What your commitments are

While getting Parenting Payment you need to do all of the following:

• report your income as well as your partner’s if you have one
• tell us about changes to your circumstances.

If you’re single and your youngest child is 6 years or over, you also need to meet your mutual obligation requirements.

Report employment income

If you get an income support payment from us, you must report any income you and your partner have been paid. You need to report every 2 weeks, even if your income is $0. This is so we pay you the right amount.

Before you can get your first payment, you need to report your and your partner’s income.

Read about reporting your and your partner’s income.

If your Centrelink online account is linked to myGov, sign in now to report your income.

Sign in to myGov

You can also report your income by:

• using the Express Plus Centrelink mobile app
• calling the Centrelink reporting line.

You can check your reporting dates through your Centrelink online account.

When you report your income each fortnight, you may need to confirm you’re meeting your mutual obligation requirements.

What a nil rate payment period is

If you report employment income and your total income is over the cut off point, your Parenting Payment reduces to $0. We call this a nil rate payment period. You can have up to 12 fortnights in a row of $0 payment before we’ll suspend or cancel your payment.

Your total income includes:

• your income
• your partner’s income
• your combined income.

If we pay you at least $1 before the end of the 12 fortnights, we won’t suspend or cancel your payment.

You must continue to report your income fortnightly to us so we can apply the nil rate payment period. If you have a partner, this applies to their income as well.

If your total income is below the cut off point within the nil rate payment period, we’ll automatically restart your payments. You won’t need to submit a new claim or serve any waiting periods.

If you’re getting a supplementary benefit or hold a concession card, these won’t be affected in a nil rate payment period.

To learn more about cut off points read about the income and assets test for Parenting Payment.

Read about income reporting and get help using our Centrelink online account guides.

If you want to report your partner’s income online, you’ll need permission to enquire or have a nominee arrangement.

If you get Family Tax Benefit or Child Care Subsidy

For Family Tax Benefit or Child Care Subsidy you need to update your family income estimate before the start of each financial year.

You’ll also need to update your estimate at any time during the financial year if your circumstances change.

This still applies even if you’ve been reporting your income every 2 weeks for any other payment you get from us.

Change of circumstances

You must tell us if things change as it may affect your Parenting Payment. Read about what you need to tell us.

If your Centrelink account is linked to myGov, sign in now to tell us about changes to your circumstances.

Sign in to myGov

You can also tell us using the Express Plus Centrelink mobile app.

Mutual obligation requirements

Mutual obligation requirements are tasks and activities you agree to do to keep getting Parenting Payment Single. You’ll have mutual obligation requirements when your youngest child turns 6.