Centrelink provides support for stay-at-home parents through Parenting Payment, a fortnightly income support (around $726.50-$998.20 depending on circumstances, plus supplements, as of late 2025) for main carers, and Family Tax Benefit (FTB), a payment to help with children's costs, with Parental Leave Pay (around $948.10/week, 2025-26) for new parents taking time off work, all subject to income/asset tests.
Payments you can claim include:
The Centrelink Parental Leave Pay (PLP) rate from July 1, 2025, is $948.10 per week (before tax), based on the national minimum wage, for up to 24 weeks, which can be shared by parents and is paid by either your employer or Services Australia. This payment amount applies if your child was born or adopted from July 1, 2024, onwards, with the total weeks increasing to 24 from July 2025 and 26 from July 2026.
Centrelink parental payments vary, but Parental Leave Pay (PLP) is currently around $948.10 per week (before tax), based on the national minimum wage, for up to 24 weeks shared by parents. For ongoing support, Parenting Payment (PP) provides fortnightly payments, with amounts depending on your situation (single/partnered, income) – for instance, up to ~$998.20 fortnightly for a single person as of late 2025. Other potential payments include the one-off Newborn Upfront Payment (around $683) and Family Tax Benefit (FTB).
To get this payment all of the following must apply: you're under the income and asset test limits. you meet principal carer rules for a child under 14 if you're single, or under 6 if you have a partner. you meet residence rules.
Job seekers classified under SSAct section 5 as a principal carer parent of a child must, unless exempted, satisfy mutual obligation requirements. They can do this by undertaking job search, participating in activities, and if applicable, attending appointments with their employment services provider.
Child Benefit is a tax-free payment that can be claimed by anyone responsible for a child under the age of 16 (or under 20 if they are still in education or training). Single parents are eligible for this benefit, and it can be claimed regardless of income.
From 1 January 2013, transitional arrangements were abolished, and all parents could only receive PP until their youngest child turned 6 years (PPP), or 8 years (PPS). From 20 September 2023, the age of the youngest child to qualify for PPS was changed from under 8 years to under 14 years.
There isn't a universal "minimum" child support payment; it depends heavily on your country and specific circumstances, but often involves low-income payers contributing a set minimum (e.g., around $500+ annually in Australia for low earners) if their calculated amount is less, or if they don't have regular care, while private agreements allow parents to set their own amount. The actual minimum is determined by government agencies (like Services Australia) based on income, care arrangements, and child age, with higher care reducing or eliminating the payment.
Worked at least 330 hours in that 10 month period (just over 1 day a week) with no more than the allowable gap between 2 working days.
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.
Sign in to myGov. Select Make a claim or view claim status, then Make a claim. Under Families select Get started. Select Apply for Family Assistance (including Paid Parental Leave) then follow the prompts to complete your claim.
The maximum paid parental leave payment in Australia increases annually, reaching up to 26 weeks (130 days) for children born or adopted on or after July 1, 2026, paid at the National Minimum Wage, with eligible families able to share these days and potentially combine them with employer-provided leave for greater financial support. For the current period (July 2025 - June 2026), it's 24 weeks (120 days).
The government pays Parental Leave Pay at the national minimum wage rate of $948.10 per week before tax. Your total entitlement is 120 days (24 weeks), which can be taken as a continuous block or flexibly spread out to suit your family's needs. Here's what this looks like in practice: Per week: $948.10 (before tax)
Whether you can be a stay-at-home-parent depends on whether you can survive on your partner's salary alone. Simply adding up your monthly outgoings and subtracting them from your partner's take-home pay may show that you can't afford to give up work.
You can apply for a home loan if you're receiving Centrelink payments, but you may only be able to apply for certain loans from certain lenders. Whether or not you'll actually successfully qualify for the loan will depend on whether the lender thinks you can afford the repayments.
The biggest mistake in a custody battle is losing sight of the child's best interests by prioritizing parental conflict, anger, or revenge, which courts view very negatively. This often manifests as bad-mouthing the other parent, alienating the child, refusing to cooperate, or involving the child in disputes, all of which signal poor co-parenting and harm the case.
Starting from January 1, 2023, if the combined income of the parties exceeds $206,310, the maximum child support amount to be divided between them for children aged 12 years and below is as follows: $25,169 for one child. $39,198 for two children. $49,515 for three children.
If you receive child support or spousal support
You don't pay tax on child support and spousal support you receive. This means you don't have to report them in your tax return. If you get other payments from us you may need to report them if they're taxable.
No, a father generally cannot simply refuse to pay child support in Australia; it's a legal obligation, and failing to pay leads to serious enforcement actions like wage deductions, tax refund intercepts, asset seizure, or even travel bans by Services Australia. While you can apply for reassessments or payment plans if you genuinely can't pay, refusing payment will result in the government taking action to recover the debt.
Financial help when having a baby
The Parenting Payment
You may qualify for this payment if you meet certain criteria. Some of these are: you are single and care for at least 1 child younger than 8 years of age; your income and assets are below certain amounts; and.
You will be expected to work up to 30 hours a week, or spend up to 30 hours a week on work-related activities such as applying for jobs.
It's common for single parents to overcompensate, solving every problem, avoiding disappointment, or doing everything to keep their child happy.