Service exception application form

Electronic payment of gap fee

This form is for providers applying for all families at a service to pay by means other than electronic funds transfer (EFT).

This form must be completed by a person with management or control (PMC) of a provider.

The PMC completing this form must ensure they have read and understood the PMC privacy statement within this form. A copy of the PMC privacy statement is also available on the Australian Government Department of Education (the department) website.

From 1 July 2023, families using child care must pay the gap fee using electronic means, or EFT. The gap fee is the difference between the provider’s fee and the Child Care Subsidy (CCS) amount.

More information about electronic payment of gap fees is available on the Australian Government Department of Education (the department) website.

This form is for providers who wish to apply for an exception on behalf of a service so that all families attending the service can pay by means other than EFT. Applications will only be approved if exceptional circumstances exist.

A service may be eligible for an exception if:

  • the service is located in Remote Australia or Very Remote Australia as determined by the Australian Bureau of Statistics Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) Remoteness Structure, and
  • the service experiences poor internet or phone coverage, or
  • the service has a significant number of families who have limited access to a financial institution, which poses a barrier to those families paying electronically, or
  • a natural disaster has occurred and a period of emergency has been declared. (A temporary regional exception will be considered for those services located within that region for the duration of the period of emergency). Exceptions under this category will be considered on an application basis, where the provider is required to apply on behalf of a service. Applications will be assessed to confirm the service is located in a region where a period of emergency has been declared and will only be granted for the duration of that period of emergency.

If exceptional circumstances exist in relation to a particular service outside the circumstances above, consideration will also be given to granting an exception.

The remoteness area of a service can be checked by:

  • going to maps.abs.gov.au
  • in the top right of the map, click 'Choose a boundary type' and select 2021 Remoteness Area (RA)
  • type the street address of the service into the 'Find address or place' search field and click the magnifying glass
  • once the location appears on the map, go to the icons on the left hand side and click on the three horizontal lines ('Identify regions and ASGS classification')
  • the 2021 Remoteness Area (RA) for that location will be displayed in the pop up.