Determining a customer’s Paid Parental Leave (PPL) period start date for children born or entering care before 1 July 2023 007-07030070

A customer’s PPL period start date cannot be determined until:

• the primary claimant has made an effective claim for PPL, and
• lodged proof of birth/entry into care for the PPL child

Primary claimants are required to meet all PPL eligibility requirements each day between the child’s date of birth/entry into care and their PPL period start date. For secondary and tertiary requirements, eligibility requirements must be met from their PPL period start date.

As PPL is paid in arrears (either by the customer’s employer or Services Australia), a customer’s PPL period start date is generally not the date that their first PPL instalment is paid. However the first PPL instalment will be backdated to their PPL period start date. See Delivery of Parental Leave Pay (PPL).

The PPL period is based on a standard Monday to Friday working week. The customer is paid for each eligible weekday in the PPL period. Where the PPL period commences on a weekend, the first paid PPL day will be on the following Monday. See Rate of Parental Leave Pay (PPL) and Dad and Partner Pay (DAP).

If a primary claimant makes an effective claim for PPL:

• within 28 days of the birth/adoption and provides proof of birth/entry into care within 28 days of the birth/adoption, their PPL start date can be as early as the child’s date of birth/entry into care. The 28 day period commences the day after the date of birth/entry into care
• within 28 days of the birth/adoption but provides proof of birth/entry into care more than 28 days after the birth/entry into care, their PPL period start date can be as early as the date that the proof of birth/entry into care was provided
• more than 28 days after the child’s date of birth/entry into care, their PPL period start date can be as early as the date that the effective claim was made

Note: an exception to the usual backdating provisions apply to customers who:

• meet the extended work test provision due to coronavirus (COVID-19) or
• received COVID-19 Disaster Payment (paid by Services Australia on or after 3 June 2021) during their 10 month qualifying period

See Paid Parental Leave scheme Work Test.

A primary claimant can nominate a PPL period start date on or after their child’s date of birth/adoption if they:

• meet the PPL extended work test, or
• received COVID-19 Disaster Payment (paid by Services Australia on or after 3 June 2021) during their 10 month qualifying period

They can do this even if they lodge their claim more than 28 days after the date of birth or adoption.

If the customer nominates a start date in the past and they or their partner are receiving an income support payment or Family Tax Benefit, they must be advised of potential overpayments to these payments.

PPL payments cannot be paid for the same period as COVID-19 Disaster Payment. To receive a COVID-19 Disaster Payment the customer must have stopped work or had their work hours reduced during the relevant period. A customer in receipt of PPL during the relevant period would not be deemed to have stopped work or had reduced hours as they did not intend to work during the period.

When claiming PPL as a primary claimant, customers are required to provide a nominated start date. This is the date from which they want their PPL period to begin.

Customers can nominate their child’s date of birth, the date their post-birth claim was lodged or another future date.

This date must be:

• between the child’s date of birth and their first birthday, or
• in the case of adoptions, between the date that the child enters the customer’s care and the first anniversary of their entry into care

Note: to receive their full PPL period, a customer’s PPL period start date must be at least:

• 18 weeks before the child’s first birthday or first anniversary of entry into care, for children born/adopted before 1 July 2020, or
• 12 weeks before the child’s first birthday or first anniversary of entry into care, for children born/adopted on or after 1 July 2020

A primary claimant’s PPL period start date can be on or after their nominated start date, depending on when an effective claim and proof of birth/entry into care is lodged.

For children born on or after 1 July 2023, there is no longer a nominated start date required for PPL. Customers nominate a PPL day. To change any Parental Leave Pay days, see Claiming and managing Paid Parental Leave (PPL) days for children born or entering care on or after 1 July 2023.

Secondary and tertiary claimants cannot choose their PPL period start date.

For partial transfers, the secondary claimant’s PPL period start date will always be the day after the primary claimant’s PPL period end date.

For full PPL transfers, the secondary claimant’s PPL period start date will always be primary claimant’s start date.

PPL is treated as ordinary income for calculating the rate of payment for Income Support Payments (ISP).

If the customer (and/or their partner) is receiving an ISP and they have chosen a past date (such as the child's date of birth or entry to care) as their nominated start date, they may incur an overpayment of their ISP. Note: this ISP overpayment will be automatically offset against the PPL arrears payment.

Impacted customers may request to change their nominated start date to a future date to avoid, or limit the amount of, the ISP overpayment.

Primary claimants can change their nominated start date (subject to the above rules) if their PPL payments have not yet commenced.

If a customer requests to change their PPL period start date, it can only be changed to a date on or after the date the request is made, except where the:

• request is made within 28 days of the child’s birth and both an effective claim and proof of birth/entry into care have been provided
• primary claimant meets the PPL extended work test
• claimant received COVID-19 Disaster Payment (paid by Services Australia on or after 3 June 2021) during their 10 month qualifying period

If any of the above conditions apply, the nominated start date can be a date on or after their child’s date of birth/adoption.

See Customer notifies a change of circumstances for Parental Leave Pay (PPL).

A separate process applies if Parental Leave Pay (PPL) claim processed with incorrect start date.

Customers must provide a nominated start date when claiming PPL.

If a nominated a start date is not provided, and the child’s date of birth/adoption is:

• before 1 July 2020, their entire claim for PPL will be not effective.
• on or after 1 July 2020, they will not be entitled to a PPL period. However, they may still be entitled to Flexible PPL days

Where a claim has been granted and proof of birth/entry into care provided prior to the PPL period start date, the claim status will be assessed (PPL/ASS-ASD) until the PPL period commences.