Parenting Payment

The main income support payment while you’re a young child’s main carer.

There are changes to claims and your obligations due to coronavirus (COVID-19). This includes changes to waiting periods, the income test, what you need to give us, and your obligations. We’ve suspended participation requirements for Disability Support Pension. We’ve also paused a range of Centrelink debt raising and recovery activities.

We have information in different languages about Parenting Payment

Call our Multilingual Phone Service to speak with us in your language about your Centrelink payments and services.

To get this you must:

  • be under the income and asset test limits
  • meet principal carer rules
  • care for a child under 8 if you’re single or under 6 if you’re partnered
  • meet residence rules
  • not have claimed before the birth of the child.

Read the full conditions under who can get it.

Page last updated: 2 April 2020