Services Australia is reminding about 411,000 Australian families to confirm their 2024-25 income by 30 June 2026, or risk losing payment entitlements. Around 170,000 families on Family Tax Benefit and 241,000 on Child Care Subsidy are in the group facing the deadline.
The timing matters because missing it can quickly turn into real money lost. Families who fail to confirm income on time may miss top-up payments, lose access to extra arrears and supplement amounts, and in some cases have to repay all of the Family Tax Benefit they received in 2024-25.
For child care support, the consequences are sharper still. Child Care Subsidy payments will stop from 6 July if income has not been confirmed, and if a family leaves it until after that date, the missed payments will not be back paid. Families who do not confirm their income by the deadline may also have to pay full child care fees instead of receiving the subsidy.
The reminder comes as families prepare for the end of the financial year and the tax return process that goes with it. To confirm 2024-25 family income, a person and their partner, if they have one, need to lodge their 2024-25 tax return with the Australian Taxation Office. Those who do not need to lodge can confirm through their Centrelink online account through myGov or the Express Plus Centrelink app by advising Services Australia they are not required to lodge.
That creates a narrow but important escape route for families who act before the cutoff. The deadline is not just about keeping payments flowing; it also determines whether lump sum claims can still be lodged, whether families keep top-up money due to them, and whether any Child Care Subsidy already paid for the year could later have to be repaid.
Families can still avoid those consequences by confirming income before 30 June 2026, but the window closes fast. After that, the rules tighten, the payment consequences start on 6 July for Child Care Subsidy, and some families will be left trying to recover money they could have protected with one filing on time.
