Paid Parental Leave - CareforKids.com.au®

Paid Parental Leave
Do you know your entitlements?

The new Paid Parental Leave comes into being in January 2011, but with the election campaign and different parties talking about different parental leave ideas since it was announced, many parents are still fairly confused as to what Paid Parental Leave actually entails and what their entitlements will be. The rule of thumb is that Parental Leave Pay will be available to working parents who meet the eligibility criteria*

You will have access to Parental Leave Pay if you are the primary carer of a child born or adopted from 1 January 2011. If you are eligible, you will be able to receive Parental Leave Pay at the National Minimum Wage (currently $570 per week), for up to 18 weeks, plus any additional payments depending on your employer's individual company policy.

Centrelink now has a leave estimator online which gives parents a good way to see what their entitlements will be.

*Eligibility:

You are the primary carer of a newborn child or the initial primary carer of a recently adopted child
You are an Australian resident^[1]
You have met the Paid Parental Leave scheme work test before the birth or adoption occurs,
You have received an individual adjusted taxable income^[2] of $150,000 or less in the previous financial year, and
You are on leave or not working from the time you become the child's primary carer.

Click here to check your eligibility and to see an estimator of your Paid Parental Leave entitlements.