The Australian government offers various Centrelink payments to support its citizens. The government provides parenting payments under the Centrelink payments, where eligible Australians get the support to raise and care for their dependent children.
The government indexed the payments to adjust them based on the cost of living and inflation to ensure the payouts are up to the mark and can support the people. The indexation is generally done two times in a year, in September and March.
The March indexation is already applicable from 20 March 2025 for all the benefits. The parenting payment is also increased under the indexation along with other Centrelink payments, such as Jobseeker, pensioner payment, carer payment, and all. The parenting payment is boosted by $4.60 for biweekly payments from now on.
| Centrelink Payment | Parenting Payment |
| Who is eligible? | Primary caregivers, residents of Australia and who meet the income and assets limit |
| Income Limit | Up to $269.80, depending on the number of children |
| Maxi. Payout | Up to $1011.5 |
| Payout Disbursement | Fortnightly |
| Other Benefit | Rent Assistance, Energy supplement, and others |
| Reason for the Increase | March 2025 Indexation |
| Official Website | https://my.gov.au/ |
Who can receive it?
Australian citizens who meet the following conditions can receive this Centrelink payment from Services Australia:
- You have not claimed the Centrelink payment before the child’s birth; remember that only one parent is eligible for the benefit.
- The individuals providing primary care for the child can claim the payout for a child under the age of fourteen, whereas the couple can claim for a child age 6 or below.
- You meet the residents’ rules of Australia, which state you must be either living in Australia/ an Australian resident, or physically be in Australia.
- You should fulfill the income threshold and asset test for the Centrelink payments, such as
| Children Number | Biweekly Income limit after which your payment will be reduced |
| 01 | $220.60 |
| 02 | $245.20 |
| 03 | $269.80 |
| Above 03 | $269.80 +$24.60 for each additional child |
Exclusion:
- You will be ineligible for the payment if you receive certain payments from DVA (Department of Veterans’ Affairs).
Payout Amount
Your partner’s and your financial situation, including assets and income, determines the Parenting payment. As we mentioned earlier, the government has increased the Centrelink payments through March 2025 indexation. Based on the indexation, the parenting payments have been hiked by $4 per biweekly for single parents, whereas $2.80 for partners or couples.
The Centrelink Parenting payment recipients, wondering about the change in their payout after the indexation, can check the payout amount based on their circumstances below:
| Recipients circumstances | Maxi. Biweekly payout |
| Single | $1011.5 with $29 pension supplement |
| Couple | $715.10 |
| Partnered/ respite care/ Separated due to illness, or one confined in prison | $836.50 |
Other Benefit
The parenting centrelink payment recipients can also get some other benefits that Services Australia may assess automatically when you apply for parenting payment. The Parenting payment recipient can unlock the following benefits when they receive the benefit if they meet the qualifications for these benefits:
- Energy Supplement
- Telephone Allowance
- Mobility allowance
- Rent Assistance
- Education Entry Payment
- Pharmaceutical payment
- Remote Area allowance
- Pensioner Education Supplement.
- Family payments.
The recipients who meet the eligibility criteria of any of the mentioned benefits or allowances can include them with their Centrelink payments and receive the extra support from the government.
How to claim?
The Australians who meet the parenting payment eligibility criteria but never claimed the benefits can claim it now and receive a payout of up to $1011 from the government to raise their children and provide everything related to their basic needs to them.
The Australians who wish to apply for the Centrelink Parenting payment can complete the application online, via a myGov Account, or through Family Line. The Australians can follow the steps below to claim it online:
- You should go to the Services Australia link mentioned in the overview table above.
- Click the Explore button in Find support, go to raising kids, followed by Primary School children, and then payments for primary school children (money and budgeting).
- Now, look for the parenting payment and click the benefit.
- After that, select Sign in to myGov to begin the parenting payment claim process.
- After that, you must use your Digital ID/passkey, or username and email, to get into your myGov account and apply for the parenting payment while linking your Centrelink account to your myGov account.
If you can’t apply online, you can call the Families line at 136 150 during weekdays between 8 AM to 8 PM and ask for assistance to apply for the benefit.
Once the authority reviews your application and approves it, you can expect your first parenting payment within 14 days, and afterwards, every fortnight, you can expect your payment based on your circumstances.