Family Tax Benefit Part A - child aged 13 to 19 (maximum rate)

What Is This Payment?

This rule is the FTB Part A maximum-rate path for teenagers aged 13 to 19. Inside the rule database it is tagged as a monetary primary Federal benefit in the Family Tax Benefit cluster, with additional tags for secondary student status. The entitlement scope is per child, so a family with two qualifying teens runs two parallel evaluations of this rule and produces two separate $295.82 fortnightly outputs before income reduction.

The administering body is Services Australia. Unlike the 0 to 12 path, the teen rule introduces a study test from age 16 - this is the most common reason a teen falls off FTB Part A early. A 17-year-old who leaves school for full-time work loses entitlement on the day study ends, even if every other condition still holds. Records are usually self-reported through the Centrelink online account when school enrolment status changes.

The teen rate is a step up from the primary-school rate, not a smooth taper: a child aged 12 sits on the 0 to 12 rule at $227.36 per fortnight, and on the day they turn 13 the per-child base becomes $295.82 per fortnight under this rule. The same family income test, the same free area, and the same floor apply across both rules, so families do not need to re-estimate their income at the transition - only the per-child base changes.

How Much Can You Get?

The amount block is defined as a formula paid fortnightly. The per-child maximum rate is $295.82 per fortnight, annualised to $7,691.32 across 26 fortnights. The rule note records this as the March 2026 verified Services Australia figure for the 2025-26 financial year. Compared with the 0 to 12 rate of $227.36 per fortnight, the teen rate adds $68.46 per fortnight per child, or about $1,779.96 per year per teen.

The income test is a single Method 1 step shared with the 0 to 12 rule. When family_income_annual is above $66,722, the per-child fortnightly amount is reduced by $0.0077 for each $1 above the threshold. A family on $80,000 sits $13,278 above the threshold; reduction per fortnight per teen is $13,278 multiplied by $0.0077, equal to about $102.24, leaving roughly $193.58 per fortnight per teen at this rule.

The floor cap is $72.94 per fortnight per child, identical to the 0 to 12 floor. Once Method 1 takes the per-child amount to the floor, this rule stops reducing further and the FTB Part A base rate rule continues with Method 2. The eligibility ceiling at $118,771 enforces the same handoff at the family income level: above that figure, the teen's per-child amount is calculated entirely by the base rate rule.

To audit any estimate this rule produces, walk through five steps. First, confirm $295.82 per fortnight per qualifying teen aged 13 to 19. Second, check whether family income is above $66,722; if not, the maximum rate applies in full. Third, compute excess income above $66,722 and multiply by 0.0077 per fortnight. Fourth, subtract the reduction from $295.82 for each teen. Fifth, apply the floor at $72.94; once the calculated per-child amount drops to the floor, recognise that the base rate rule takes over for any further taper.

The rule stores an empty multiplier, an empty reduces_if, and an empty date_windows. There are no penalty rates, seasonal adjustments, or bonus components attached to the $295.82 base. The only adjustments that can move the outcome are the Method 1 income-test reduction described above and the immunisation-related preprocessing deduction that applies to all FTB Part A children when the National Immunisation Program schedule is not met.

Eligibility Conditions

The eligibility block is an all set, so every item must pass.

1. Dependent children: dependent_children = true.
2. Residency status: residency_status in [australian_citizen, permanent_resident, special_category_visa, other_eligible_visa].
3. Presence: living_in_australia = true.
4. Care percentage: care_percentage >= 35. Shared-care arrangements between 35% and 65% split the per-child amount with the other carer.
5. Teen age range: child_age >= 13 and child_age <= 19. Once the child turns 20 the entire FTB Part A entitlement for that child ends.
6. Full-time secondary study: child_in_full_time_secondary_study = true from age 16 onwards. For ages 13 to 15 the field can be true or false; the rule note explicitly says the study gate only binds from 16.
7. Family income ceiling: family_income_annual < 118,771. Above this ceiling assessment moves to the base rate rule.

Required fields are dependent children, residency status, family income annual, child age, care percentage, living-in-Australia status, immunisation status, and full-time secondary study status. The last item is the differentiator from the 0 to 12 rule and is the most common cause of unexpected entitlement loss for teens. Families should update study status promptly through the Centrelink online account whenever a 16-plus teen changes school, drops back to part-time, or finishes Year 12.

The exclude block is empty, but a conflict relationship is declared with the 0 to 12 rule: a single child cannot be evaluated under both at once. The system routes a 13-year-old to this rule and prevents double-counting. The relationship with the FTB Part A base rate rule mirrors the 0 to 12 setup: high-income families fall over to the base rate path rather than out of FTB Part A entirely.

Two practical edges sit on the boundary of this rule. First, a teen who turns 20 mid-year stops attracting FTB Part A from their birthday, regardless of how much study remains for the academic year. Second, a 16-year-old on a gap year between Year 11 and Year 12 is not in full-time secondary study and so does not qualify under this rule, even if school enrolment resumes the following year - re-eligibility starts from the resumption date, not retroactively.

How To Apply

Application metadata defines three channels: online, service centre, and phone. The same FTB claim form covers Part A and Part B and applies whether the qualifying child is 5 or 17. The apply URL is the official Services Australia FTB claim page.

Evidence requirements are explicitly listed in the rule and should be prepared in advance:

• identity document (Centrelink Customer Reference Number where available, plus standard photo identification)
• tax file number for the claimant and partner where applicable
• family income estimate for the financial year, used by Method 1 during the year
• proof of children, typically birth certificates or recognised guardianship documents
• school enrolment evidence for teens aged 16 to 19 confirming full-time secondary study

Two practical tips help. First, the school enrolment evidence is generally sourced from the secondary school directly; a confirmation letter naming the student, the academic year, and the full-time enrolment status is the standard format. Second, families with a 16-year-old who is approaching Year 12 completion should plan for the FTB Part A cliff at age 20 and consider Youth Allowance Student or ABSTUDY pathways for the next year of study.

Lodge an FTB claim through Services Australia

Rule-Based Scenarios

Scenario 1: low-income family, two teenagers in school

Mateo and Soraya have two teenage children aged 14 and 17, both in full-time secondary study, both in 100% care. Annual family income from Mateo's full-time wage is $52,000, comfortably below the $66,722 free area. The per-child rate sits at the full $295.82 per fortnight for each teen, giving an FTB Part A maximum-rate component of $591.64 per fortnight or $15,382.64 per year before the FTB-A Supplement is added at year-end balancing.

Scenario 2: middle-income family, one teen with the taper biting

Cosmo and Ines have one child aged 15 in full-time secondary study and a combined family income of $95,000. Excess above the $66,722 threshold is $28,278. Method 1 reduction per fortnight is $28,278 multiplied by $0.0077, equal to about $217.74. Subtracting from $295.82 gives a calculated per-fortnight amount of $78.08, just above the floor of $72.94. Their per-child fortnightly amount under this rule is $78.08; if income rises further the result will lock to the floor and the base rate rule will continue the taper.

Scenario 3: 17-year-old leaves school for full-time work

Jorah has been receiving FTB Part A for his 17-year-old son under this rule. The son finishes Year 11 and starts a full-time apprenticeship that does not include full-time secondary study. Once the study status flips to false, the eligibility test fails and FTB Part A stops for that child from the next assessment fortnight. The teen's wage may then route him toward Youth Allowance or independent support pathways instead.

Scenario 4: turning 13 mid-year

Renata's youngest child turns 13 in November. For the months before her birthday, the family was assessed under the 0 to 12 rule at $227.36 per fortnight. From the fortnight following the birthday, the per-child base jumps to $295.82 under this rule - a $68.46 step up per fortnight. The same family income, the same free area, and the same floor apply, so nothing else in the calculation changes; only the base shifts.

Common Mistakes

• Treating the 13-year-old jump as a taper: the $68.46 per fortnight uplift from $227.36 to $295.82 is a discrete step on the child's 13th birthday, not a gradual increase. Families budgeting fortnightly cashflow should expect the change in a single jump rather than over several months.
• Skipping the study gate at age 16: the rule allows ages 13 to 15 to qualify regardless of study status, but from age 16 onwards child_in_full_time_secondary_study must be true. Forgetting to update Centrelink when a 16 or 17-year-old leaves school produces a reconciliation debt at year-end.
• Stopping at age 18 by default: the rule covers the full 13 to 19 band as long as the teen is in full-time secondary study from age 16. A child aged 19 still in Year 12 still qualifies; the cut-off is age 20, not 18.
• Mixing 0 to 12 and 13 to 19 bases in the same calculation: a family with one child aged 11 and another aged 14 must run the 0 to 12 rule at $227.36 for the younger child and this rule at $295.82 for the older child. Using a blended single base understates one child or overstates the other.
• Forgetting the gap year: a 16-year-old on a gap year between Year 11 and Year 12 is not in full-time secondary study, so the rule fails for that period. Re-eligibility starts when the teen returns to study; back-payment does not bridge the gap.
• Over-relying on the higher base for high-income families: the same Method 1 taper applies to teens, and the same $72.94 floor caps the rule. A family with very high income still bottoms out at $72.94 per fortnight per teen here, identical to the 0 to 12 floor, so the higher teen base does not protect against the base rate handover.

Related Benefits

This rule sits inside the Family Tax Benefit cluster and is closely tied to the 0 to 12 sibling rule and the base rate path. Use these links to navigate the surrounding rules.

• Family Tax Benefit Part A - child aged 0 to 12 (maximum rate) - the predecessor rule for primary-school-age children with a per-child base of $227.36 per fortnight.
• Family Tax Benefit Part A - base rate (higher income families) - the rule the assessment moves to once family income reaches $118,771 or the per-child taper hits the $72.94 floor.
• Family Tax Benefit Part B - youngest child aged 5 to 18 - the per-family Part B rule that runs alongside Part A for older youngest children.
• Health Care Card (HCC) - auto-issued with qualifying payments - automatic concession card that follows FTB Part A receipt above base rate.
• Parenting Payment Single (PPS) - related parenting income support, ends when the youngest child turns 8 but FTB Part A continues.
• Parental Leave Pay (PLP) - earlier-life-stage payment for new babies; FTB Part A teen rate represents the far end of the same family-payment lifecycle.

Frequently Asked Questions