To get the Newborn Upfront Payment in Australia, you must claim it as part of Family Tax Benefit (FTB) Part A through your linked myGov account and Centrelink, usually up to three months before your baby's due date, ensuring you don't receive Parental Leave Pay for the same child, and then it's automatically assessed as a lump sum. You can apply online via Centrelink after linking your accounts and providing your baby's birth details.
You may be eligible for Newborn Upfront Payment and Newborn Supplement if you or your partner have a baby or a child comes into your care. The amount you get depends on your family's income and how many children you have.
The Australian $5,000 Baby Bonus ended on March 1, 2014, when it was abolished and replaced with changes to Family Tax Benefit (FTB) for eligible families, although it was reduced to $3,000 for subsequent children in July 2013 before being removed entirely. This meant that babies born on or after March 1, 2014, no longer qualified for the payment.
There's no benefit payable until baby is born. You can apply for FTB before the birth but won't be paid until the child is born. You can apply for Parenting Payment Partnered once baby is born (do so within 4 weeks to be paid from birth date). For your partner to get PPL you need to meet the work test requirements.
To apply: Log into myGov and go to Centrelink. Select Payments and Claims > Claims > View claim status. If the newborn supplement isn't listed, go to Make a claim > Families > Add a newborn. Follow the prompts to submit birth details and link the child to your account.
Newborn Upfront Payment and Newborn Supplement
To be eligible for a newborn payment of up to $667 (for each child) which is not taxable you must: have a baby or adopt a child; be eligible for Family Tax Benefit Part A.
When you claim Family Tax Benefit (FTB) for your child we'll check if you're eligible for Newborn Upfront Payment and Newborn Supplement. We'll only do this if you don't receive Parental Leave Pay for the child. You can apply for FTB up to 3 months before your child's expected date of birth or adoption.
You can apply for Maternity Allowance as soon as you've been pregnant for 26 weeks. Payments can start any time between the 11th week before your baby is due and the day after the baby is born. This guide is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg), British Sign Language (BSL) and easy read format.
Maximum rate for FTB Part A for each (fortnightly payment):
$222.04 for a child 0 to 12 years. $288.82 for a child 13 to 15 years. $288.82 for a child 16 to 19 years who meets the study requirements $71.26 for a child 0 to 19 years in an approved care organisation.
Statutory Maternity Leave
If you are employed and pregnant, you are entitled to 52 weeks (1 year) of maternity leave, no matter how long you've worked for your employer. This is made up of 26 weeks of ordinary maternity leave and 26 weeks of additional maternity leave.
You won't be eligible if either: your partner has already got these payments for the child. you or your partner has got Parental Leave Pay for the child.
The Cash Gift (CG) is disbursed every 6 months until your child turns 6.5 years old. You can use this amount to help manage early childhood expenses.
The Baby Bonus Scheme initially granted $2,500 in tax cuts per year for parents of newborns, an amount which was amended to lump-sum payments of $3,000 from 1 July 2004 and progressively rising to its current amount of $5,000 (now paid in 13 instalments).
You can apply for a Pregnancy and Baby Payment instead. You usually qualify for the grant if both of the following apply: you're expecting your first child, or you're expecting a multiple birth (such as twins) and have children already. you or your partner already get certain benefits.
A father has just as much right to have contact with the child as the mother. A father who was married to the mother or was listed on the birth certificate has parental responsibility over a child. The parental responsibility is not lost by the father when they separate or divorce from the mother.
Australia's Baby Bonus started in July 2004 as a $3,000 payment, but it increased to the $5,000 level on July 1, 2008, following earlier increases from $3,000 in 2004 to $4,000 in 2006 and then $5,000 in 2008. The payment, introduced by Treasurer Peter Costello, was a universal lump sum for new parents to help with costs and boost fertility.
No, the "Baby Bonus" itself was replaced years ago, but Centrelink still provides financial help for newborns through the Newborn Upfront Payment (a lump sum) and the Newborn Supplement (paid with Family Tax Benefit Part A), plus potential Parental Leave Pay if you're eligible. You claim these by applying for Family Tax Benefit (FTB) or Parental Leave Pay via Services Australia (formerly Centrelink) up to three months before your baby's due date.
What can I claim when I have a child?
For single mums in Australia, Centrelink's main payment is the Parenting Payment (Single), providing fortnightly support for primary carers of children under 14, with rates varying based on age of youngest child and meeting income/asset tests. Other potential payments include Family Tax Benefit (FTB) and help with childcare costs via the Child Care Subsidy, with claims made through a linked Centrelink online account and myGov.
No, you generally don't get 6 months of full pay on maternity leave in Australia; instead, the government offers Paid Parental Leave (PPL) at the National Minimum Wage for a set number of weeks (up to 24 weeks in 2025-2026, increasing to 26 weeks in 2026-2027). Many employers "top up" this payment to your full wage, or offer their own paid leave, but this depends on your contract or workplace policy, not a universal right to 6 months full pay.
You don't have any legal obligation to disclose your pregnancy during a job interview or hiring process. Your health information, including pregnancy, is private. Employers cannot require you to share this information, nor can they legally ask you if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant.
You can claim Parental Leave Pay up to 3 months before your child's birth or adoption.
The newborn 5-5-5 rule is a postpartum guideline for new mothers to focus on healing and bonding in the first 15 days home, dividing rest into 5 days in bed, followed by 5 days on the bed, and then 5 days near the bed, encouraging minimal chores, visitors, and activity to prioritize recovery from childbirth and establishing the new family unit, drawing on traditional postpartum rest practices.
You may receive the first sum of the Baby Bonus Cash Gift (or Baby Bonus Payout) within 7 to 10 working days after the birth registration of your child, or after completing the online form, whichever is later. The remaining will be given out in four instalments over the next 18 months.
Benefits you might be able to claim include: