Claiming Parenting Payment (PP) 007-01030100

There are 2 rates of Parenting Payment. The applicable rate depends on a person's relationship status.

To qualify for Parenting Payment Single (PPS) a person must:

• be single
• be the principal carer of an eligible dependent child under the age of 14 years old
• meet the residence requirements for PP
• meet the income and assets test
• meet mutual obligation requirements

To qualify for Parenting Payment Partnered (PPP) a person must:

• be partnered
• be the principal carer of an eligible dependent child under the age of 6 years old
• meet the residence requirements for PP
• meet the income and assets test

For more information, Eligibility for Parenting Payment.

Grandparents or non-parent carers of children living in the same house as a parent may not be eligible for PP. In most cases a grandparent or non-parent carer will not be considered the primary carer of a child if they reside in the same home as the biological parent. A principal carer determination must be made. See Help for grandparents caring for children and Resources page for a link to the Services Australia website for payments and services to help non-parent carers.

Customers are not able to lodge an early claim for PP for an expected newborn child. However, the start day for PP can be:

• backdated if the customer claims within 4 weeks of the child's birth, or
• the date a PP child entered their care as a dependent child

For all other circumstances, see Early claims.

Correspondence nominees can submit an online claim for PP on behalf of their principal.

If a correspondence nominee contacts to claim PP on behalf of their principal, offer an online claim first. If they decline the online claim offer, a Service Officer must run the Assisted Customer Claim (ACC) with the nominee.

If a nominee is claiming on behalf of a person, encourage the nominee to help the person claim PP using the person's Centrelink online account. If the nominee is unable or unwilling, a Service Officer is to run ACC with the nominee.

Customers must create a myGov account and link their Centrelink online account to it.

Once the customer has linked their Centrelink online account to myGov, to start an online claim for PP, customers must:

• sign into myGov and access their linked Centrelink online account
• from the menu, select Payments and claims > Claims >Make a claim
• on the Make a claim page, select Get started in the Families category
• on the What would you like to do? window, select Apply for Parenting Payment

Customers transferring to PP will see a reduced question set as part of their online claim if they are:

• currently in receipt of an income support payment, or
• have cancelled from payment in the last 13 weeks, and
• have had no significant changes in their circumstances

ACC can be used for customers deemed unable or unsuitable to claim online or nominees.

'Channel hopping' within ACC allows:

• the customer to start a claim online and have it continued by a Service Officer, or
• a Service Officer to help a customer start a claim, to be completed by the customer online (a Centrelink online account linked to myGov is required)

Once the Service Officer has completed the ACC:

• tell the customer about documents to be provided, or action to be taken to submit their claim (exceptions will be made for vulnerable customers). The customer must:
• answer all mandatory questions
• verify their identity if there is no Identity Confirmation (ICI) recorded
• provide all required documents
• read the relevant verbal declaration script to the customer at the end of the ACC process

New claim appointments are not conducted for Parenting Payment, however a PPS customer whose youngest child is aged 6 years or older, will be required to attend a Participation Interview, unless they have an exemption from mutual obligation requirements.

If the customer lives in a remote area and normally uses an agent, Remote Service Centre, or phone to do business and is unable or unsuitable to complete an online claim, the customer should be transferred to the Remote Claims Processing (RCP) team to begin their ACC.

The Remote Claims Processing (RCP) team provides specialised remote service for identified remote customers.

The customer must have:

• the remote indicator showing on the Customer Overview, or
• a residential address in a remote location

To check the address is in a remote location:

• search the town name in Office Locator
• view the Towns Result List
• view the Remoteness column

For details about current PP customer transfers with a change in relationship status, see:

• Transfer from Parenting Payment Partnered (PPP) to Parenting Payment Single (PPS)
• Transfer from Parenting Payment Single (PPS) to Parenting Payment Partnered (PPP)

The provisions of the Social Security Act mean only one person at a time can be paid PP as the principal carer of a child. This means only one member of a couple can receive PP, even if the care arrangements are considered equal. If a customer contacts to advise they are now the principal carer of the child, their partner’s PP will need to be cancelled first. The customer can then submit a claim for PP if required.

If a person submits a claim for PP and their partner is still in receipt of PP, contact must be made with the customer and partner to confirm who is to receive PP.