Just Had a Baby? Every Payment You Can Claim (Up to $35K+ Per Year)

Congratulations on your new arrival. Between the sleep deprivation and the joy, there's money sitting on the table that many new parents don't claim. Here's every Centrelink payment you could be entitled to — and when you stack them together, it can add up to over $35,000 per year for eligible families.

The main payments are: Paid Parental Leave (PPL), Newborn Supplement and Newborn Upfront Payment, Family Tax Benefit (FTB) Part A and Part B, Child Care Subsidy (CCS) once you return to work, and Rent Assistance if you're renting. Some families will also be eligible for additional supplements like the Multiple Birth Allowance and the Large Family Supplement.

You should claim as early as possible — ideally, submit your Paid Parental Leave claim before the baby is born (you can do this up to 3 months before the expected due date). FTB and Newborn Supplement claims must be lodged within 52 weeks of the birth, but the sooner you claim, the sooner you're paid. Claims can be backdated, but only if you claim within the time limit.

As of March 2026, Paid Parental Leave provides up to 26 weeks (130 payable days) of government-funded parental leave at the national minimum wage rate of $183.82 per day before tax ($919.10 per week, approximately $4,779 per month).

Both parents can share the 26 weeks between them — it doesn't all have to go to one person. You can take it in flexible blocks, and your employer can top up the government rate if they choose to (many do, but that's separate from the Centrelink payment).

To qualify, you need to have worked at least 330 hours (roughly one day a week) in the 13 months before the birth or expected due date, and at least 10 of those 13 months must include work. Your individual income must be $168,865 or less in the financial year before the date of claim or the financial year before the birth — whichever is more favourable to you.

You must also be the primary carer of the child and not working during the PPL period (though there's a 'keeping in touch' provision that allows up to 10 days of work without losing eligibility). Single parents and parents of multiples receive the same entitlement per child.

Claim PPL through myGov by linking your Centrelink account, navigating to Payments and Claims, and selecting Families. You can claim up to 3 months before the expected due date and must claim within 52 weeks of the birth.

If you're NOT eligible for Paid Parental Leave (for example, if you didn't meet the work test), you may instead receive the Newborn Supplement and Newborn Upfront Payment. You can't get both PPL and Newborn Supplement — it's one or the other.

The Newborn Upfront Payment is a lump sum of $604 for your first child or $403 for subsequent children. This is paid as a one-off when your claim is processed.

The Newborn Supplement is paid fortnightly for 13 weeks as an addition to your Family Tax Benefit Part A. For your first child, it's up to $1,887.78 over the 13-week period. For subsequent children, it's up to $631.56 over 13 weeks.

Combined, the Newborn Upfront Payment and Newborn Supplement for a first child total approximately $2,491.78. For second and subsequent children, the total is approximately $1,034.56. While this is less generous than 26 weeks of PPL, it's still meaningful support — and there's no work test requirement, so stay-at-home parents and those who didn't meet the PPL work test can access it.

To receive these payments, you must be eligible for FTB Part A and have claimed it for your new baby. They're automatically assessed when you claim FTB.

Family Tax Benefit is the backbone of ongoing financial support for Australian families, and it's where the big annual numbers come from.

FTB Part A is paid for each child in your care. For children aged 0-12, the maximum rate is $213.36 per fortnight per child ($5,547.36 per year). For children aged 13-15, it's $277.48 per fortnight ($7,214.48 per year). You also receive the FTB Part A Supplement of $849.05 per child per year, paid as a lump sum after the end of the financial year once you've lodged your tax return.

FTB Part A reduces when your family income exceeds $62,634 per year — it tapers at 20 cents per dollar above that threshold. A base rate of $68.46 per fortnight per child continues until family income reaches around $111,398 (for one child), then tapers at 30 cents per dollar.

FTB Part B provides additional support to single-parent families and families where one parent earns under $6,497 per year. The maximum rate for families with a child under 5 is $188.86 per fortnight ($4,910.36 per year). The FTB Part B Supplement is an additional $430.70 per family per year.

For a family with two children under 13 receiving maximum FTB Part A and Part B, the annual total is approximately $17,703 — and that's before PPL or any other payments.

Once parental leave ends and you return to work, the Child Care Subsidy (CCS) can cover a significant portion of childcare fees. With average long day care costing $120-$160 per day in 2026, this is one of the most valuable payments available.

CCS covers between 0% and 90% of childcare fees, depending on your family income. Families earning up to $83,280 receive the maximum 90% subsidy. The subsidy gradually reduces as income increases and reaches 0% for families earning above $540,000.

There is no annual cap on the CCS — it's uncapped for all families regardless of income. The subsidy is paid directly to your childcare provider, reducing the fees you pay out of pocket. For a family on the 90% subsidy using 5 days of care per week at $140 per day, the annual benefit is approximately $32,760 in fee reductions.

To receive CCS, both parents must meet an 'activity test' — working, studying, volunteering, or looking for work. The number of subsidised hours you receive depends on the hours of recognised activity: 8-16 hours of activity per fortnight gives you up to 36 subsidised hours, 16-48 hours gives up to 72 hours, and more than 48 hours gives up to 100 hours per fortnight.

Enrol your child at an approved childcare centre, confirm your enrolment through myGov, and make sure your income estimate and activity details are up to date.

If you're renting, having a baby increases the amount of Rent Assistance you can receive through your FTB Part A payment. As a family with one or two children, you can receive up to $210.28 per fortnight in Rent Assistance ($5,467 per year), compared to $188.20 for a single person without children.

Rent Assistance kicks in once your fortnightly rent exceeds the minimum threshold — $193.06 for a family with one or two children. For every dollar of rent above that threshold, you receive 75 cents in Rent Assistance, up to the maximum rate. For families with three or more children, the maximum increases to $237.86 per fortnight.

You don't need to make a separate claim for Rent Assistance — it's automatically assessed as part of your FTB claim. Make sure your rent details are up to date in your Centrelink online account, and you may need to provide a rent certificate or lease agreement as verification.

There's one requirement that catches some parents off guard: your child must meet immunisation requirements to continue receiving FTB Part A and CCS. Under the 'No Jab, No Pay' policy, your child must be up to date with their immunisations on the National Immunisation Program schedule, or have an approved medical exemption.

If your child's immunisations are not up to date, your FTB Part A can be reduced by $32.19 per fortnight per child, and you won't be eligible for CCS at all. Immunisation status is automatically checked through the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) — you just need to make sure your GP or child health nurse records each vaccination.

To claim all your new baby payments, the process is: log into myGov, go to Centrelink, select Make a Claim under Families, and add your newborn. You'll need the child's birth certificate or proof of birth from the hospital, and you'll need to confirm your family income estimate for the current financial year.

If you claimed PPL before the birth, update your claim with the actual birth date and the child's details. FTB will be assessed automatically once you add the child to your Centrelink record. The key thing is to do this within 52 weeks of birth — ideally within the first few weeks so you don't miss any payments.