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To be eligible for Parental Leave Pay or Stillborn Baby Payment, a stillbirth needs to meet our definition. A stillborn baby is one who had not breathed since delivery and had no heartbeat after birth.
To be considered stillborn, a baby also had to have a gestation period of at least 20 weeks or weighed at least 400 grams at their birth.
If your baby was stillborn, you need to decide what to claim. Your family may be able to get either:
- Parental Leave Pay
- Stillborn Baby Payment.
What the differences are
When deciding between these payments, there are some key differences.
| Parental Leave Pay | Stillborn Baby Payment |
|---|---|
| Is a taxable payment. | Is not a taxable payment. |
| Uses either an individual or a family income test. | Uses an estimate of your family’s adjusted taxable income. |
| You must meet a work test. | You don’t need to meet a work test. |
How much you can get
The amount of Parental Leave Pay and number of days your family can get depends on when your baby was born or adopted.
| When your baby was born or adopted | Parental Leave Pay | Stillborn Baby Payment |
|---|---|---|
| Before 1 July 2024 | Weekly payments for up to 20 weeks to a total of up to $17,655.00. | A single payment of $4,326.57. |
| On or after 1 July 2024 | Weekly payments for up to 22 weeks to a total of up to $20,147.60. | A single payment of $4,326.57. |
| On or after 1 July 2025 | Weekly payments for up to 24 weeks to a total of up to $22,754.40. | A single payment of $4,326.57. |
Find out more about the number of Parental Leave Pay days you’ll get.
What the tests are
You need to meet certain tests to get Parental Leave Pay or Stillborn Baby Payment.
For Parental Leave Pay
Parental Leave Pay uses an individual income test. However, if you don’t meet the individual income test you’ll be assessed using a family income test.
You can read more about meeting the income test for Parental Leave Pay.
You also need to meet a work test that shows that you have done an activity that counts as work for a period before the birth or adoption of your child. There are some exceptions.
Read more about meeting the work test for Parental Leave Pay.
For Stillborn Baby Payment
Stillborn Baby Payment has an income test, which uses your family’s adjusted taxable income.
Your family must earn no more than $77,177.00 in the 6 months after your baby’s delivery.
If you don’t meet the income test for Stillborn Baby Payment, you may still be eligible if you receive or become eligible for FTB Part A for another child within 52 weeks of your baby’s delivery.
How to claim
You can claim Parental Leave Pay or Stillborn Baby Payment online using your Centrelink online account.
Read more about:
What to do if you did a pre-birth claim
If you claimed Parental Leave Pay before the birth of your child, you can complete the claim online.
Sign in to your Centrelink online account through myGov and select Add Newborn. As part of this, we’ll ask if your child has died or was stillborn. You’ll be asked to give us proof of birth.