A GUIDE TO THE GOVERNMENT'S PAID PARENTAL LEAVE CHANGES
WHAT PAID PARENTAL LEAVE CAN I GET NOW?
Right now new parents can access any paid parental leave their employers offer plus the government's 18 weeks at minimum wage.
Government payments can be made before, during or after any paid or unpaid leave taken within employer entitlements.
When Labor introduced the government-funded scheme, it was designed as a "top-up" for any paid leave employers might offer.
WHO'S GETTING THIS NOW?
The taxpayer-funded scheme is available to people who earn up to $150,000 and have worked for at least one day a week for 10 of the 13 months before their child's birth.
Almost 145,000 mothers (or 47 per cent) each year are eligible for the government scheme.
Half of them earn less than $47,174 a year (more than the minimum wage but less than the national average).
WHAT CHANGES WILL BE MADE?
From July 1, 2016, the government will effectively put a cap on what it offers to new parents.
If they don't get any paid leave from their employer, they can access the full 18 weeks worth from the taxpayer.
If their employer offers leave worth less than the government scheme, they can get a top-up.
But if the employer's scheme is worth more, they'll get nothing from the government.
MY WORK OFFERS ME 10 WEEKS PAID LEAVE. WILL I STILL GET GOVERNMENT MONEY TO MAKE IT UP TO 18 WEEKS?
That depends on what you earn.
Although it talks about the scheme in terms of a number of weeks, the government calculates its offering as a lump sum.
So if you're on an average wage of $1128 a week, the 10 weeks offered from your employer adds up to $11,280.
The government's scheme is worth a total of $11,539.
It would pay you the difference - which in this case is worth $259, or about two days extra.
WHO WILL BE AFFECTED BY THIS CHANGE?
Of those who would be eligible to get government payments right now, 34,000 will lose all access because the leave their employer offers is worth more than $11,500 - no matter how many weeks it is.
Another 45,000 will get less money from the government because it will only top-up the offering from their employer.
But 90,000 (53 per cent) will still be eligible for the entire government scheme because their employer doesn't offer any paid leave. Nine in 10 of these women are employed in the private sector.
(Source: federal government)
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