Claiming timeframes

Make sure your family gets all the Parental Leave Pay days you’re eligible for by claiming within the timeframes.

Claiming before your child’s birth or adoption

You can claim up to 3 months before the expected date of birth or adoption.

By claiming early you’ll be able to choose when your Parental Leave Pay starts after your child’s birth or adoption.

If your employer is going to deliver your Parental Leave Pay, by claiming early they will be able to:

• register with us
• opt in to provide Parental Leave Pay.

When your child comes into your care, you need to tell us within 56 days. You’ll need to give us both of the following:

• your child’s details, such as their full name and date of birth
• proof of the birth or adoption.

Getting Parental Leave Pay from your child’s date of birth or adoption

To get Parental Leave Pay from your child’s date of birth or adoption, you need to do both of the following within 14 weeks or 100 days of their birth or adoption:

• submit your claim
• provide proof of birth or adoption.

When you claim you’ll need to tell us when you want to get at least one day of Parental Leave Pay. If you aren’t sure when you want to take the rest, you can leave it in your balance. You can then choose to use it later, as long as it’s within 2 years of your child’s birth or adoption.

If you’re giving your child up for adoption or as part of a surrogacy arrangement

There are special rules if you’re giving your child up for adoption or as part of a surrogacy arrangement. Parental Leave Pay is only available to you either within the:

• first 20 weeks after the birth of the child if the child is born before 1 July 2024
• first 22 weeks after the birth of the child if the child is born from 1 July 2024.

All of your Parental Leave Pay days must be in those first 20 or 22 weeks, depending on when they’re born. You can’t share your Parental Leave Pay with anyone else.

Claiming after your child’s birth or adoption

To get Parental Leave Pay, at least one parent needs to claim within 52 weeks of the child’s birth or adoption. Other parents have 2 years to claim. You need to use all Parental Leave Pay days within 2 years of your child’s birth or adoption.

We can pay you up to 100 days in the past.

Getting Parental Leave Pay and employer funded leave

You can take Parental Leave Pay before, during or after any paid or unpaid employer funded leave. This includes all the following:

• maternity or parental leave
• annual leave
• long service leave.