Paid Parental Leave Confusion!

[briggsy's girl]

BG, I have scoured the Centrelink site repeatedly and thought I understood it all. I have seen the no more than 8 weeks between workdays requirement, but I thought I was clear on that issue, because you only have to work 10 of the 13 months before bub is due. And the no more than 8 weeks between work days requirement applies to that 10 month period, not after you have stopped work. If I finish up officially on 18 July, then I would have worked for 10 of the 13 months before the baby is due, and I have met all the other requirements. I also saw on the Centrelink website that paid leave is considered 'work' whereas unpaid leave isn't, so I thought that as long as I was on paid leave until 18 July, then I would be covered.

no, it doesn't work like that
you have to have not had a period exceeding 8 weeks at any time in the 13 months prior to the EDD - even if you work 10 months solid, if you have a period of 8+ weeks before EDD, you lose your qualification

i have copied and pasted the qualifying criteria direct from the centrelink website. i'm not giving my interpretation of the information, i'm giving you the actual information as publicly available. i deal with this every day - this is the criteria.

the 10 of the 13 months is making sure that people don't work a month, have six weeks off, work another month, have a fortnight off, work a few weeks, take a month off etc - they are saying that, out of the 390 odd days which make up the 13 months before your EDD, you have to have worked 10 months - or 40ish weeks - and you can't have more than 8 weeks off in any period there - including the period immediately before the birth of the child


ETA - my apologies if this is blunt. i'm tired and i'm replying with an almost three year old climbing on me while i try and keep her off the wrist i have dislocated twice this weekend.