What am I entitled to?

[lady_neon]

I'm expecting my first later this year. I plan on being a stay at home while DH works full time.

I've looked on the Centrelink website, but can't seem to find an area that says what new parents/families are entilted to.

Does anyone know at all?

Ta

[buffy1]

Hi lady neon

There are a range of payments you can check eligibility for, including Paid Parental Leave, Baby Bonus, Family Tax Benefit and support for child care.

Go back to the Centrelink website and click on the 'individuals' and then 'parent and guardian' tabs for more info.

Otherwise you can go to the Dept of Human Services website (Centrelink falls under this) and put 'parent' or 'family' into the search. Should bring up similar info.

[AwesomeFoursome]

Parenting payment as well maybe

[BlackRose]

I found that the call centre is really helpful. I called them on my return to work to see what I was entitled to with the increase in salary and the childcare payment. The lady on the phone explained it all very clearly. I found the website a bit confusing and difficult to navigate.

Good luck

[lady_neon]

Thanks guys, I sent a message for them to call (don't have time to be on hold!) as I too found the website really confusing!

[e_p]

as far as I'm aware, they don't have a call back service so you may be waiting a while for that one!

Basic info:

Family Tax Benefit is paid to families with children whose income is below a certain level. There are two components. Your entitlement to Part A is calculated based on your combined (yours and your DP) gross income and needs to be below about $101,000 to be eligible for any payment. Part B is paid based on the income of the lower income earner, in your case, being a SAHM that will be you. With a child under 5, if your income for the financial year is below $4891 you should qualify for the maximum rate. You may not be eligible if your income is more than around $24,000 for the financial year.

To be paid FTB, you have to provide Centreli nk with an estimate of yours and your DHs gross income for the financial year. You will be paid based on the estimate you provide. At the end of the financial year, your tax returns are data matched and reconciled - if you under estimated your income and were overpaid, you may incur a debt. If you overestimated your income, you may be entitled to a top up from Centreli nk.

You also have the option with FTB to receive nil fortnightly payments, then wait for your tax returns to be completed and be paid the full years' entitlement in a lump sum.


Parenting Payment is an allowance paid to low income full time parents of young children. If you are partnered, only one member of a couple can receive PP. Your partners income will affect your entitlement and needs to be below about $1500 p/fortnight for you to be entitled to any PP. PP is taxable.

Baby Bonus and Paid Parental Leave - you can only receive one or the other of these. Centreli nk cannot advise you which one you are better off claiming. You will need to use the estimator on the website to calculate this.

Baby Bonus is $5000 paid in 13 installments. The first installment is around $800 and the rest are about $350. To be eligible, your combined income in the first 6 months following the birth of your baby must be below $75,000. Baby Bonus is not taxable.

Parental Leave Pay is paid to primary carers who have left work (or taken leave) due to birth of a child. You need to have worked for a total of 330 hrs across 10 of the 13 months prior to birth of the child and not had a break of more than 8 weeks. Your income in the financial year prior to the child's birth must have been less than $150k. You cannot work while receiving PLP. It is paid for 18 weeks and is the same rate as the federal minimum wage which at the moment is approx $580 p/w before tax. PLP is taxable. You can receive any maternity/parental leave entitlements from your employer as well as the government PLP.

As I said, this is basic info! If you do decide to claim FTB, BB or PLP, I would strongly encourage you to apply before the birth as the processing will be quicker. You can apply up to 3 months prior to your EDD. The application is done online. Once the baby is born, the hospital/birth centre/midwife will give you the remaining paperwork you need to finalise the claim. If you want to claim PP, you need to contact Centrelin k before your baby is 28 days old.

The estimator on the website is very thorough if you want an idea of how much you might be entitled to. Good luck!!

[lady_neon]

as far as I'm aware, they don't have a call back service so you may be waiting a while for that one!

It was on the Centrelink website, there was link to send a message with your details and what time you preferred to be called.

Thanks for that detailed info! Can you still claim PPL even if I have no intention of going back to work?

[e_p]

It was on the Centrelink website, there was link to send a message with your details and what time you preferred to be called.

Thanks for that detailed info! Can you still claim PPL even if I have no intention of going back to work?

ooh that's great!!! Beats waiting on hold for a hour!

Yep, you can claim PLP if you aren't going back to work

[briggsy's girl]

It was on the Centrelink website, there was link to send a message with your details and what time you preferred to be called.

Thanks for that detailed info! Can you still claim PPL even if I have no intention of going back to work?

the callback feature isn't automatically applied to all enquiries - it's about getting help for the website and things. the chances of getting a call back to avoid the queue are buckleys and none to be honest. i wouldn't hold my breath waiting!

there is no requirement to return to work to get PPL - the qualifying details are all about what you did BEFORE the birth of the baby

Eutra has given you the basics - jump on the centrelink website and run the estimators to see what you're going to best off with in terms of baby bonus or PPL.

and honestly - don't hold your breath waiting on that call back - there are very few staff to make the outbound calls, and i believe that things that should be dealt with by you making a call and sitting in the queue on hold are given the lowest priority - highest priority is given to actually assisting customers with online services things
it states on the site

Information about Centrelink Payments and Services is available from our homepage.

If you have an enquiry about your individual situation, register for Online services to view your details online, or telephone us.

If you still need assistance, you can send a request to have someone from Centrelink call you back.

the callback would only be offered if you've attempted the other contact points and still not had your issue resolved. many people are trying to use this service to avoid the queue at the call centre, and i believe it's being rejected if the files are checked and there has been no previous attempt to actually get the information through normal channels. it's not to be used (abused) as a way to avoid the queue

[SammyRo]

Baby Bonus is $5000 paid in 13 installments. The first installment is around $800 and the rest are about $350. To be eligible, your combined income in the first 6 months following the birth of your baby must be below $75,000. Baby Bonus is not taxable.

Parental Leave Pay is paid to primary carers who have left work (or taken leave) due to birth of a child. You need to have worked for a total of 330 hrs across 10 of the 13 months prior to birth of the child and not had a break of more than 8 weeks. Your income in the financial year prior to the child's birth must have been less than $150k. You cannot work while receiving PLP. It is paid for 18 weeks and is the same rate as the federal minimum wage which at the moment is approx $580 p/w before tax. PLP is taxable. You can receive any maternity/parental leave entitlements from your employer as well as the government

!

BG, you might be best at answering this. Why is the income threshold different for the baby bonus and the plp? If that limit is right, we're not eligible for the bb but from what I can understand from the above I might not meet the work requirements of the plp so we'll lose out.

[nothing2lose]

Sammy, I am not BG but is it that the combined income of $75k for the baby bonus is based on money earnt in the six months AFTER the baby is born.

The PPL is the fin year prior to the baby being born.

[briggsy's girl]

Different payments have different requirements. Ppl is payable based on mums work history. Dad is ignored (essentially). It is not deemed a warfare payment. Baby bonus is deemed a welfare payment for families and 75k in the six months after birth has been deemed the low to middle income range. It is paid based on the "right now" circumstances for those six months. Cap no matter what happens before it after, in that six months it is known you earned less than the limit so you are entitled

I honestly don't know who comes up with the numbers or how! I just have to know how they're applied! Sorry

[SammyRo]

So its $75000 for sixth months? Not the full year? That makes more sense, I couldn't see the fairness in how different the limits were if it was a year. Just had a panic that we would get nothing as with doing relief teaching, I might have more than 8 weeks off. Also on that, with the maternity leave pay, how do they know how many hours are worked? I tend to work days, rather than hours, so don't work a set number of hours iykwim?
Thanks!

[briggsy's girl]

yeah it's 75k in the six months immediately following the birth


with ppl work test, you have to have worked 10 of the 13months prior, and for at least 330 hours in that time. if there is doubt based on income as to how many hours you worked, you'd be asked for proof. for instance a self employed person may be asked to show evidence that they've put in those hours as their income may be very low kwim?

[lady_neon]

the callback feature isn't automatically applied to all enquiries - it's about getting help for the website and things. the chances of getting a call back to avoid the queue are buckleys and none to be honest. i wouldn't hold my breath waiting!

there is no requirement to return to work to get PPL - the qualifying details are all about what you did BEFORE the birth of the baby

Eutra has given you the basics - jump on the centrelink website and run the estimators to see what you're going to best off with in terms of baby bonus or PPL.

and honestly - don't hold your breath waiting on that call back - there are very few staff to make the outbound calls, and i believe that things that should be dealt with by you making a call and sitting in the queue on hold are given the lowest priority - highest priority is given to actually assisting customers with online services things
it states on the site


the callback would only be offered if you've attempted the other contact points and still not had your issue resolved. many people are trying to use this service to avoid the queue at the call centre, and i believe it's being rejected if the files are checked and there has been no previous attempt to actually get the information through normal channels. it's not to be used (abused) as a way to avoid the queue

Well Centrelink just called me, and much to my surprise the guy was very helpful & upfront so for those of you who don't want to spend all day on hold, you may wait a few weeks but I was in no rush. Then he emailed me everything relating to what I was wanting to know.