Family assistance customer becomes partnered 007-03030090

If a customer and their partner have both claimed FTB, the following procedures contain more information:

• Partner of a current Family Tax Benefit (FTB) customer claims family assistance and/or Parental Leave Pay (PPL)
• Blended families and Family Tax Benefit (FTB)

A person is considered partnered if they are:

• legally married and not separated
• living as a member of a couple, or
• customer re-partnering with an ex-partner

When a customer advises they have become partnered, consider:

• what payments and services they and their new partner are currently receiving
• what payments and services they may be entitled to after they become partnered
• if both members of the couple have FTB children in care, which member of the couple will claim FTB for the children, or whether they are each claiming for the children in their individual care as a blended family
• the income of the customer and their new partner
• for CCS purposes, the activity details of the customer and their new partner
• the most beneficial arrangement for ongoing CCS entitlement, including transfer of entitlement dates
• any other changes such as change of address
• how many children each partner is bringing to the relationship
• child support action for child/ren of the relationship
• if the customer and partner are reconciling, whether there was a previous shared care arrangement that needed to be ended

The following details are required and can be provided verbally:

• name and date of birth of partner
• date the customer became partnered
• address and accommodation changes
• provision of Tax File Number for family assistance and Paid Parental Leave scheme payments for both the customer and their partner
• an income estimate for the partner (and for the customer if they were receiving a single income support payment or if they need to revise their current estimate)
  Note: the exemption to the FTB Part A income test due to being in receipt of an income support payment and in an employment income nil rate period may no longer apply in certain circumstances
• Activity Test Details for the partner (if customer receiving CCS)
• care of the children, where:
• customers are reconciling with the other parent of the children, and
• there was a shared care arrangement in place

Parental Leave Pay (PPL) is a payment of up to a maximum entitlement of PPL for children born or adopted on or after 1 July 2023.

Customers who are partnered on or before the date of their claim will be subject to the reserved entitlement. These days are reserved on a ‘use it or lose it’ basis for, their partner, or the other parent.

Note: the birth mother is still required to provide approval to claim and share the ’reserved’ PPL days. If the partner/other parent is not eligible, the cap still applies.

Customers who are single at the time of their claim or became partnered after their claim lodgement can choose to share their days with the other parent or take all PPL days. No cap applies.

Customers who separate on a date after their claim lodgement are still:

• considered partnered for PPL purposes, and
• subject to the reserved entitlement unless an exemption applies

See Paid Parental Leave (PPL) exemptions to the reserved entitlement and concurrency limit for further information.

Customers who are single when their PPL claims are processed and then advise at a later date they were partnered on or before the date of their claim:

• will have their PPL reassessed as partnered and
• will be subject to the reserved entitlement. Any days nominated over the reserved entitlement limit with be rejected