Carers supporting people with dementia as well as advocacy organisations such as the Older Person’s Advocacy Network and Dementia Australia are critical to ensure the voices of people with dementia are heard by politicians. Carers Victoria is also keen to ensure that politicians are aware of the perspectives and needs of carers supporting people with dementia.
Our website has information about our ongoing advocacy to governments and policy makers as well as resources and tools that carers can use to engage with their local politicians about the issues that matter to them. These resources will be added to over coming months as we lead up to the 2026 Victorian State Election, and we encourage everyone to get involved.
Removing someone from electoral roll
Removing a person from the electoral roll must only occur if the person no longer understands the nature and significance of enrolment and voting.
The Australian Electoral Commission states that in these circumstances, an Objection claim can be completed. This can only be done in conjunction with a medical certificate completed and signed by a registered medical practitioner. The AEC states that people living in residential care facilities should be supported to vote, so age and or frailty themselves are not the basis of exclusion.
Dementia Australia has useful information on their website about supporting someone with dementia to continue exercising their right to vote.
Useful links:
Our advocacy work - Carers Victoria
Before you reach out to an MP, there are ways to directly raise your concerns with the NDIA. If you believe the plan wasn’t appropriately undertaken, you can ask for a decision review or request a change to the plan with a plan reassessment or plan variation. If you’re not satisfied with the response, you can request an external review as well as giving feedback or making a complaint. It’s also good to flag you will also seek advice from the Commonwealth Ombudsman in due course.
Your local state or federal MP or Senator may be able to assist you to escalate or push for a quicker outcome for your reassessment. The NDIS is run by the Commonwealth Government so occasionally a state MP may say ‘that’s a federal issue’, but as a constituent, it is important your local MP knows about the issues that are affecting you and for you to feel comfortable to request them to take up your concerns on your behalf. Things your MP or Senator can do include:
In some cases, your local MP may agree to write to the NDIA or to the NDIS Minister’s office to request a Ministerial inquiry of your case. This would be a stronger escalation that would force a written response from the Agency or the NDIS Minister. It may also trigger a review of your case by a more senior NDIA official.
Useful links:
You can search for your local Victorian MP by electorate on the Parliament of Victoria webpage
Find a member - Parliament of Victoria
Victorians are also represented by 12 senators and 38 MPs in the Australian Parliament:
It’s valuable to meet with advisors in the MPs electorate office (or Ministerial office if they are a Minister) as they are often more available to meet and often play an important role bringing issues to the MPs attention and recommending a follow up meeting. Many advisors have deep expertise in some policy areas. It's worth building a relationship with advisors because a lot of the policy change that we would like to see needs to happen over the long term and many advisors move between MP offices over their careers so can be a good future ally in another portfolio area.
Zoe Daniel recommended trying the ‘message triangle’. A three-piece strategy to help refine your message:
We'll provide you with scripts and other resources that you can use, such as statistics, and summaries of carer issues as well as contact details for your MP if you want to send an e-mail. We are trying to make this as simple as possible for you by providing really quick, easy information that you can take along and give to your MP.
And if you're not sure, you can always drop us a note and we can give you some tips and tricks.
There is often overlap between state and federal issues. Occasionally you might get a state MP who says, ‘well, that's a federal issue’ or the other way around, but you're still a constituent, so if there are issues that are affecting you, it's important that they know about it. For some issues such as housing and health, there are overlaps between jurisdictions.
It may not be necessary to go into the technicalities of legislation. You may want to target some of your conversation to practical things that your MP can do.
It’s important to note that both state and federal MPs are there to represent you. Having said that, we have a state election coming up in November so it’s a good time to be reaching out to state MPs to talk about the priorities you want them to focus on.
Housing is a good example of an issue where there is overlap between state and federal jurisdiction. We think the best way to get your MP involved is by connecting to your story and expressing what matters most in a way that feels important and authentic to you. A helpful tip in conversations with your local MP is to focus on the practical, concrete things that your MP can do to help your specific situation or concern.
Ministers are generally much harder to get access to and will be dealing with things at a much higher level. We advise to go local, engage with your local member, and build a relationship with them. While it may make a difference whether their particular party is in government, this may change after the election so it’s always worth having a conversation with them. The backbench should also not be discounted, given the significant influence they can have.
At the end of the day, it doesn't matter which party your local representative comes from, they will have many, many carers within their community. Engaging with your local MP is an educative process that helps carers to be heard and seen and that's a big part of what we're trying to do.
If your local MP understands the number of carers that are within their community and what an important voting block that is, that is potentially enough of a motivation to get them to pay more attention to and escalate carer’s issues.
National Carers Week was an important focus for Carers Victoria’s advocacy last year. We ran an event at Parliament House and had many MPs passing through. This afforded an excellent opportunity to engage those MPs early and get them familiar with carers’ issues. We provided them with packs of carer data relevant to their electorates, and they got to speak to a mix of organisations that support carers.
By October 2026 we expect most decisions about party platforms will have already been made. The Government may also be in caretaker mode which means it is expected to avoid implementing major policy decisions that are likely to commit an incoming government, making significant appointments and entering major contracts. This means that National Carers Week this year will be more about reinforcing the work we’ve already done, connections we’ve already made and the support we’ve already built. The next two to three months are going to be a critical time to engage with our MPs and ensure specific commitments about carers are included in the platforms of all parties before the election.
What we're trying to do is to elevate your lived experience as a carer, something that often gets overlooked in conversations around care. The power that you have is the power in your story as a carer, a story that many of those who you're telling it to may not have either heard or considered.
This is not to diminish the experience of the person in your care relationship, but this is about your story, about your life experience as a carer, and what you need to change to be able to continue doing this in a way that benefits not just you and the people in your care relationship, but also the broader community. You may want to encourage the person you care for to find an advocacy organisation suited to them. You might also, as part of your story, talk about the needs of the person you care for and how difficult it has been for you to navigate the service system to assist them receive the supports they need.
We want to make it impossible for carers to be ignored by MPs in the lead up to the 2026 election.
The lead up to an election is a good time to try again because MPs may be more motivated to focus on community issues. Depending on where you are in Victoria, having conversations with local journalists to elevate the issue within the local media, be that community radio, or a local newspaper to try and get some coverage could be a useful tactic.
Another option is to run a community event in the lead up to the election and invite all of your local representatives to attend and hear the stories of carers. This makes it more difficult for one candidate not to turn up if all the others say they're going to be there. And you may create an opportunity to have a reasoned conversation about the kinds of issues that carers in the community are experiencing.
Useful links:
You can search for your local Victorian MP by electorate on the Parliament of Victoria webpage
Zoe Daniel recommended trying the ‘message triangle’. A three-piece strategy to help refine your message:
Engaging with your local MP is an educative process that helps carers to be heard and seen. A helpful tip in conversations with your local MP is to focus on the practical, concrete things that your MP can do to help your specific situation or concern so making suggestions to change the NDIS Act to give the ART power to make decisions about plans is a good example of this.
It’s also valuable to meet with advisors who often have more continuity in their roles than members of parliament. Many advisors have deep expertise in some policy areas. It's worth building a relationship with advisors because a lot of the policy change that we would like to see needs to happen over the long term. It's important to build allies wherever we can find them.
Useful links:
You can search for your local Victorian MP by electorate on the Parliament of Victoria webpage
The best way depends on your comfort and needs.
Engaging with your local MP is an educative process that helps carers to be heard and seen. A helpful tip in conversations with your local MP is to focus on the practical, concrete things that your MP can do to help your specific situation or concern.
The lead up to an election is a good time to try again because MPs may be more motivated to focus on community issues. Depending on where you are in Victoria, having conversations with local journalists to elevate the issue within the local media, be that community radio, or a local newspaper to try and get some coverage could be a useful tactic. It’s also valuable to meet with advisors who often have more continuity in their roles than members of parliament. Many advisors have deep expertise in some policy areas. It's worth building a relationship with advisors because a lot of the policy change that we would like to see needs to happen over the long term. So, it's important to build allies wherever we can find them.
Another option is to run a community event in the lead up to the election and invite all of your local representatives to attend and hear the stories of carers. This makes it more difficult for one candidate not to turn up if all the others say they're going to be there. And you may create an opportunity to have a reasoned conversation about the kinds of issues that carers in the community are experiencing .
Useful links:
You can search for your local Victorian MP by electorate on the Parliament of Victoria webpage
Engaging with your local MP is an educative process that helps carers to be heard and seen. A helpful tip in conversations with your local MP is to focus on the practical, concrete things that your MP can do to help your specific situation or concern. The lead up to an election is a good time to try again because MPs may be more motivated to focus on community issues. Depending on where you are in Victoria, having conversations with local journalists to elevate the issue within the local media, be that community radio, or a local newspaper to try and get some coverage could be a useful tactic. It’s also valuable to meet with advisors who often have more continuity in their roles than members of parliament. Many advisors have deep expertise in some policy areas. It's worth building a relationship with advisors because a lot of the policy change that we would like to see needs to happen over the long term. So, it's important to build allies wherever we can find them.
Another option is to run a community event in the lead up to the election and invite all of your local representatives to attend and hear the stories of carers. This makes it more difficult for one candidate not to turn up if all the others say they're going to be there. And you may create an opportunity to have a reasoned conversation about the kinds of issues that carers in the community are experiencing.
Useful links:
You can search for your local Victorian MP by electorate on the Parliament of Victoria webpage
In assisting carers to advocate with MPs ahead of the November State election, we have designed a web page which allows carers to identify their local members, download some template letters that they can personalise and access other updates and information as our pre-election campaign ramps up over the next few months. The video of our MP engagement video is also available there for carers to watch and share with others.
Keep an eye on our website for more info, resources and updates.
Engaging with your local MP is an educative process that helps carers to be heard and seen. A helpful tip in conversations with your local MP is to focus on the practical, concrete things that your MP can do to help your specific situation or concern. Raising concerns about how policy makers make disability adjustments for carers with disability is a great example of this.
Zoe Daniel recommended trying the ‘message triangle’. A three-piece strategy to help refine your message:
Useful links:
You can search for your local Victorian MP by electorate on the Parliament of Victoria webpage
Engaging with your local MP is an educative process that helps carers to be heard and seen. The lead up to an election is a good time to try because MPs may be more motivated to focus on community issues. Depending on where you are in Victoria, having conversations with local journalists to elevate the issue within the local media, be that community radio, or a local newspaper to try and get some coverage could be a useful tactic.
Another option is to run a community event in the lead up to the election and invite all of your local representatives to attend and hear the stories of carers. This makes it more difficult for one candidate not to turn up if all the others say they're going to be there. And you may create an opportunity to have a reasoned conversation about the kinds of issues that carers in the community are experiencing.
Useful links:
You can search for your local Victorian MP by electorate on the Parliament of Victoria webpage
The Victorian Carer Strategy 2025-2035 was released last year and sets out a number of priority areas for action. This is a great document to refer to when meeting with MPs and asking them how it will be brought to life with tangible practical improvements that address the issues that matter most for carers. One recent example of an improvement for carers was the Victorian Government’s announcement of free public transport on the weekends for carers. It is important to keep carers’ issues front and centre with MPs as there are no guarantees that things will significantly improve for carers in the immediate future, and we know that carers are struggling. That is why, Carers Victoria continues to advocate for changes that can improve carers’ access to assistance. Our Carers Count Platform sets out a five-point plan in the lead-up to the 2026 Victorian State election, to address the key pressure points experienced by carers:
We need carers to get involved and join us in spreading the word to our parliamentarians that carers count, as a mission critical part of our community.
Engaging with your local MP is an educative process that helps carers to be heard and seen. A helpful tip in conversations with your local MP is to focus on the practical, concrete things that your MP can do to help your specific situation or concern – talking about the impact of annual plan reviews for clients with permanent diagnosis where care needs are extremely unlikely to reduce is a good example of this.
Zoe Daniel recommended trying the ‘message triangle’. A three-piece strategy to help refine your message:
Useful links:
You can search for your local Victorian MP by electorate on the Parliament of Victoria webpage
Engaging with your local MP is an educative process that helps carers to be heard and seen. A helpful tip in conversations with your local MP is to focus on the practical, concrete things that your MP can do to help your specific situation or concern.
Zoe Daniel recommended trying the ‘message triangle’. A three-piece strategy to help refine your message:
Useful links:
You can search for your local Victorian MP by electorate on the Parliament of Victoria webpage
Carer Gateway is intended to provide a more streamlined and accessible way for carers to access a range of services based on a comprehensive assessment of their needs.
A 2023 parliamentary inquiry into carer recognition heard that the Carer Gateway needs to be codesigned with carers to relax requirements for carer assessments so they can access support when they need it, improve the flexibility of supports that meet carers’ needs such as practical and physical help at home and improved integration between other key services that carers interact with, such as My Aged Care, the National Disability Insurance Scheme and Centrelink.
A 2024 evaluation of Carer Gateway noted similar challenges for Carer Gateway including:
Carers Victoria continues to advocate for ongoing improvements to the range and accessibility of supports offered through Carer Gateway.
Useful links:
The events in Perth highlight the importance of strong support systems for carers and people with disability. For families caring for people with significant needs, it is critical that NDIS funding matches the actual level of need and that supports are easy to access. The NDIA has been criticised in the past for slow plan approvals, difficult review processes and constant reassessments. For high-needs families, delays can mean going without critical support for months and/or carers taking on unsustainable workloads. However, it also underscores the critical role of the state’s health systems, education support, community services and community attitudes toward disability and carers. Prevention depends on proactive support, delivered to families in the right way and at the right time.
Both the National Carer Strategy and the Victorian Carer Strategy have been refreshed in the last 1 to 2 years.
Both levels of government heard through those processes, that carers are struggling, and that they need more support to be able to continue in their role.
We do think that carer’s voices are increasingly being heard, but there are fundamental challenges to providing carer supports such as thin markets and budget constraints and governments must choose between competing priorities.
For carer supports to climb up that list of priorities involves as many people as possible engaging with their local MP to help them see that supporting carers is critical. Because caring affects so many people in our community.
Once MPs are aware of carers issues, they can be pushing carers’ issues forward to the senior levels of the party to bring about policy change. It may not be instant, but over time, beneficial change will occur.
There is also great power in hearing about an issue directly from a constituent. Hearing about carers as part of a government inquiry or in a speech to Parliament is useful but having a constituent come into your office and tell you about the real-life impact of their lack of access to a particular service lands much harder on an MP. Most MPs, no matter which matter they represent, will try to make change when they understand the human impact of a situation.
You can search for your local Victorian MP by electorate on the Parliament of Victoria webpage
Find a member - Parliament of Victoria
Victorians are also represented by 12 senators and 38 MPs in the Australian Parliament:
Carers Victoria
Contact Carers Victoria’s advisory line for free, clear, expert information and advice which helps to link carers to assistance.
Carers Victoria also offers FREE membership which offers the following:
You may also be interested in attending some of our FREE events and workshops or looking through our Carer Support Group Directory to find a peer support group in your local area.
Carer Gateway offers a range of services for carers – please find further information via the links in the next column.
Centrelink
You may be eligible to access Carer Payment and/or Carer Allowance.
My Aged Care
If someone is 65 or older and would like to access ongoing support services they can contact My Aged Care. They will be assessed for aged care services (or reassessed if they have already been assessed in the past) then supports can be organised for them in the community.
Useful links
Carers Victoria
Carer Gateway
Centrelink
My Aged Care
Our pre-election platform calls for expanded funding for carer respite targeted to growth corridors and rural Victoria, alongside targeted programs for multicultural and First Nations carers.
In their pre-budget submission, Carers Australia called for the redesign of respite for better outcomes, increasing the supply of respite, making it more flexible and person-centred, and treating it as a preventative measure to improve the lives of carers.
Carers Victoria will soon be rolling out Roving Respite, a new program to support carers in regional locations. Roving Respite events are designed to go beyond traditional respite to build connection, capability and lasting community support. Evidence from carer support programs and community grants shows that multi-activity, community embedded events that combine practical learning, creative engagement and social connection are effective in reducing isolation, strengthening resilience and enhancing wellbeing for carers. Delivered by Carers Victoria’s Regional Engagement Team, the one-day events will be delivered with local councils, services and community organisations.
Both the National Carer Strategy and the Victorian Carer Strategy have been refreshed in the last 1 to 2 years.
Both levels of government heard through those processes, that carers are mission critical, but they need respite to be able to continue in their role.
We do think that carer’s voices are increasingly being heard, but there are fundamental challenges to providing respite, such as thin markets and budget constraints and governments must choose between competing priorities.
For respite to climb up that list of priorities involves as many people as possible engaging with their local MP to help them see that supporting carers is mission critical. Because caring affects so many people in our community.
Once MPs are aware of carers issues, they can be pushing carers’ issues forward to the senior levels of the party to bring about policy change. It may not be instant, but over time, beneficial change will occur.
There is also great power in hearing about an issue directly from a constituent. Hearing about carers as part of a government inquiry or in a speech to Parliament is useful but having a constituent come into your office and tell you about the real-life impact of their lack of access to a particular service lands much harder on an MP. Most MPs, no matter which party they represent, will try to make change when they understand the human impact of a situation.
Our pre-election platform includes an ask to invest in our Step into Caring program. We know that people often become carers unexpectedly and may be ill-equipped for the complex demands that arise from this change. Carers often don’t receive assistance or information until experiencing crisis and/or burnout. Evidence shows that the longer a person is a carer, the worse their health and wellbeing becomes.
Step into Caring is designed to provide new carers with practical information, resources and supports that better equip them to manage the challenges of caring as early as possible in their caring role. In addition, it will also provide strategies and opportunities to help carers connect with others and maintain their own health and wellbeing.
We advocate for all carers to be included and supported as crucial supports for people with disability. Each year we engage with thousands of Victorian carers and conduct research, policy development and advocacy on their behalf – using in person and online consultations and a bi-annual survey.
Useful link
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, about 37% of Victoria’s primary carers have been caring for at least 10 years. It’s not surprising then, that a significant proportion of carers are over the age of 65 (about 21% of Victorian Carer Payment recipients are aged over 65).
Carer Payment is an income support payment for carers who cannot participate in the workforce because their care role is constant. The Payment is taxable if the carer or the care recipient are of Age Pension age. Carers in receipt of the Carer Payment who reach age pension age, will be offered a choice of remaining on the Carer Payment or switching to the Aged Pension.
The Carer Allowance is a fortnightly supplementary payment available to carers who care for someone who needs ongoing daily care for at least 12 months or has a terminal medical condition. There is no income test for the person you care for, and no asset test but the carer’s taxable income must not exceed $250,000 in each financial year.
Some carers may not be eligible for Carer Payment or Carer Allowance but may still be eligible to receive another means-tested payment: Jobseeker, Disability Support Pension or the Aged Pension.
Useful link
Our pre-election platform calls for increases to the Carer Payment and Carer Allowance rates and changes to eligibility.
In July 2023 the Victorian Government introduced changes to land tax exemptions for the primary residence of a person with disability. If a person with disability lives in a property as their principal place of residence (PPR) and that person qualifies for a Special Disability Trust, the landowner is entitled to a land tax exemption subject to certain criteria.
The landowner must apply to the State Revenue Office to obtain the exemption.
There are tax and Centrelink implications for carers and people with disability, it’s essential to seek legal and financial advice to ensure you understand how these measures can be used and be a good fit with your needs. While we did not advocate for this policy change, we think it may benefit some carers, depending on their circumstances.
Useful link
Exemption for a transfer to a qualifying person with a disability | State Revenue Office
Superannuation is an area where the Commonwealth Government has the most levers to pull. The National Carer Network has advocated for superannuation for carers, particularly those receiving Carer Payment. Modelling was undertaken on behalf of the network that indicates on average, a primary carer will lose $392,500 in lifetime earnings and $170,000 in superannuation to age 67. Carers Victoria regularly brings these matters to the attention of the Victorian and Commonwealth Governments where appropriate.
Useful link
Carers Australia leads the National Carer Network’s response to federal policy areas. Most recently, this involved consultation on the Review of the Disability Support Pension (DSP) Impairment Tables.
Useful link
The answer is currently no. The National Carer Network has advocated for superannuation for carers, particularly those receiving Carer Payment. Modelling was undertaken on behalf of the network that indicates on average, a primary carer will lose $392,500 in lifetime earnings and $170,000 in superannuation to age 67. Carers Victoria regularly brings these matters to the attention of the Victorian and Commonwealth Governments where appropriate.
Useful link
