The Paid Parental Leave scheme allows eligible parents to take time off work to care for a newborn or recently adopted child.
What is the Paid Parental Leave scheme?
The Paid Parental Leave scheme is designed to balance work and family life.
There are 2 payments under the Paid Parental Leave scheme: Parental Leave Pay; Dad and Partner Pay
Parental Leave Pay is paid to the childs primary carer. Eligible parents may get up to 18 weeks of pay based on the rate of the national minimum wage.
Eligibility for Parental Leave Pay
To be eligible for Parental Leave Pay, you need to meet certain criteria.
You must be:
·the birth mother of the newborn
·the adopting parent of the child, or
·another person caring for the child under exceptional circumstances
You also need to:
·meet the work test for Parental Leave Pay, which is based on the 13 month period before your child is expected to come into your care
Work requirements
To meet the work test for Parental Leave Pay you must have worked for at least:
ü10 of the 13 months before the birth or adoption of your child, and
ü330 hours in that 10 month period with no more than an 8 week gap between 2 consecutive working days
·meet residency requirements from the date the child comes into your care until the end of your Paid Parental Leave period
·have received an individual adjusted taxable income of $150,000 or less in the financial year either before the date of birth or adoption or the date you claim, whichever is earlier, and
·be on leave or not working from when you become the child's primary carer until the end of your Paid Parental Leave period
Dad and Partner Pay
Dad and Partner Pay is for eligible working dads or partners, including adopting parents and same sex couples. They may get up to 2 weeks of pay based on the national minimum wage. They must either be on unpaid leave or not working during this time.
Eligibility for Dad and Partner Pay
To be eligible for Dad and Partner Pay, you need to meet certain criteria.
You need to be either the:
·biological father of the child
·partner of the birth mother
·adoptive parent
·partner of an adoptive parent, or
·person caring for a child born of a surrogacy arrangement
par0You also need to:
·provide care for a newborn or recently adopted child
