Parental leave in Australia: what you are entitled to

Newborn · Family · Reviewed 20 June 2026 · All articles

When a new baby arrives, one of the most pressing practical questions is: how long can I take off work, and will I be paid during that time? Australia has a layered system that combines a government payment scheme, fair work entitlements to unpaid leave, and often a separate employer top-up. Understanding how each layer works, and how they interact, helps you plan your time off with confidence and make sure you are not leaving money on the table.

This guide covers the government Paid Parental Leave scheme administered by Services Australia, the Fair Work Act entitlements that protect your job while you are away, the recent changes that merged Dad and Partner Pay into a single family entitlement, the new superannuation contribution that starts in July 2025, and practical steps for lodging your claim.

Government Paid Parental Leave Pay

The Australian Government's Paid Parental Leave (PPL) scheme is administered by Services Australia and funded by the federal budget. It provides a direct payment to eligible parents at the rate of the National Minimum Wage, which is updated each July when Fair Work Australia reviews the minimum wage. For the 2025-26 financial year the National Minimum Wage sits at $24.10 per hour, making each week of PPL roughly $916 before tax.

The total number of weeks available to a family has been expanding:

Before July 2023: 18 weeks for the primary carer, plus 2 weeks separate Dad and Partner Pay.
From 1 July 2024: the two payments merged into a single shared entitlement of 20 weeks that the family can split between primary and secondary carers.
From 1 July 2025: the entitlement rises to 22 weeks.
The government has committed to reaching 26 weeks by 2026.

The primary carer must use at least 12 weeks themselves. The remaining weeks can be taken by either parent in any blocks, including at the same time, as long as both parents are otherwise eligible. This flexibility was a major design change: it means a couple where both parents are employed can overlap their leave for a period of shared caregiving without either of them losing PPL weeks.

Who is eligible

To receive PPL you must meet three tests: a residency test, a work test, and an income test.

Residency. You must be an Australian resident at the time of the child's birth or adoption, and intend to stay in Australia.

Work test. You must have worked at least one day per week on average across ten of the thirteen months immediately before your child's birth or expected date of care. In practice this means you need at least 40 days of paid work in that 13-month window. Days of paid leave, paid sick leave, and paid public holidays count. Unpaid leave generally does not count unless it is covered by a specific exemption (for example, some forms of parental leave from a previous pregnancy). The work test applies to the person claiming the weeks, not the household, so each parent must satisfy it independently for any weeks they claim.

Income test. Your individual adjusted taxable income must be $151,350 or less in the financial year before the birth or adoption. From July 2023 a family income test was introduced as a secondary option: if your individual income is above the cap, you may still qualify if your combined household income is $350,000 or less. The family test uses the combined adjusted taxable income of both parents in the same reference year.

Casual employees can qualify. Self-employed people can qualify. The work test does not require a particular employment type, only that you performed paid work on the required days. Contractors and freelancers should keep records of invoiced days and tax returns to support their claim.

Superannuation on Paid Parental Leave

Historically, one of the biggest financial penalties of taking parental leave was the loss of superannuation contributions during that period. Employer super contributions only apply to paid employment, so weeks spent on government PPL created a gap that compounded over decades.

From 1 July 2025 the Australian Government will pay superannuation on top of PPL at the Superannuation Guarantee rate, which is 11.5% for 2025-26 and rising to 12% from 2026. The contribution will be calculated on each PPL payment and paid directly to your nominated superannuation fund. You do not need to do anything extra to receive it: Services Australia will calculate and remit the amount automatically once you nominate your fund in your claim.

This change is particularly significant for mothers, who on average take more parental leave than their partners and have historically retired with lower super balances as a result.

Fair Work Act unpaid parental leave

Separate from the government payment, the Fair Work Act 2009 gives eligible employees the right to take unpaid parental leave. This is a job-protected entitlement, meaning your employer cannot dismiss you for taking it and must allow you to return to your pre-leave position, or an equivalent position, when you come back.

Who is covered. You must have completed at least 12 months of continuous service with your current employer before the expected birth or adoption date. Casual employees who have worked on a regular and systematic basis for at least 12 months and have a reasonable expectation of ongoing work also have access to the entitlement.

Length of leave. You are entitled to up to 12 months of unpaid parental leave. You can request an extension of a further 12 months (for a total of 24 months), and your employer can only refuse on reasonable business grounds. Any refusal must be in writing with reasons stated.

Concurrent leave. Both parents can take parental leave at the same time for up to 8 weeks in total (a period sometimes called "concurrent leave"). This period sits alongside, not additional to, each parent's individual entitlement.

Keeping in touch days. While on unpaid parental leave you are allowed up to 10 "keeping in touch" days per person, during which you can perform work for your employer. Keeping in touch days do not break the continuity of your leave and can be useful for attending key meetings, training sessions, or a gradual return before your official return date.

Flexible return. Employees who have completed 12 months of service also have the right to request a flexible working arrangement when returning from parental leave, for example part-time hours, changed start or finish times, or working from home. The employer must genuinely consider the request and can only refuse on reasonable business grounds, with the refusal in writing.

Return to your role. When you return from parental leave you are entitled to return to the same position you held before you left. If that position no longer exists, your employer must provide you with an available position that is nearest in status and pay to your former role.

Employer-funded parental leave top-ups

Many Australian employers, particularly larger organisations in banking, mining, professional services, and the public sector, offer a top-up that bridges the gap between the National Minimum Wage rate of government PPL and your actual salary.

Common structures include:

Full pay for a period (often 12 to 16 weeks) for primary carers, with the employer absorbing the government PPL as part of the total package.
A separate secondary carer entitlement of 2 to 4 weeks at full pay, in addition to any government PPL weeks the secondary carer takes.
Superannuation contributions continued throughout the leave period, regardless of whether government super changes are in effect.

Check your enterprise agreement, award, or employment contract carefully. Some agreements require you to take government PPL concurrently with employer leave (meaning it is absorbed, not added on top), while others allow it to run separately. Clarify this with your HR or payroll team before lodging your claim, because the timing of when you register with Services Australia can affect how the payments interact with employer pay.

How to claim: step by step

The application process for government PPL runs through Services Australia via myGov.

Link your myGov account to Centrelink. If you do not already have a Centrelink online account linked to your myGov, set this up before you are heavily pregnant. The identity verification steps can take time.
Notify your employer. Fair Work rules require you to give at least 10 weeks' notice before taking parental leave if possible. Providing this notice early also helps with payroll planning around your top-up entitlements.
Lodge your PPL claim. You can submit your claim online through myGov up to 3 months before your due date. Early lodgement is strongly encouraged: Services Australia needs time to assess eligibility and you want payments set up before your leave starts, not weeks into it.
Confirm the birth. Once your baby is born, log back in and confirm the birth date. Services Australia will also need evidence from your doctor or midwife (a birth certificate or Medicare enrolment is accepted once issued).
Nominate your super fund. From July 2025, nominate your super fund as part of the PPL claim so the new super contributions are directed correctly.
Set up your payment destination. Payments go directly to your bank account. Services Australia will use the account already linked to your Centrelink profile, or you can add or change one during the claim process.

For couples sharing weeks, both parents need their own myGov and Centrelink accounts and each lodges their own claim for their allocated weeks. You can coordinate the split of weeks once the primary carer's claim is approved: Services Australia provides a way for the primary carer to transfer unused weeks to the secondary carer.

Frequently asked questions

How many weeks of paid parental leave can an Australian family receive from the government?

From July 2024, eligible families can share up to 20 weeks of government-funded Paid Parental Leave Pay. This rises to 22 weeks from July 2025 and is expected to reach 26 weeks by 2026. The primary carer must take at least 12 weeks and the remaining weeks can be split between both parents in any combination they choose.

What is the income test for government Paid Parental Leave Pay in Australia?

To pass the individual income test, your adjusted taxable income must be $151,350 or less in the financial year before the birth or adoption. From July 2023 there is also a family income test: if the primary carer earns above the individual limit, the household can still qualify if combined family income is $350,000 or less.

Can casual workers or self-employed people claim Paid Parental Leave Pay?

Yes. The work test is based on days worked, not employment type, so casual employees and self-employed people can qualify as long as they worked at least one day per week on average across 10 of the 13 months before the birth or adoption, and they met the income test. Keeping good records of invoiced work days is important for self-employed claimants.

Do I still get superannuation while on government parental leave?

From 1 July 2025, the Australian Government will pay superannuation contributions at the Superannuation Guarantee rate (currently 11.5%) on top of Paid Parental Leave Pay. This closes a long-standing gap where parents taking leave lost years of super growth. Payments will be made directly to your nominated super fund.

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