Navigating Maternity Leave
“The Radiant Birth user friendly guide to help you navigate the Centrelink system.”
In Australia, maternity/parental leave policy differs from employer to employer. As there is no industry standard or benchmark, knowing what you are eligible for can seem ambiguous. Money, a very loaded four letter word. If you don’t have much to begin with, it’s a huge consideration when family planning and expanding. Children are no doubt expensive. Who will take time off? For how long? Will we be able to afford rent/mortgage repayments, food, bills and life on a single income? With the recession starting to show its true colours, more than ever, it is essential to know your options and the support available. If you're with a child or planning to expand your family, below is a guide to help see you through.
Preparing for parental leave
Am I entitled to maternity leave at my workplace?
Every workplace has their own paid maternity leave policy. However, if you have been working in your current role for 12 months, you are eligible for 52 weeks of unpaid mat leave. This means your company must keep your job, whilst you are on leave. This is applicable to part-time and casual employees too.
Am I entitled to get support from the Government?
Yes, if you have been working in your current role for at least 12 months, you are eligible for 18 weeks paid leave from the government. You must meet the work test, be the child’s primary caregiver and have individually earned less than $150,000 in the last financial year. You can get this on top of your internal work policy too if you meet the requirements.
Am I entitled to get support from the Government if I am a freelancer?
Yes, if you have been working under your current ABN for a minimum 12 months. The prerequisites for this are the same as above.
How much am I entitled to?
$812.45 per week, which is $162.49 a day before tax .
How is it paid?
This is paid to your employer (tax is taken out at their end) and then paid to you. In my experience it was paid in two lump sums, 1 x 12 weeks and 1x 6 weeks. You need to nominate a start date for your payments that is within 34 weeks of your child’s birth to get the full 18 weeks’ pay.
Is my partner entitled to paid support?
Partner pay is available too. They must have individually earned less than $150,000 in the last financial year and cannot work during this time. Apply here.
How much are partners entitled to?
$1507.8 before tax
How is it paid?
Into their nominated account as one lump sum.
These are all the supporting documents you will need before start the process:
your employer's Australian Business Number (ABN)
your employer’s contact details
your bank account details
your Tax File Number (TFN)
citizenship papers and your passport details
HOW TO APPLY
Step 1. Set yourself up in the system with a Centrelink CRN number. To do this we suggest you go into a branch with your forms as listed above.
Step 2. Connect your CRN number to your myGov account.
Step 3. Make your claim:
Sign into myGov and go to Centrelink.
Select Payment and Claims from the menu, then Claims, then Make a claim.
Under Families, select Get started.
Select Apply for Family Assistance (including Paid Parental Leave).
Answer all of the questions. Each screen has information to help you complete the claim. This includes how to submit your supporting documents.
Submit your claim.
**FINAL STEP Very Important
Once your baby is born, the midwife or hospital will give you a temporary birth certificate. To unlock the money, you will need to upload this certificate to your online claim.
ADDITIONAL ENTITLEMENTS
Other entitlements you may want to look into. These are based on your dual income as a family.
Family Tax benefit A
What is it?
Additional support that helps with the cost of raising children.
How much is this entitlement?
This starts at $60.90 for each child per fortnight (but can be less depending on you and your partner’s combined income) and can be as much as $189.56 for a child 0 to 12 years.
Am I eligible?
To get the A supplement, your family’s adjusted taxable combined income must be $80,000 or less. Government maternity leave is not factored into this figure. To make a claim, click here.
**NB: Your child’s immunisations must be up to date in order to receive this.
Family Tax benefit B
What is it?
Additional support that helps with the cost of raising children.
How much is this entitlement?
The maximum you can get from the Family Tax benefit B is $161.14/fortnight, if your youngest child is 0-5years old. You cannot receive this payment whilst you are receiving government parental leave support.
Am I eligible?
The B supplement is for single parents and couples where the primary earner earns no more than $100,000 annually. This one is more tricky, but to make a claim, click here.
Concession Cards
What is this?
A concession card entitles you to bulk billing for doctor’s appointments; more refunds for medical expenses through Medicare Safety; cheaper medication, public transport and even movie tickets; reduced energy and electricity rates. Be sure to link your concession card to your energy company as you can get around 15% off of all utility bills (call each energy provider separately to arrange).To apply click here.