Who Carer Gateway is for
Carer Gateway is for unpaid carers: people who care for a family member or friend with disability, a medical condition, mental illness, or who is frail due to age.
It supports you, the carer, in your own right. The person you care for does not need to be an NDIS participant, and NDIS participants' carers can use it too.
What Carer Gateway offers
All services are free. Local Carer Gateway service providers deliver them in person, by phone or online. They include:
- Counselling, one on one, in groups or by phone, if you feel stressed, sad or overwhelmed
- Coaching with a professional coach, or self paced online coaching, to set goals and plan
- Peer support groups in person or online, and an online carer forum
- Online carer skills courses you can do at your own pace
- Tailored support packages, which can include planned respite, help with household tasks and transport, and help with education or training
- Planned respite, so the person you care for is looked after while you take a break
- Emergency respite if you suddenly cannot care, for example because you are sick or injured
- Support for young carers, and help to make an emergency care plan
How to get support
Call 1800 422 737 and choose the option to speak with a Carer Gateway service provider. The phone line is open Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm. You can also start online at carergateway.gov.au.
A local service provider will talk with you about your situation and what would help most, then connect you to services. If you are in crisis or someone is in danger, call 000.
How Carer Gateway works with the NDIS
The two systems do different jobs. The NDIS funds reasonable and necessary supports for the participant, and some of those, such as short term accommodation or community participation, also give carers a break. Carer Gateway supports the carer directly, with things the NDIS does not fund, such as counselling for you.
You can use both at once. If caring is becoming hard to sustain, tell the NDIA at planning or reassessment too. From 1 February 2027, when deciding what is reasonable and necessary, the NDIA must consider the risk of harm to families and informal supports if a support is not funded.
Other help for carers
- Carer Payment and Carer Allowance from Services Australia, if you meet the rules
- Your state or territory carers association, for advocacy and information
- Your GP, for your own health and a mental health treatment plan if you need one
- Your employer, about flexible work arrangements
Tips for carers
- Call before you reach breaking point. Early support is easier to arrange than crisis help
- Write down the care you give in a typical week. It helps both Carer Gateway and NDIS planning
- Make an emergency care plan so someone else knows what to do if you cannot care
- Ask about planned respite, and book breaks regularly, not only when you are exhausted