The $250 per child payment started recently in Western Australia (WA) as the WA Student Assistance Payment (WASAP), with applications opening in April 2024 for the 2024 school year and continuing into 2025, offering $250 for secondary students and $150 for primary/kindergarten students to help with school costs. This initiative aims to ease cost-of-living pressures, building on similar support from the previous year, and is claimed through the ServiceWA app.
The “baby bonus” was a federal tax rebate scheme for first time mothers introduced in 2002, which was expanded in 2004. It is a lump sum payment directly to the mother, starting at $4,000 per child and rising to $5,000 (and indexed to CPI annually) from 2008.
A $250 Centrelink payment was a one-off Cost of Living Payment made in April/May 2022 to eligible pensioners, concession card holders, and recipients of various payments like JobSeeker, Carer Payment, and Youth Allowance to help with rising costs, paid automatically without needing to apply. While there are currently no new $250 payments announced (as of late 2025), similar amounts were part of past COVID-19 stimulus measures or can sometimes be accessed as small advance payments (like $250 minimum for Farm Household Allowance) if you're in severe hardship, so always check official Services Australia sites for current information and beware of scams.
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.
In May 2004, the Australian government announced a “Baby Bonus” policy, paying women an initial A$3,000 per new child.
In 2004, the federal government introduced a universal Baby Bonus—$3,000 per child at birth, later increased to $4,000 and then $5,000—to encourage families to “have one for mum, one for dad, and one for the country,” as then–Treasurer Peter Costello famously put it.
The US fertility rate reached an all-time low in 2023.
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.
In general, family benefits per person are highest in Northern and Western Europe, and lowest in the South and East. After Luxembourg, Nordic countries top the list: Norway (€2,277), Denmark (€1,878), Iceland (€1,874), Sweden (€1,449), and Finland (€1,440).
The primary goal of the $300 Centrelink boost is to deliver immediate financial relief ahead of summer and Christmas, a period when household expenses typically increase. The payment is intended to assist recipients with essentials such as: Groceries and household supplies. Electricity and utility bills.
In early spring 2025, Canadians who worked in 2023 and earned up to $150,000 will receive a $250 payment—either through a direct deposit in their bank account or cheque in their mailbox.
There are no extra payments for Centrelink customers. If you're not sure if Centrelink information you've seen online is real, search our genuine websites. See the link in the comments for more info 👇 The Guringai Festival had a story about a $750 one off payment for pensioners in December, 2025.
Along with the GST break, the government of Canada is also planning on offering cheques in the amount of $250 to qualifying middle-class families. In order to qualify for this, you have to have worked in 2023 and had an income below $150,000.
If you're eligible for FTB, you might also get an annual bonus: FTB A Supplement - up to $938.05 per child. FTB B Supplement - up to $459.90 per family.
The least common birthday (you may have guessed it is) is Christmas Day, the 25th of December. If you are inclined to count leap years in the mix then the 29th February is the least common birthday, but only because they occur once every 4 years.
Cash Gift (Baby Bonus Payout)
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.
South Sudan is widely considered the poorest country in the world in 2025-2026, consistently ranking first due to extremely low GDP per capita and a high percentage (over 80%) of its population living in extreme poverty, driven by prolonged civil conflict, displacement, and disruption of its agricultural economy. Other nations frequently cited as among the poorest include Burundi, the Central African Republic, and Yemen, also suffering from conflict and instability.
Amsterdam in the Netherlands. These kinds of comings and goings aren't unique to their family. Many Dutch children enjoy a freedom of movement that most American kids don't, which might be the key to why Dutch kids are the happiest kids in the world, according to a 2025 UNICEF report.
The most recent study examines child support amounts in 13 countries; in a typical (median-income) separated family, amounts expected are lowest in Sweden, Denmark, France, and Australia, and highest in Estonia, the United States, and Spain (Hakovirta et al., Reference Hakovirta, Cuesta, Haapanen and Meyer2022).
If you're single
If your income is over the cut-off point of $2,841.35 a fortnight, we pay you $0 for that fortnight. The cut-off point increases by $24.60 per child if you have more than one child. If you're Age Pension age or older, the income limit may be different.
How to know when it is time to stop paying for your adult children. There is no universally correct age that parents should stop supporting their children once they reach adulthood, as each family will need to make the determination based on what is best for their wallets and to best support their values.
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.
The #1 rarest birthday date is February 29. You have only a 1 in roughly 1,460 chance of being born on this date.
Our growing population
The world's population is projected to continue growing for the next 50 to 60 years, peaking at approximately 10.3 billion by the mid-2080. After reaching this peak, it is expected to gradually decline to around 10.2 billion by the century's end.
Ranked: Countries With the Fewest Children by Population Share. Hong Kong (12.6%), South Korea (12.9%), and Japan (14.0%) have the fewest children as a share of the population in 2025. Relatedly, they also have some of the highest shares of seniors.