Who Is Eligible for Paid Parental Leave in Australia? (2025-26)
If you're expecting a baby, one of the first financial questions many parents ask is whether they qualify for Paid Parental Leave.
Australia's government parental leave scheme can provide up to 24 weeks (120 days) of income while you take time off work to care for a newborn or newly adopted child. But eligibility depends on your work history, income, and residency — and not everyone knows exactly where they stand.
This guide explains the key rules for the Paid Parental Leave (PPL) scheme administered by Services Australia, using the 2025-26 rules.
Quick eligibility checklist
You are likely eligible for Paid Parental Leave if you:
- Are caring for a newborn or newly adopted child
- Have worked at least 10 of the 13 months before the birth or adoption
- Have worked at least 330 hours during that period
- Have not had a gap of more than 12 weeks between working days
- Have an individual adjusted taxable income below $350,000 (2025-26 threshold)
- Meet the residency requirements (Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible visa holder)
If you tick all of these boxes, you are likely eligible. The detail behind each requirement is covered below.
You must be caring for the child
Paid Parental Leave Pay is available to the parent or carer who is the primary carer of the child. In most cases this means you must:
- Be the child's parent or adoptive parent
- Be primarily responsible for caring for the child during the leave period
- Not be working on the days you are claiming the payment
The birth parent typically receives the payment first, but eligible partners can also receive some of the leave — more on sharing below.
The work test: the most important eligibility rule
The work test is what trips many parents up — but it is more flexible than most people expect.
To meet the work test you generally need to have:
| Requirement | What it means |
|---|---|
| Months worked | At least 10 of the 13 months immediately before the birth or adoption |
| Hours worked | At least 330 hours in total during those months |
| No large gaps | No single gap of more than 12 weeks between paid working days |
To put 330 hours in context: that is roughly one day of work per week over ten months. It does not need to be full-time, and it does not need to be with the same employer throughout.
What counts toward the work test?
A wide range of working arrangements count toward the work test:
- Full-time employment
- Part-time work
- Casual work
- Contract and freelance work
- Self-employment
Certain types of paid leave also count as working days, including paid annual leave, paid sick leave, and some paid employer parental leave arrangements. Unpaid leave generally does not count.
If you have been working in any of these arrangements in the 13 months before your due date, there is a strong chance those hours will contribute to your work test.
Can casual workers qualify?
Yes — and this is one of the most commonly misunderstood aspects of the scheme.
Many people assume government Paid Parental Leave is only for permanent employees. It is not. Casual workers who meet the work test, income test, and residency requirements qualify in the same way as full-time employees.
Example: A casual retail worker who worked 2–3 shifts per week across most of the 13-month period would likely have accumulated more than 330 hours across at least 10 of those months — meeting the work test.
The key is that the hours are spread across the qualifying period, without a gap of more than 12 weeks.
The income test: individual, not household
The income test for Paid Parental Leave uses your individual adjusted taxable income — not your combined household income.
For 2025-26, the income limit is $350,000 individual ATI.
This is a relatively high threshold, which means the vast majority of Australians meet it without issue. It is designed to exclude very high earners rather than to means-test the payment broadly.
Note that this income test applies per person. In a couple where one partner earns significantly more than $350,000, the higher-earning partner may not be eligible — but the lower-earning partner who takes primary leave may still qualify under their own income.
Adjusted taxable income for PPL purposes includes your taxable income plus reportable fringe benefits, total net investment losses, and certain other components. It is the same ATI concept used for CCS and FTB.
Residency requirements
To receive Paid Parental Leave, you must generally be:
- An Australian citizen
- A permanent resident
- The holder of an eligible temporary or provisional visa
You must also be living in Australia when you make the claim and when the payments are made.
Some temporary visa holders can qualify depending on their visa subclass. If you hold a Partner visa (subclass 820 or 309) or certain other provisional visas, you may still be eligible — it is worth checking with Services Australia directly if you are unsure about your visa status.
How much does PPL pay?
If you are eligible, Paid Parental Leave is paid at a rate based on the National Minimum Wage, applied per calendar day.
For 2025-26, this works out to approximately:
| Measure | 2025-26 amount |
|---|---|
| Daily rate | ~$189.62 per day |
| Weekly rate | ~$946 per week (before tax) |
| Total (24 weeks) | ~$22,754 gross |
| After 15% withholding | ~$19,341 net |
Payments are taxable income — withholding of 15% applies by default, and the full gross amount counts toward your adjusted taxable income for CCS and FTB purposes in that financial year.
This matters: if you receive PPL in a financial year where you also return to work, your combined income for that year may be higher than your regular salary alone. This can affect your CCS rate and FTB entitlement at balancing — particularly if you do not update your Centrelink income estimate to reflect the leave income.
Can both parents receive Paid Parental Leave?
Yes. Since 2023-24, the PPL scheme has allowed families to share the total entitlement between eligible parents.
For 2025-26:
- The total entitlement is 120 days (24 weeks)
- Each eligible parent must have at least 20 reserved days that cannot be transferred to the other parent
- The remaining days can be shared between parents in any combination
Example: One parent takes 16 weeks (80 days) immediately after the birth, and the partner takes the remaining 8 weeks (40 days) later in the child's first year.
Both parents must individually meet the work test, income test, and residency requirements to claim any portion.
Sharing leave gives families more flexibility to arrange the first year in a way that works for their work patterns and finances. If you want to understand how different sharing arrangements affect your household income across the year, the PPL Planner lets you model this before committing.
When should you apply?
You can apply for Paid Parental Leave before your baby is born — and most Services Australia guidance recommends applying in the final trimester of pregnancy, or as soon as possible after an adoption is confirmed.
Applying early means:
- Your eligibility can be assessed in advance
- Payments can begin soon after the birth, once the child's birth is registered and confirmed
- You avoid any gap between your last employer payment and your first government PPL payment
You can apply through myGov, linked to your Centrelink account. You'll need to confirm the birth and provide your tax file number.
What comes after Paid Parental Leave?
For most families, Paid Parental Leave is the first financial phase — not the last.
Later in the year, many parents return to work and childcare begins. At that point two new systems start operating:
- Child Care Subsidy (CCS) — reduces your weekly out-of-pocket childcare cost based on your combined family income
- CCS income estimate — you'll need to tell Centrelink your expected full-year income, which should include the PPL you received, to set your CCS rate correctly from the start
Because income, leave income, and childcare costs all change during the first year, it is worth planning the full transition — not just the leave period itself.
The PPL Planner models your leave income timeline and then connects directly to the CCS calculator so you can estimate your out-of-pocket childcare costs before they start.
Frequently asked questions
What if I left my job during pregnancy — do I still qualify?
It depends on when you left and how much you worked before leaving. If you met the work test requirements (10 of 13 months, 330 hours, no 12-week gap) before leaving employment, you may still qualify. Centrelink assesses the work test based on the period before the birth, not your employment status at the time of claiming.
What if I have twins or higher-order multiples?
The Paid Parental Leave entitlement applies once per birth event, not once per child. You receive 120 days (24 weeks) regardless of whether you have one baby or twins.
Does superannuation get paid on PPL?
From 1 July 2025, eligible parents receiving government Paid Parental Leave will also receive a superannuation contribution (at the Super Guarantee rate) on their PPL payments. This is a recent change — check the Services Australia website for the current status of this entitlement.
Can I work while receiving PPL?
Not on the days you are claiming payment. If you return to work, your PPL payments stop for those days. You can, however, work up to 10 days during the paid leave period under what Services Australia calls "keeping in touch" days, without losing the entitlement for those days.
I'm self-employed — can I get PPL?
Yes. Self-employed people can meet the work test the same way employees do, provided the self-employment hours and structure meet the 330-hour / 10-of-13-month requirements. Your income from self-employment counts toward the individual income test. Services Australia may ask for business records to verify the work test.
This guide provides general information about Paid Parental Leave eligibility based on 2025-26 rules. Individual circumstances vary. For a formal assessment of your eligibility, contact Services Australia at 136 150 or visit servicesaustralia.gov.au/paidparentalleave.