Principal carer rules

To get Parenting Payment you must be the main carer of a young child or children.

The child must be either younger than:

  • 14 if you’re single
  • 6 if you have a partner.

You’re considered the principal carer of a child if you have the most amount of responsibility for all of their:

  • day to day care
  • welfare
  • development.

If you share care of a child, only one person at a time can be their principal carer. Often, this is the person with the greater amount of day to day care, such as a parent or guardian. If 2 people have equal care, they need to nominate who the principal carer is.

Page last updated: 25 October 2023.
QC 41456