Paid Parental Leave Expanded

New Australian parents will be entitled to more flexible paid parental leave after new changes passed federal parliament this week.

The changes combine two exisiting payments into a shared 20 week scheme, and it’s now easier for new dads to access paid leave. More changes are flagged, which will progressively increase the amount of leave up to 26 weeks by 2026.

The new changes will come into effect for parents whose babies are born or adopted from July 2023. Either parents is able to apply for paid parental leave first, and they’ll also be able to take the entitlement in multiple blocks. So if parents can take as little as one day of paid parental leave, in between working.

Single parents will have access to the full 20 weeks.

There’s also a new family income threshold of $350,000 per year, which means 3000 additional parents will become eligible for the scheme.

“Improving paid parental leave is a critical, nation-building reform. Paid Parental Leave is vital for the health and wellbeing of parents and their children,” said Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth.

“Around 180,000 Australian families take up this benefit each year and they will now be able to share their entitlement in the way that best suits their circumstances.”

Newborn

In October last year, the government confirmed it wanted to expand paid parental leave from 18 to 26 weeks.

The Australian Council of Trade Unions has been calling for Australian parents to have access to 52 weeks of paid parental leave.

48 Comments

- - meedee said
  - 20 Oct 2024
    4:32 pm
This seriously just blows my mind. There was nothing like this when I had children and yet today its very much an expectation. 6months but still going for more and wanting a year. This is just insane to me. There would be some people that might never have to work if you have children back to back

- - MummaD said
  - 29 Mar 2023
    4:25 pm
Great news for new parents

- - mom101628 said
  - 15 Mar 2023
    1:49 pm
Great for parents, but very hard for those trying to run a business in this day and age with costs going up all the time. Of course young parents who have just started their businesses miss out both ways.

- - Lividanke said
  - 14 Mar 2023
    1:46 pm
This will be helpful for lots of families giving them more time to bond with their babies.

- - tessie said
  - 11 Mar 2023
    12:50 pm
This will be very helpful and will ease a lot of stress for new parents. When my boys were born I wasn’t allowed to have any time off work so my Mother would look after them while I was working.

- - Mumof4 said
  - 10 Mar 2023
    9:56 am
About time!! I wish I had this with my first. Really though it would be nice if it was for a year like Canada.

- - Danicastefanie said
  - 10 Mar 2023
    6:06 am
This is fantastic news for new parents to be! About time they extended it

- - Bizma said
  - 10 Mar 2023
    4:15 am
It will be really great for families. We had no famiky here to support us when my boys were born and my husband wasnt able tontake off for more than a few days unlike my cousin in Sweden who took months off without any worries

- - mom486197 said
  - 09 Mar 2023
    6:54 pm
This is fantastic news and about time.

- - BellaB said
  - 09 Mar 2023
    6:51 pm
I think this is great. It won’t benefit me, but I think it’s good for society overall.

- - rovermum said
  - 09 Mar 2023
    11:34 am
Hmmm, I have no expectation of our Governments to provide me with any payments to support my parenting/child, but would have welcomed any of these payments when my son was a baby.

- - mustangsachy said
  - 09 Mar 2023
    10:06 am
Great news for new parents.

- - Ellen said
  - 09 Mar 2023
    8:55 am
We live in wealthy times. I wonder how it is all possible.

- - sars_angelchik said
  - 09 Mar 2023
    8:48 am
That’s great, wish it was around when I had my babies.

- - shocolatmoose said
  - 09 Mar 2023
    6:57 am
Good. I won’t be having any more children, but this is excellent news for future parents.

- - TraceyGail said
  - 09 Mar 2023
    6:56 am
There is just so much available nowadays.

- - mom486400 said
  - 08 Mar 2023
    9:31 pm
That’s such great news, shame I missed out.

- - nessjed said
  - 08 Mar 2023
    9:23 pm
This is great news. Very different from when I had my babies. I think parents should be home as long as they choose and this will help.

- - firsttimemum12 said
  - 08 Mar 2023
    9:11 pm
This makes me
So so so so so happy.
Please just enable parents to be able to afford to have more time with their little ones – the benefits will be so worth it!

- - mom265671 said
  - 08 Mar 2023
    9:09 pm
This should’ve happened a long time ago. I was in no way ready to return only after 4 months. Good to see.