Family assistance payments
Information about the types of family assistance payments available if you have a family.
Parenting payment
The Parenting Payment is a fortnightly payment for the main carer of a child. To be eligible, you’ll need to:
- meet principal carer rules
- be under the income and asset test limits
- meet residence rules.
Claims are only backdated within 4 weeks of the child’s birth or the date the child came into your care. Otherwise, payments will begin from the date you submit your claim.
The payment amount will depend on the income and assets you and your partner have.
Family Tax Benefit
Family Tax Benefit is a payment to help with the cost of raising children. It’s split into 2 payments:
- Family Tax Benefit Part A – can be claimed for each eligible child you care for. They’ll need to meet immunisation requirements and may need to have a health check before they start school
- Family Tax Benefit Part B – is paid per family for single parent families, non-parent carers and some families that have only one main income.
Parents and carers of children with disability or a medical condition may also be able to get additional financial and other types of support.