Dad and Partner Pay is a government-funded payment for dads and partners (including adoptive parents and same sex couples) who are caring for a newborn or newly adopted child.
If you are an eligible working dad or partner you may receive up to two weeks' pay at the national minimum wage rate (currently $772.55 per week before tax) when you are on unpaid leave from work or not working.
Full-time, part-time, casual, seasonal, contract and self-employed dads and partners may receive the payment if they meet certain eligibility criteria. People who work in a family business, have multiple employers, have worked overseas or recently left a job or changed jobs may also be eligible.
Here, we look at the payment in more detail.
Am I eligible to receive Dad and Partner Pay?
To qualify for Dad and Partner Pay, you must be any of the following:
- Biological father of the child
- Partner of the birth mother
- Adoptive parent
- Partner of the adoptive parent
- Person caring for a child born in a surrogacy arrangement
Sometimes, you might be eligible if you’re the:
- Partner of the biological father, or
- Partner of a new carer where care arrangements have changed (not including a foster care or permanent care arrangement)
As well as being one of the above people, you must also:
- Provide care for the newborn or newly adopted child on each day of the period you get Dad and Partner Pay
- Meet a work test, which requires you to have worked for:
- At least 10 of the 13 months* before the date your Dad and Partner Pay period starts, and
- At least 330 hours in that 10 month period (around one day a week)
- Meet an income test, which means you need to have individually earned an adjusted taxable income of:
- $150,000 or less in the 2019/2020 financial year, or
- $151,350 or less in the 2020/2021 financial year.
Use the income for the year before the start date you nominate for Dad and Partner Pay or the date you put in your claim (whichever is earlier)
- Not be working during your Dad and Partner Pay period (with a couple of exceptions)
- Not be taking paid leave during your Dad and Partner Pay period
- Meet residence rules and be an Australian citizen or permanent resident
* Services Australia counts 10 months as 295 days, and 13 months as 392 days, and you can't have more than a 12 week gap between each work day in that 10 month period.
For the purpose of the work test, ‘work’ is either paid work on a day when you’ve worked at least one hour, or paid leave, like sick leave or annual leave. Unpaid work (e.g. volunteering) and unpaid leave doesn’t count as work, but previous periods of Dad and Partner Pay or Parental Leave Pay can. To see the full list of what ‘work’ is and isn’t, click here.
If your baby is born prematurely, you may meet the work test as long as you can show that you would have met it if they hadn’t arrived early.
Keep in mind too, that birth mothers are not eligible for Dad and Partner Pay, but they may be able to receive Parental Leave Pay or a Newborn Upfront Payment and Newborn Supplement.
How is Dad and Partner Pay paid?
If you’re eligible for the payment and have successfully submitted a claim, then Dad and Partner Pay will be paid directly into your bank account as a single instalment.
The government withholds PAYG tax at a 15 per cent rate (unless you request a different percentage), and some employers pay the gap between the Dad and Partner Pay amount (which is the national minimum wage) and their employee’s usual wage.
Unlike Parental Leave Pay, Dad and Partner Pay cannot be transferred to another person, and it is possible for a father or carer to get Parental Leave Pay and Dad and Partner Pay for the same child, though not at the same time.
As a family, you can get up to 20 weeks (or 100 payable days) of Parental Leave Pay and Dad and Partner Pay combined. As an individual, you can’t get more than 18 weeks (or 90 payable days) for the two payments for the same child.
In the case of multiple births or adoptions, Dad and Partner Pay will only be paid for one child in the same pregnancy or adoption, and it may be payable in the case of a stillbirth or infant death.
It’s important to let Services Australia know about any changes to your circumstances while getting Dad and Partner Pay (e.g. if you have to work during the payment period). If you are self-employed, it is ok to do occasional tasks to check on your business (e.g. paying an account) and still get Dad and Partner Pay.
It’s also important to know that payment is treated as a taxable income, so it may affect your tax obligations around things like child support, HECS liabilities and the Medicare Levy Surcharge. It may also have an impact on your family assistance or income support payments.
When do I have to take my Dad and Partner Pay?
In your claim, you can nominate a start date for your Dad and Partner Pay any time in the first 52 weeks from the date your baby was born or adopted.
You will need to either be not working or on unpaid leave for the two weeks you receive the pay, so if you want to receive the full two weeks of Dad and Partner Pay, your start date will need to be within 50 weeks of your child's birth or adoption.
If Services Australia finalises your claim before your nominated start date, you’ll get the money within a few days of that date. Otherwise, you’ll be paid after they finalise your claim.
Will my Dad and Partner Pay affect existing leave entitlements offered by my employer?
No. This payment does not change your existing workplace leave entitlements, and if you’ve worked continuously for your employer for 12 months or more, then you may be able to take unpaid parental leave as well.
There’s more information about paid and unpaid parental leave at the Fair Work Ombudsman, and for detailed information on Dad and Partner Pay, go to Services Australia.
