Claiming and managing Flexible Paid Parental Leave (PPL) days for children born or entering care before 1 July 2023 007-20030334

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Flexible PPL declaration

The Flexible PPL declaration must be made by the customer each time they claim or withdraw a Flexible PPL day.

'I declare:

For each day I have claimed Flexible Paid Parental Leave:

• I did not/will not work unless for an allowable reason
• I had/will have primary care of the child, and
• I expect to meet Paid Parental Leave residence rules

I understand:

• I need to advise Services Australia of any changes to my circumstances as soon as the change occurs
• Services Australia can make relevant enquiries to make sure I receive my correct entitlement
• If I owe money to the Australian Government agency, Services Australia, some or all of the amount owed may be recovered from my Parental Leave Pay even if I am making regular repayments
• Giving false or misleading information is a serious offence
• Services Australia can reuse my Tax File Number provided in my initial claim for Paid Parental Leave
• If another person claims or has claimed Parental Leave Pay for the same child, Services Australia may advise them of Flexible Paid Parental Leave entitlement information relating to the child'

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Expected versus actual date of birth

Jessie lodges a pre-birth claim for PPL. Jessie’s child’s expected date of birth is 16 February 2021. Jessie nominates the child’s date of birth as the PPL period start date and has chosen to connect 20 Flexible PPL days.

Jessie’s pre-birth claim is initially assessed as:

• PPL period (12 weeks): Wednesday 16 February 2021 to Tuesday 10 May 2021 (60 payable days)
• connected Flexible PPL days: Wednesday 11 May 2021 to Tuesday 7 June 2021 (20 payable days)
• balance of unclaimed Flexible PPL days: 10 days

Jessie’s child Max is born on Saturday 19 February. Once proof of birth is provided, Jessie’s claim is reassessed. As the child’s actual date of birth has changed, the PPL period is reassessed which results in the connected Flexible PPL days being moved.

• PPL period (12 weeks): Monday 21 February 2021 to Friday 13 May 2021 (60 payable days)
• Connected Flexible PPL days: Monday 16 May 2021 to Friday 10 June 2021 (20 payable days)
• Balance of unclaimed Flexible PPL days: 10 days

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Continuous block of PPL extends past 1 year

Reena has claimed PPL for child Shanal who was born on 25 December 2020. Reena has chosen a nominated start date of 27 September 2021, and to connect all 30 Flexible PPL days to the PPL period to receive a continuous block of 18 weeks (90 payable days).

Reena’s employer will deliver PPL.

As connected Flexible PPL days cannot be paid more than 12 months after the child’s birth or adoption Reena’s PPL will be assessed as:

• PPL period (12 weeks): Monday 27 September 2021 to Friday 17 December 2021 (60 payable days)
• connected Flexible PPL days: Monday 20 December 2021 to Friday 24 December 2021 (5 payable days)
• not connected Flexible PPL days: 27 December 2021 to Friday 28 January 2022 (15 payable days)

Reena’s employer will be responsible for delivering the PPL period plus 5 connected days. Services Australia will deliver the remaining Flexible PPL days.

2

Customer claims Flexible PPL on weekend between 2 connected Flexible PPL days

Gemma chose to connect 25 Flexible PPL days to the PPL period. Gemma’s employer will deliver PPL.

• PPL period (12 weeks): Monday 2 November to Friday 22 January (60 payable days)
• Connected Flexible PPL days: Monday 25 January to Friday 26 February (25 payable days)
• Balance of unclaimed Flexible PPL days: 5 days

On 15 February, Gemma claims 2 Flexible PPL days for Saturday 6 February and Sunday 7 February. As there is now a break in the continuous Monday to Friday block of PPL, Gemma’s claimed Flexible PPL days for 8 February to 26 February are no longer connected to the PPL period. They will continue to be paid on the claimed dates and be delivered by Services Australia.

3

Flexible PPL day withdrawn

Nova has chosen not to connect any Flexible PPL days to the PPL period. Nova claims 6 Flexible PPL days in the claim and leaves 24 to claim later.

• PPL period (12 weeks): Monday 29 March to Friday 18 June (60 payable days)
• Flexible PPL days: 9 August to 14 August (6 days)
• Balance of unclaimed Flexible PPL days: 24 days

On 28 July, Nova withdraws the Flexible PPL days for 9 August, 10 August and 11 August. These days are returned to Nova’s balance of unclaimed Flexible PPL days.

• Flexible PPL days: 12 August to 14 August (3 days)
• Balance of unclaimed Flexible PPL days: 27 days

4

Remove permission for Flexible PPL days

Hayley has chosen to connect 17 Flexible PPL days to the PPL period and has given permission for another person to claim 13 of Hayley's Flexible PPL days.

• Connected Flexible PPL days: 17 days
• Permission for another person: 13 days
• Balance of unclaimed Flexible PPL days: 0 days

On 16 September, Hayley’s partner Ro claims 6 Flexible PPL days, leaving 7 of the transferred Flexible PPL days unclaimed.

On 18 September, Hayley revokes permission for someone else to claim the remaining 7 days. There are now no more Flexible PPL days available for someone else to claim.

• Connected Flexible PPL days: 17 days
• Permission for another person: 0 days
• Claimed by another person: 6 days
• Balance of unclaimed Flexible PPL days: 7 days

5

Reducing connected Flexible PPL days - PPL period has commenced

In the initial claim for PPL, Aimee chose to connect all 30 Flexible PPL days to the PPL period.

• PPL period (12 weeks): Monday 3 May to Friday 23 July (60 payable days)
• Connected Flexible PPL days: Monday 26 July to Friday 3 September (30 payable days)
• Remaining Flexible PPL days: 0

On 13 August, Aimee contacts to claim all the Flexible PPL days separately from the PPL period.

As the PPL period has started, connected Flexible PPL days can be changed from no earlier than 13 August (today’s date). The Service Officer updates Aimee’s connected Flexible PPL days to:

• PPL period (12 weeks): Monday 3 May to Friday 23 July (60 payable days)
• Connected Flexible PPL days: Monday 26 July to Thursday 12 August (14 payable weekdays)
• Balance of unclaimed Flexible PPL days: 16 days

The Service Officer also checks whether Aimee was eligible for PPL on the connected days already paid on Monday 26 July to Thursday 12 August. Any days that Aimee was not eligible for PPL must be rejected using the relevant eligibility reason (e.g. not primary carer, working).

Aimee can nominate dates for the unclaimed Flexible PPL days now or at a later time. As the continuous block of connected Flexible PPL days has now been broken, Aimee can no longer connect any more days to the PPL period.

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Increasing connected Flexible PPL days - PPL period has commenced

In the initial claim for PPL, Eliza chose to connect 10 Flexible PPL days to the PPL period.

• PPL period (12 weeks): 1 February to 23 April (60 payable days)
• Connected Flexible PPL days: 26 April to 7 May (10 payable weekdays)
• Balance of unclaimed Flexible PPL days: 20

On 15 February, Eliza asks to connect the remaining 20 Flexible PPL days to the PPL period.

As the PPL period has commenced, the number of connected Flexible PPL days cannot be increased. However, the remaining Flexible PPL can be claimed separately as not connected Flexible PPL days.

Eliza can choose to claim them on the 20 weekdays immediately after the end of the 10 connected Flexible PPL days.

• Connected Flexible PPL days: 26 April to 7 May (10 payable weekdays)
• Not connected Flexible PPL days: 10 May to 14 May (5 days), 17 May to 21 May (5 days), 24 May to 28 May (5 days) and 31 May to 4 June (5 days)
• Balance of unclaimed Flexible PPL days: 0

7

Increasing connected Flexible PPL days - PPL period has commenced - CSO Override

In the initial pre-birth claim for PPL, Eliza chose to connect 10 Flexible PPL days to the PPL period.

• PPL period (12 weeks): 1 February to 23 April (60 payable days)
• Connected Flexible PPL days: 26 April to 7 May (10 payable weekdays)
• Balance of unclaimed Flexible PPL days: 20

Eliza lodged the proof of birth and attempted to increase the connected period online. Due to an issue on Eliza’s record an online update couldn’t be done. Eliza contacted and asked for all 30 Flexible PPL days to be connected to the PPL period. The Service Officer that took the call, documented Eliza’s record.

When Eliza’s post birth claim was finalised the processing Service Officer did not increase the connected period and the additional days were not added to the end of Eliza’s PPL connected period.

On 15 February, Eliza contacted to ask why the connected period had not been increased as requested and the remaining 20 Flexible PPL days were not connected to the PPL period.

As the PPL period has commenced, the number of connected Flexible PPL days could not be increased. However, as it can been seen that this was requested before the PPL had been made current the PPL connected period can be increased.

The Service Officer is able to add the 20 weekdays immediately after the end of the 10 connected Flexible PPL days and applied the CSO override to the individual days.

8

Returning to work before the end of the PPL period and connected Flexible PPL days

See the Resources page in Parental Leave Pay (PPL) customer, for a child born before 1 July 2023, returns to work.