I'm in two minds about the fortnightly baby bonus payments.

I liked getting it in a lump sum like I did and would've been really annoyed if they'd changed it so that I had to have it doled out to me like I couldn't be trusted with what is after all my own money.

I do see why the government felt they had to change it so it's fortnightly. Although not everyone does it we all know people who have bought big ticket items for their homes or paid off debt with the baby bonus. I guess they still thought they were doing the right thing for their bubs.

I got 6 weeks paid maternity leave (which my company has just changed to 12 weeks, damn) so I don't see baby bonus as anything to do with being a maternity payment.

Australia is certainly behind most western countries when it comes to paid maternity leave and I'd like to see the day come when all working women are entitled to at least 3 months maternity leave as well as the baby bonus being available to all who earn under $100k a year.

I don't believe that the fortnightly payments will make any difference to BF - you don't give it up for financial reasons and you can still do it when you return to work.

A fortnightly payment of baby bonus wont allow women to stay home longer - you are getting the same amount of money so it goes just as far regardless of how often you are paid it.

Maybe if it was $380 per fortnight until the child was 18 it might be a different story but this is not what is happening.

What you need to remember with the $380 fortnightly payment is that it only goes til you reach whatever the amount is for the baby bonus at the time of the birth. After that you will get nothing from the government unless you are entitled to one of the other payments they now have. Originally I was told that we'd be getting a health care card and I can't remember exactly how much money but I think it was $200 or $250 per fortnight because my DF's income was below whatever threshold (I'm the main breadwinner in our household). This was because the stupid centrelink person presumed that because I was on maternity leave I woudn't be earning any money in the next year. When the figure was corrected because I am actually getting paid for much of my 8 months off (annual leave x 7 weeks, long service leave 8 weeks, 6 weeks maternity leave) we weren't entitled to either. We just get part of the benefit part A which is only something like $20-30 per fortnight. It sure doesn't pay to plan ahead for your pregnancy. If I wasn't getting any money from my workplace I could've got the benefit part B & the health care card til I returned to work. It makes absolutely no sense. When I go back to work I will still be better off financially once I pay for child care. I wish this wasn't the case cos I don't want to go back, but I have to.