Claiming timeframes

To get all the Parental Leave Pay days you’re eligible for, you need to claim within the timeframes. This also includes if you’re sharing days.

Claiming before your child’s birth or adoption

You can submit your claim up to 3 months before the expected date of birth or adoption.

By submitting your claim early, you can choose when your Parental Leave Pay starts and nominate future days. 

If your employer is going to deliver your Parental Leave Pay, by claiming early they'll be able to both:

• register with us
• opt in to provide Parental Leave Pay.

When your child comes into your care, you need to tell us within 56 days. You’ll need to give us both:

• your child’s details, such as their full name and date of birth
• proof of the birth or adoption.

Getting Parental Leave Pay from your child’s date of birth or adoption

To get Parental Leave Pay from your child’s date of birth or adoption, you need to do both of the following within 14 weeks or 100 days of their birth or adoption:

• submit your claim
• provide proof of birth or adoption.

When you claim you’ll need to tell us when you want to get at least one day of Parental Leave Pay. If you aren’t sure when you want to take the rest, you can leave it in your balance.

You can choose when to take your days, as long as it’s within 2 years of your child’s birth or adoption. This includes if the days are shared.

If you’re giving your child up for adoption or as part of a surrogacy arrangement

There are special rules if you’re giving your child up for adoption or as part of a surrogacy arrangement. You can only share your Parental Leave Pay with someone else while the child is still in your care

Child born between 1 July 2024 and 30 June 2025

You must have chosen and claimed Parental Leave Pay days that were within the first 22 weeks or 154 calendar days immediately following the birth of the child. This could start on and include the day the child was born.

Child born between 1 July 2025 and 30 June 2026

You must choose and claim Parental Leave Pay days within the first 24 weeks or 168 calendar days immediately following the birth of the child.

This start on and include the day the child was born.

Child born from 1 July 2026

You must choose and claim Parental Leave Pay days that are within the first 26 weeks or 182 calendar days immediately following the birth of the child.

This can start on and include the day the child was born.

Claiming after your child’s birth or adoption

To get Parental Leave Pay, at least one parent needs to claim within 52 weeks of the child’s birth or adoption. Other parents have 2 years to claim. You need to use all Parental Leave Pay days within 2 years of your child’s birth or adoption.

We can pay you up to 100 days in the past.

Getting Parental Leave Pay and employer funded leave

You can take Parental Leave Pay before, during or after any paid or unpaid employer funded leave. This includes all the following:

• maternity or parental leave
• annual leave
• long service leave.