Single Mums with 4 kids or more - are you forced to work when smallest child is 6?

[Visitor7]

You don't have to look for work if you have 4 under 16, I think. But otherwise, as above.

That's for what they call 'grandfathered Parenting Payment' customers. So if you were receivng Parenting Payment before they changed the rules (1/07/06), then that's right
Grandfathered Parenting Payment

[~clover~]

Sorry, I'm confused. So, when my youngest turns 6, my oldest will be about 14. Because I will have 4 between 6 & 16 I won't be forced to look for work when the youngest is 6.
(This is given I'm single then of course. Right now I have no idea where I'll be.) But if DH earns enough next financial year that I lose PP all together for more than 12 weeks then end up single later I will have to look for work.
Very confused, lol.

[Visitor7]

clover - if you've been receiving Parenting Payment since before 1/07/06 and your partner remains under the income threshold, or you become single, then yes, you will still qualify. But if your partner exceeds the income threshold and your parenting payment cancels, then you've lost it. If you reapply for it later down the track, you won't be 'grandfathered parenting payment' just parenting payment, so you will need to go back to work.

[~clover~]

Hmm, ok, thanks. I plan to return to work around then anyway I think, if not before. But it is good to know.

[e_p]

just wanted to clarify that you don't have to have a job in order to receive parenting payment after your youngest turns 6 - you need to either be working, looking for work, or participating in study (or a combination) for 30 hours per fortnight in order to receive the payment If you are looking for work, you will be linked to a job services provider to assist you to find suitable work.

[e_p]

further clarification here ladies - from the 1st of July, recipients of parenting payment (single or partnered) and newstart can have an exemption from the activity test (looking for work, working, studying, voluntary work) if they are the principal carer or 4 or more dependent children - the exemption is applied for 12 months at a time. Also, changes to the activity test from 1st July mean that voluntary work is also an approved activity and you can meet your requirements through a combination of paid work, voluntary work and study as long as the total hours is 15 hours per week.

[deletedit]

Voluntary now too? That's fantastic. It always seemed weird that they'd haul you off for work for the dole at somewhere you didn't want to be when somewhere you *did* want to be was begging for volunteers but weren't WFTD registered.

3 years ago when WFTD was in full swing our local school lost several of their most dedicated volunteers (the most active being a very soft-spoken Asian woman who had an 8yo but suddenly became widowed at 40 so went from being a kept woman with no qualifications who had never worked to having to look for work on parenting payment) because Centrelink didn't allow it. Noone was happy, lose-lose all around.

The woman in question has since remarried and is a kept woman again ...