Family Tax Benefit A and B in Australia: who qualifies and how to claim

What is Family Tax Benefit?

Family Tax Benefit (FTB) is a two-part government payment for families with dependent children in Australia. It is paid fortnightly through Centrelink and is one of the most widely received government payments — many eligible families, particularly recent arrivals, have not yet claimed it.

FTB Part A — per-child payment

FTB Part A is calculated based on the number and age of your children, subject to a family income test.

Maximum rates (2025–26 estimates — check current rates at servicesaustralia.gov.au):

Child aged 0–12: up to approximately $222/fortnight per child.
Child aged 13–15: up to approximately $288/fortnight per child.
Child aged 16–19 in full-time secondary/equivalent study: similar to the above if eligible.

Eligibility for FTB-A:

Child under 16, or 16–19 in full-time approved study.
Child lives with you and you are their primary carer (at least 35% of the time).
Family income below the threshold (approximately $63,000/year for the full rate; tapers off above this; the nil rate varies by number of children and can extend above $200K for larger families).
Child meets the immunisation requirements.

Maintenance Action Test (MAT): if you are separated from the other parent, you generally need to have a child support arrangement in place (or be making genuine efforts to obtain child support) to receive the full FTB-A rate.

FTB Part B — single-income and sole-parent supplement

FTB Part B is for families where one person is the primary carer — typically sole parents or couples where one partner stays home with young children.

Maximum rates (2025–26 estimates):

Youngest child under 5: approximately $168/fortnight.
Youngest child aged 5–13: approximately $117/fortnight.

Eligibility for FTB-B:

Primary earner income below $117,194/year.
Secondary earner (or other partner) income: FTB-B reduces as their income rises, ceasing around $28,700/year.
Youngest child under 13 (or up to 18 for sole parents).
Sole parents: eligible regardless of the other parent’s income (no other parent present).

How to receive FTB

Fortnightly payments: you estimate your annual family income and Centrelink pays each fortnight. After 30 June each year, Centrelink reconciles your actual income through the ATO. If you received more than you were entitled to, a debt is raised.

Lump sum at tax time: claim the full FTB entitlement after lodging your tax return. No debt risk from over-payment, but you receive the money later.

Income reporting: report any changes to your income to Centrelink promptly to minimise year-end debts.

How to claim

Log in to myGov → Centrelink.
Go to “Payments and Claims” → “Family Tax Benefit” → “Make a claim.”
You will need: children’s details (Medicare card or Centrelink CRN), estimated family income for the year, immunisation evidence.

Claim as early as possible — FTB can be back-paid up to 52 weeks before the date of claim if you were eligible but hadn’t applied.

Rates are updated each financial year — always verify current amounts at servicesaustralia.gov.au.