant health checks include:
- an age appropriate health check conducted by State and Territory child and maternal health clinics, or
- a Healthy Kids Check or similar health check conducted by a recognised health professional, for example your local doctor, a practice nurse or registered Aboriginal health worker.
You should discuss any cost or possible Medicare refund with the person that does the health check.
What you need to do
You need to:
- arrange for a health check to be completed for your child
- tell the Family Assistance Office the health check has been completed within the standard timeframe to ensure your Family Tax Benefit Part A Supplement is not withheld.
The standard timeframe is before the end of the financial year in which your child turns four.
How to notify the Family Assistance Office
The letter you receive about the need for your child to undergo a health check will include details about how you can tell us that the health check has been done.
The easiest way to tell us is by using Centrelink Online Services.
If you are already registered for Online Services:
- logon using your Customer Access Number (CAN) and password
- go to Family Assistance, then select Update your Healthy Start for School Review and complete the form.
If you are not registered for Online Services:
- select Online Services in the left menu, then select Update your Healthy Start for School Review in the Features panel on the right
- then enter your CRN, and the One Time Access Code provided in your letter.
What happens if you don't tell the Family Assistance Office
If the health check is not completed or you do not tell the Family Assistance Office within the standard timeframe, part or all of your Family Tax Benefit Part A Supplement for your child for the financial year in which your child turns four will be withheld.
If your supplement has been withheld, you have an extended timeframe of two years, from the end of the financial year in which your child turned four, to have the health check completed and to tell the Family Assistance Office for your supplement entitlement for the financial year in which your child turned four to be reviewed.
If the health check is not completed and/or you donít tell the Family Assistance Office within the extended timeframe, you will not be entitled to the Family Tax Benefit Part A Supplement for your child for any period when you and/or your partner were receiving an income support payment in the financial year your child turned four.
Scenarios
Daniel's health check is completed and the Family Assistance Office is notified within the standard timeframe
Kate's son Daniel is turning four on 3 March 2012. In August 2011 Kate receives a letter telling her that Daniel has to complete a health check and that she should notify the Family Assistance Office by 30 June 2012. Daniel has a health check with his local doctor and Kate notifies the Family Assistance Office in May 2012. Kate receives the Family Tax Benefit Part A Supplement for Daniel for the 2011-2012 financial year.
Joshua's health check is completed and the Family Assistance Office is notified within the extended timeframe
Greg's son Joshua is turning four on 15 November 2011. In August 2011 Greg receives a letter telling him that Joshua has to complete a health check and that he should notify the Family Assistance Office by 30 June 2012. Greg does not organise a health check for Joshua.
After 30 June 2012, Greg receives a letter advising that his Family Tax Benefit Part A Supplement for Joshua for the 2011-2012 financial year has been withheld because the health check was not completed. However, Greg may still be eligible for the Family Tax Benefit Part A Supplement that has been withheld if Joshua's health check is completed and Greg tells the Family Assistance Office before 30 June 2014.
Joshua has a health check and Greg tells the Family Assistance Office before 30 June 2014. Greg's entitlement to the payment that was withheld is reviewed.
Related information
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