Government parenting payments
Getting to grips with the different benefits and options can be a little difficult. As your circumstances change, so do the benefits and taxes that apply. And every year the government passes new laws.
This section offers a basic guide to what’s available. For up-to-date information about your specific situation, meet with an adviser from your local Family Assistance office at a Centrelink, Medicare or Tax Office shopfront.
Overview of payments
Also if your child has an approved exemption from being immunised. Families of students under 16 who are unable to attend an appropriate government school on a daily basis because of geographic isolation.
Income Tested = the amount received (if any) is based on your family’s income (what you earn)Payment type Who is it for? Income Tested? Assets Tested? Child Care Benefit All parents Yes No Family Tax Benefit (Part A) All parents Yes No Family Tax Benefit (Part B) Single parents and single income families Yes Yes Parenting Payment Low income parents Yes Yes Maternity Payment All parents No No Carer Allowance (Child) People who care for a child with a disability at home No No Maternity Immunisation Allowance People whose child is fully immunised between 18 and 24 months (or on a catch up schedule). No No Double Orphan Pension People whose child’s parents or adoptive parents have both died, or one of the child's parents is dead and the other parent is unable to parent at that time.
See Centrelink website for other possible eligibilitiesNo No Assistance for Isolated Children Scheme
Types of assistance:No, with the exception of the additional component of Boarding Allowance. No, with the exception of the additional component of Boarding Allowance.
Assets Tested = the amount received (if any) is based on your family’s assets (what you own). Family home is not included, but almost everything else is
Changes in payment: This can happen for all above payments and occurs when:
1. your circumstances change, or
2. the maximum payment rate changes (usually based on a change in the CPI).
CPI: Consumer Price Index
A quick example
In 2005, a single mother with:
- no income
- no assets and
- dependent children
was eligible for
- child care benefit
- family tax benefit (A and B)
- parenting payment and
- maternity payment (upon the birth of her children).
Depending on her other circumstances, she may also have been eligible for other payments such as rent assistance.
For more on these payments and amounts paid, visit Centrelink. If you still feel unsure about your family’s entitlements, speak with a financial planner or your local Centrelink office. The answers might be simpler than you think. The government also offers support for parents returning to work or study.
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- Last reviewed15-05-2006
