Calculating the start day soon after child birth 106-05010060

This document outlines how to calculate the start day for payment for a customer soon after the birth of a child.

Overview

If a person makes a claim for a Social Security payment and the person is qualified for the payment on the day on which the claim is made, the person's start day for that payment is the day the claim is made.

However, in some circumstances, a person's start day may be earlier and different rules apply to different circumstances. If a claim for a social security payment is made by the birth mother within four weeks after the birth of a child, the start day in relation to the payment is the first day on which the customer is qualified for the payment. In most cases, the start day for payments will be determined by the general Start Day rules.

Where a claim for Parenting Payment (PP) is made by someone who is not the birth mother, the start day can be backdated to the first day of qualification if the person claims within four weeks after the child becomes a PP child of that person. For example, the father of the PP child lodges the claim for Parenting Payment instead of the birth mother.

Exclusion periods

The start day of a claim will be delayed if the customer is required to serve a waiting, preclusion or non-payment period or time in prison or a psychiatric institution (for committing an offence). All these waiting and non-payment periods are referred to as exclusion periods.

The Resources page contains an example of calculating the start day for payment for a customer soon after the birth of a child.

Related links

Contact in relation to an intended claim (CLK)

Claim lodgement of Centrelink claims