Claiming for parental leave, FTB etc
I just called the Family Assistance Office, as I was a little confused about how to work out what we're eligible for, and how to claim everything. The girl helped a little, but I'm so new to this I'm still a tad confused.
I know we estimate our income for the year going forward, which is lucky for us as we're due in June so it should be easy to work out what we'll both get for the year. But when do we put in claims? Can I start doing stuff now? The girl on the phone mentioned paper forms at the hospital and then claiming online, does that mean I can't start anything until the baby's born?
I'd really prefer to start things now, I can easily estimate what we'll earn and can just imagine that I won't want to be doing this stuff once bubs comes along - there'll be more important things to worry about! So any help with this would be greatly appreciated, just around what could I be eligible for and how/when can I get started on it?