How much do you get?

If you are the primary carer of a newborn or adopted child, you are entitled to get up to 18 weeks leave paid at the national minimum wage. In 2017, this works out to be $695.00 before tax and is paid to you directly from your employer or from Centrelink.

Can you get both the employer paid leave and the government paid leave?

Yes. The government HAS proposed some changes to this, but those changes have not been ratified, and it is my understanding that any changes would not apply if you are already pregnant.

Is everyone eligible for the government paid parental scheme?

No. Although many, many people are. Primarily, you need to be:

When and How do I apply for the government paid parental scheme?

You can be super organised and actually apply for the payment up to three months before you are due to give birth. I kind of recommend this, so you get all your ‘ducks in a row’ and don’t have to run around dealing with too much paperwork with a ‘little one’ in tow.

You apply online (I will add links below), including telling Centrelink when you want your payments to start, and then Centrelink will review and let you know the outcome.

Then, after bub arrives, you just need to log back into your MyGov account, provide the birth and the birth registration details and sit back and enjoy the beautiful little tyrant who has completely changed your life!

Good luck pregnant peoples…as I write this, I only have three weeks to go before my parental leave starts and six weeks until Tyrant #3 makes himself the centre of attention!

Important Links:

Australian Human Rights Commission – Pregnancy Fact Sheet

FairWork Australia – Pregnant Employee Entitlements

Australian Department of Human Services – Stillborn Baby Payment

FairWork Australia – Paid Parental Leave

Australian Department of Human Services – Eligibility for Parental Leave Pay

FairWork Australia – Returning to Work From Parental Leave