Government Payments For Parents

Let’s get a couple of things straight: There is no more Baby Bonus, no more $3000 lump sum that’s going to appear in your bank account after the baby is born and yes, you do have to fill out a mountain of paperwork and visit a Centerlink office.

There. Now that’s sorted, we can wade through the confusing jargon that is the Federal Government’s family benefit payments and find out what exactly parents and families are entitled to.
Just a warning, it can be pretty confusing trying to get your head around the many payments available. You will have to do some leg work to find out whether you are eligible for them and if so, how much you are likely to receive.
You will also need to get together some paperwork, such as birth certificate, passport, Medicare, income estimates, assets estimates and present these files to a Centerlink office before the payments can be approved. The good news is, all these payments can be applied to online!

So, here is our quick guide to get you started:

Newborn Upfront Payment and Newborn Supplement

This payment was introduced after the Baby Bonus was scrapped in March 2014. It is paid following the birth or adoption of a child.

To be eligible you must:

• Have a baby or adopt a child on or after March 1, 2014

• Be eligible for Family Tax Benefit Part A (see below)

• Not be receiving Parental Leave Pay for the same child.

The maximum amount is $2056.45 for your first child, or $1028.15 for other children (amount correct as of April 2015).
This amount is added to your Family Tax Benefit Part A as a supplement. How you receive your Newborn Upfront Payment and Newborn Supplement depends on how you choose to receive Family Tax Benefit Part A, for example, fortnightly or as a lump sum at the end of the financial year.

Parental Leave Pay

For parents who have taken maternity leave or have worked prior to the birth of a child, can receive up to 18 weeks of pay at the minimum wage.

To be eligible you must:

• Be the primary carer of a newborn or recently adopted child,

• Have worked 10 of the 13 months before the birth or adoption of your child, and have worked 330 hours in that 10 month period (just more than one day a week) with no more than an eight-week gap between two consecutive working days

• Meet the Paid Parental Leave income test

• Be on leave or not working from the time you become your child’s primary carer until the end of yo

Parental Leave Pay is currently $641.05 per week before tax for a maximum of 18 weeks (amount correct as of April 2015). It is a taxable payment which means it may affect your existing family assistance entitlements, child support arrangements and tax obligations. Parental Leave Pay can be paid by your employer or directly from the Government.

• You do not need to be working full time to be eligible for Parental Leave Pay.

The scheme provides you with Parental Leave Pay but does not give you an entitlement to leave. You need to work out your maternity leave entitlements with your employer.