Services and support


Carers can get a wide range of help – from counselling and peer support groups, to respite care, home help and equipment.

What services and support are available?

Carer Gateway provides a range of free services and support just for carers. Services are delivered in-person, online and over the phone. Our dedicated team of Carer Gateway service providers across Australia, which you may already be familiar with, provide in-person services across Australia.

Services include:

  • In-person and online peer support groups – you might like to meet with people like you who care for someone and share stories, knowledge and experience. You can do this with people in your area or you can join the carer forum online.
  • Tailored support packages – you may be able to get a range of practical supports like planned respite and transport services to help you in your caring role. 
  • In-person and phone counselling – if you are feeling stressed, anxious, sad or frustrated, a counsellor can talk with you either in person or over the phone in the comfort of your own home.
  • In-person and online self-guided coaching – you can talk to a professional coach to reflect on your experience and needs, identify personal goals and create a plan to reach these goals, or you can work through interactive online coaching sessions at your own pace. There are a range of topics to help you in your caring role.
  • Online skills courses to support your wellbeing and understanding of legal responsibilities relating to the caring role.
  • Access to emergency respite if you suddenly find you can’t provide care, for example if you become ill or injured. Service providers will find ways to look after the person you care for while you recover. 
Video duration 1:13

Carer Gateway is a free service designed by carers, for carers.

If you care for someone with disability, who is unwell or older, you don’t have to do it alone.

But what kind of support can Carer Gateway offer carers?

There’s a whole range of free services, supports and everyday tips you can explore.

Some carers use it to meet other carers online, or to chat with a counsellor, in person or by phone.

Other carers use it for support around the home or for getting from A to B.

And like anyone, carers need a break sometimes. Carer Gateway offers planned respite care, so you can look after yourself. As well as respite for emergencies, or if you get sick.

As a carer, you can also access free online skills courses on topics like self-care and dealing with stress.

Call us today on 1800 422 737 to chat to a service provider or visit carergateway.gov.au.

How do I access Carer Gateway services?

You can access Carer Gateway services in a number of ways, including by phone and online.

By calling 1800 422 737 Monday to Friday between 8am and 5pm and selecting option 1, you can speak with your local Carer Gateway service provider. They will talk you through the registration process and start the planning process. This process helps our staff learn more about you and your caring role so they can match services to your individual needs.

You can also ask someone to call you back at a convenient time.

Ask for a call back

To organise an appointment for phone counselling, call 1800 422 737 Monday to Friday between 8am and 6pm and select option 2. For more information and to request a call back, visit the phone counselling page.

For emergency respite, call 1800 422 737 at any time.

Video duration 0:44

Carer Gateway has been designed by carers, for carers.

Support is focused around you, with help that’s flexible and personalised to your needs.

Access a range of in person and online services and supports, including counselling … peer support … flexible respite care options… skills courses … and practical information and advice.

Being a carer can be tough, but Carer Gateway is there to support you.

So, to access support, services and advice, contact Carer Gateway on 1800 422 737, or request someone to call you at www.carergateway.gov.au

You can access the online services, including self-guided coaching, carer forum and skills courses on this website without calling the 1800 number. Simply navigate to the webpage of the service you wish to access, follow the prompts and complete the short registration.

What if English is not my first language?

If you are more comfortable having a conversation in a language other than English, you can use the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS).

TIS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and is accessible from anywhere in Australia for the cost of a local call on 131 450. TIS can translate in more than 150 languages.

Carer Gateway also provides translated resources.

What if I can understand English, but have trouble reading it?

If you need to listen to the information on Carer Gateway, you can use Readspeaker to automatically change written text to speech. Click the ‘Listen’ button on any page and it will be read aloud to you.

You can access a fact sheet about Carer Gateway written in an easy to read way
Carer Gateway Easy Read Fact Sheet

What if I have a hearing, speech or vision impairment?

If you need to talk with someone about carer support, you can contact Carer Gateway through the National Relay Service by:

  • visiting the National Relay Service to register to use the relay service, if you aren't already registered, and to choose how you would like to use the service
  • asking for Carer Gateway on 1800 422 737.

Who can use Carer Gateway?

Carer Gateway is for anyone who is an unpaid carer. Whether you are receiving a government carer payment or not, all carers can get support through Carer Gateway.

You may be an unpaid carer if you are providing care and support to a family member or friend with disability, a medical condition, mental illness, or someone who is frail due to age.

Carers can be any age. Carers can provide any type of care – some carers provide support 24 hours a day and help with daily living, while other carers provide fewer hours of support and help with occasional transport or cooking. Some carers provide support to someone who doesn’t live with them. For example, the person they care for may be living in an aged care home.

You don't need to be a new carer to use Carer Gateway services – any carer can use the services at any time in their caring journey.

Using Carer Gateway services will not affect services delivered through My Aged Care or the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), or any state or territory carer services or carer payments you may be receiving.

Find out if you are a carer

Who are the Carer Gateway service providers?

Each region in Australia has a Carer Gateway service provider who either provides services and support to you directly or organises support for you through another organisation. For example, respite care.

When you call Carer Gateway, you will speak to your local service provider. This means that the person you talk to knows what support and services are available in the area.

The service providers are:

Australian Capital Territory

New South Wales
  • The Benevolent Society
    (NSW1 – Sydney metropolitan area; and northern, eastern and western suburbs)
  • Wellways Australia
    (NSW2 – South-Western Sydney including Campbelltown and Liverpool; and the Nepean and Blue Mountains regions)
  • Live Better
    (NSW3 – South-Eastern NSW including Goulburn and Wollongong; the Murrumbidgee region including Griffith and Wagga Wagga; and Western NSW including Bourke and Broken Hill)
  • Carers NSW
    (NSW4 – Hunter, New England and Central Coast regions including Armidale, Newcastle and Tamworth; and the North Coast region including Coffs Harbour and Port Macquarie)

Northern Territory

Queensland

South Australia

Tasmania

Victoria

Western Australia