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Use our Payment Finder to work out how much Parenting Payment you may be able to get.
There are limits to the amount of income you can earn. We review income limits on 20 March, 1 July and 20 September each year.
How we assess income
We use your fortnightly income to work out your payment. If you have a partner, we also use their income.
We generally use the gross amount in the income test. This is the amount before tax or any other deductions. For some types of income such as from a business or real estate, we use the net amount.
If you get Parenting Payment and you don’t report your and your partner’s income to us, you may be overpaid. This means you could get a debt.
How much income you can have before it affects your payment
You can have income up to a certain amount before we reduce your payment.
If your income is above the cut-off point, we won’t pay your Parenting Payment.
If you’re single
The income you can have before we reduce your payment depends on how many children you have.
Your payment will reduce by 40 cents for every dollar of income you have over the income amount listed in this table.
| Number of children | Income per fortnight before your payment starts to reduce |
|---|---|
| 1 | $220.60 |
| 2 | $245.20 |
| 3 | $269.80 |
| More than 3 | $269.80 plus $24.60 for each extra child |
If your income is over the cut-off point of $2,796.35 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.
If you have a partner
Your partner either:
- gets a payment that’s not a pension, for example JobSeeker Payment
- doesn’t get an income support payment from us.
We assess your and your partner’s income separately.
| Your income each fortnight | Partner’s income each fortnight | Parenting Payment rate |
|---|---|---|
| No more than $150 | No more than $1,373.00 | You’ll get either of the following:
|
| No more than $150 | More than $1,373.00 | Your payment reduces by 60 cents for every dollar of income your partner has over $1,373.00. |
| Between $150 and $256 | No more than $1,373.00 | Your payment reduces by 50 cents for every dollar of income you have over $150. |
| Between $150 and $256 | More than $1,373.00 | Your payment reduces by 50 cents for every dollar of income you have over $150 and 60 cents for every dollar of income your partner has over $1,373.00. |
| More than $256 | No more than $1,373.00 | Your payment reduces by $53 plus 60 cents for every dollar of income you have over $256. |
| More than $256 | More than $1,373.00 | Your payment reduces by $53 plus 60 cents for every dollar of income:
|
If your partner gets Austudy or Youth Allowance, their fortnightly income limit is different.
Partner gets a pension payment from us
A pension payment includes Age Pension, Disability Support Pension or Carer Payment.
We assess your and your partner’s combined income. This doesn’t include money your partner gets from their pension.
| Combined income each fortnight | Parenting Payment rate |
|---|---|
| Up to $300 | $715.10 or $836.50 if you’re separated due to illness, respite care or prison. |
| Between $300 and $512 | Your payment reduces by 25 cents for every dollar of income you and your partner have over $300. |
| Over $512 | Your payment reduces by $53 plus 30 cents for every dollar of income you and your partner have over $512. |
| $2,745.67 or over | No payment. |
Income changes
If you or your partner are paid any income, you need to tell us before your next payment. You must tell us either:
- on your regular reporting day when you’re scheduled to report your income
- within 14 days if you’re not scheduled to report.
This is so we can pay you and your partner the right amount and to help you avoid a debt.
If you get Family Tax Benefit or Child Care Subsidy you may also need to update your family income estimate when your income changes.
Income types
Most types of income count towards your income limit. Find out more about income types.
Assets test
There are limits to how much your assets can be worth. You won’t be eligible for payment if your and your partners assets, if you have one, are over the asset test limit.
Some items and property can affect your Parenting Payment. You and your partner’s assets include:
- items and property you or your partner own in full or part
- items and property you or your partner have an interest in
- any debts owed to you and your partner
- any assets overseas.
Your payment will cancel when your assets are more than the following amounts. The income limit still applies.
| Your situation | Homeowner | Non-homeowner |
|---|---|---|
| Single | $314,000 | $566,000 |
| A couple, combined | $470,000 | $722,000 |
| A couple, one partner eligible, combined | $470,000 | $722,000 |
Read more about asset types.