Centrelink Baby Payments for Twins... HELP!

[BOC]

I have called and visited Centrelink today in the hope of getting some answers on eleigibility for payments once the twinnies arrive. All I have done is go in big circles and am none the wiser, and a lot more confused. Can anyone help?

Basically I'm trying to work out what we are entitled to in total for Paid Parental Leave/Dad & Partner Pay/Baby Bonus for our twins when they are born. The enquiry is for DH only as I am not entitled to anything due to only having a very small amount of casual work.

I know I can get two combinations, but noone can tell me exactly what those combinations are and if any two payments can be paid at the same time. If we can only get one payment at a time, i.e. be paid for one child at a time, then it's not worth our while as it's less than half DH's weekly payment and we can't survive on that.

But if I can get, say 2 x PPL or 2 x DAP or 2 x BB or 2 of any of a combination of these then we might be able to consider it. A single payment is approx $600 a week for PPL/DAP. We need to be able to get $1200 a week to make it worthwhile even applying for.

We have hardly ever received money from Centrelink so if there is something we're entitled to I really want to take advantage of it.

[nothing2lose]

Are you sure you can get double ppl??

[No.5]

You can't get 2 PPL. You can if you are entitled to PPL, get PPL for one twin and BB for the other. You can get 2 x BB. One for each twin.

Not sure about DAP but BG should be able to help with that when she comes on.

[AlligatorsMum]

i know you cant get 2 PPL, but also becuase your husband wouldnt be seen as the primary career (since you would also be at home) i would have thought that would make him inelligible to receive the PPL anyway at all?

im not sure what the DAP is as this wasnt around when i had my DS but i think you might only be able to get the 2x BB?

[briggsy's girl]

If you don't meet work test for ppl forget that even exists. 2xbaby bonus. 1x dad and partner pay

If you qualify for ppl, it would be 1x ppl, 1x baby bonus, 1x dad pay

[BOC]

Thanks BG, I was told you were the guru!

[mrscricket]

BOC - we got 1 paid parenting leave and one baby bonus. From memory, the baby bonus started first and the PPL took a bit longer but it was fairly new then (2 years ago now), so I think there may of been some hiccups in the system. At that stage there was no fathers leave, but DH took 3 weeks out his holidays. I remember it was all very confusing working out what would suit us best (2 BB or 1PPL 1BB). Good luck!

[HotI]

Also be prepared for a delay in payments starting. You might be lucky and it comes in within a couple of weeks, but at some times payments takes 10 weeks or more to begin.

[Pholi]

You need to get $1200 to be worth applying for it? I would have thought it would be worth applying even if you only get a little bit... every bit helps, surely?

[Mrs P]

Deleted as i read original post wrong!

[BOC]

You need to get $1200 to be worth applying for it? I would have thought it would be worth applying even if you only get a little bit... every bit helps, surely?

Yes but only if it does help. As far as the DAP/PPL goes, he can't receive work pay and those at the same time. It's one or the other. And they are less than half what he receives for work or if he was on annual leave. So therefore if he applied for the DAP/PPL then we would be operating at a loss for those weeks and unfortunately bills & expenses still need to be paid.

However if we apply for BB and he takes a few weeks annual leave instead then we should be just about even.

[Pholi]

Ah, I see... that makes sense then! Yeah, I don't know about the DAP, but we couldn't get PPL for me, same reason as you, and DH earns too much to make it worthwhile, so we just got BB for our little one, and it was about $300 and something a fortnight - and if you can get one for each baby, and keep your DH working, that would be well worth it! On the other hand, I know I was grateful for every extra week that DH stayed off work, and that was with only one new baby!