Parenting Payment Calculator Australia [2026] — Am I Eligible?

Parenting Payment is a fortnightly income support payment from Services Australia for parents who are the primary carer of a young child. Whether you qualify — and how much you receive — depends on your relationship status, income, and assets.

What Is Parenting Payment?

Parenting Payment is the main income support payment for parents raising young children who are not able to work full time because of their caring responsibilities. It's separate from child support — child support is a payment between parents, while Parenting Payment is a payment from the government directly to the primary carer.

Parenting Payment Eligibility

Parenting Payment Single

To qualify you must:

• Be the primary carer of a child under 14 years old
• Not be in a registered relationship or de facto relationship
• Meet the income and asset tests
• Be an Australian resident

If your youngest child turns 14 and you're still on Parenting Payment Single, you'll be moved to JobSeeker Payment.

Parenting Payment Partnered

To qualify you must:

• Be the primary carer of a child under 6 years old
• Be in a registered or de facto relationship
• Meet the combined couple income and asset tests
• Be an Australian resident

When your youngest child turns 6, Parenting Payment Partnered ends and you may transfer to JobSeeker.

Income Test — How Much Can You Earn?

Parenting Payment reduces once your income exceeds a threshold.

Note: These thresholds are updated by Services Australia periodically. Always check current rates at servicesaustralia.gov.au.

Asset Test

Your assets also affect eligibility. Assets include property (other than your primary home), vehicles, investments, and savings above a threshold. If your assets exceed the relevant threshold, you won't qualify for Parenting Payment regardless of income.

How Parenting Payment Interacts With Child Support

This is often misunderstood. If you receive child support, it can affect your Parenting Payment:

• If you're on Parenting Payment Single and receive child support, the child support is assessed as income
• There's a Maintenance Income Free Area — a threshold of child support that doesn't reduce your payment
• Child support above that threshold reduces your Parenting Payment dollar for dollar

This means that in some situations, receiving more child support actually reduces your government payment — the net benefit is less than it appears.

Family Tax Benefit and Parenting Payment

Parenting Payment is separate from Family Tax Benefit (FTB). You may be eligible for both at the same time. FTB Part A and Part B are calculated differently and have their own income tests.

Mutual Obligation Requirements

• Parenting Payment Single: requirements apply when your youngest child turns 6
• Parenting Payment Partnered: requirements apply from when your youngest child turns 1

These requirements can be modified if you have a disability, are a carer, or face other barriers to participation.

How to Apply

1. Set up or log in to your myGov account at my.gov.au
2. Link your myGov account to Centrelink
3. Complete the online claim — have your tax file number, income details, and bank account information ready
4. Services Australia will assess your claim and notify you of the outcome

Claims can be backdated to the date you submitted them. Apply as soon as you become eligible.