How to Apply for Parental Leave Payment from Centrelink

honeylemon on 17/02/2022 - 21:35

I am self employed from last few years and have delivered a baby last week.
I meet the eligibility criteria for parental pay.

When I go to Centrelink on myGov, I see the menu Make a Claim and under that there are 3 options
1. Make a medicare claim
2. Make a thalidomide claim
3. Make a COVID-19 vaccine claim

I also tried going to the option Enrol a newborn but this option is to enrol when you don't want to apply for parental pay.

As per Services Australia website

Sign in to myGov and go to Centrelink.
Select Payment and Claims from the menu, then Claims, then Make a claim.
Under Families, select Get started.
Select Apply for Family Assistance (including Paid Parental Leave).
Answer all the questions. Each screen has information to help you complete the claim. This includes how to submit your supporting documents.
Submit your claim.

How do I apply for parental pay online or do I have to visit the Centrelink in-person and apply?

Financial

Comments

  • AndyC1 on 17/02/2022 - 21:40
    -1

    Call Services OZ and ask in the morning.

  • JimmyF on 17/02/2022 - 21:46

    As per Services Australia website

    Just tried this method you listed and could apply for the Parental Leave Payment if I wanted to.

    Are you sure you have linked and gone into Centrelink area and not still at the base mygov area?

    After you sign into to mygov, you then need to click Centrelink, then start to mark a claim from there. You should end up here after you start.

    https://www.centrelink.gov.au/apps/custonline_entry/online-c…

    • honeylemon on 18/02/2022 - 10:09

      Yes I log in to myGov and then go to Centrelink.
      Centrelink is linked with myGov already.
      I will try calling them today and see.

      • JimmyF on 18/02/2022 - 14:00

        No idea, its there for me to claim and I don't even have a baby ;)

  • AustriaBargain on 17/02/2022 - 21:56
    +4

    A trick with Centrelink is that when you call the people you speak to are usually very helpful, provided you called the right number in the first place. The people you talk to are usually surprisingly good at their jobs, they know the systems in the computer in front of them and know how to do whatever it is you need doing (provided you're entitled to it). You will be on hold for like 50+ minutes before you can talk to someone so start a book or get ready for some serious internet surfing while you're on hold. Catch up on some Facebook memes.

    Call the wrong number and they won't be helpful at all. Call the students line when you want to talk about a family or parent payment and you'll probably spend an hour on hold just to be given the right number.

    • stirlo on 17/02/2022 - 22:13
      +2

      Not quite the same thing but my father needed to setup his mygov account to link his vaccine certificate before we could go to a restaurant at Sunday lunchtime. He called up and got it sorted within 10 minutes. Sometimes they do know how to make things work!

      • cheekymonkey on 18/02/2022 - 13:42

        that's probably, because he spoke with myGov team and not Centrelink direct.

  • ChrisLevo on 17/02/2022 - 22:24

    Just visit Centrelink.

    Get there 30 minutes before they open and be first in the queue.

    Always got great help if first there and they really always tried to help.

    • Quantumcat on 17/02/2022 - 23:06
      +2

      I didn't neg you but the best time would actually be around 1/2 hr to an hr after opening. Lots of people line up and they take a while to all be seen, but then very few people come again until approaching lunch time (depending on how busy your local branch is though of course). I used to work at DHS and did the summer exchange program where they send staff from the main offices out to the branches to get a taste of what it is like in the trenches. I got to be the iPad Lady for about two weeks 🤣

    • Krankite on 18/02/2022 - 08:35

      Unfortunately the service centers seem to be getting scaled down in what they can do, I went there with questions around the Covid exemptions for Paid Parental Leave and just got given a phone number. After initially being sent to use the local PCs.

      • dylanando on 18/02/2022 - 16:33
        +1

        Same, Was told my Centrelink and others around don’t deal with parental leave and Ill need to call.

  • pharkurnell on 18/02/2022 - 09:49

    Centrelink.. a department guaranteed to (profanity) you around first time everytime since the 80's

  • jasong on 18/02/2022 - 10:33

    Many Centrelink service centres are moving to appointment-based systems. Generally call up to make an appointment.

    Though you've outlined the online claim process correctly. What are you getting stuck with?

  • cheekymonkey on 18/02/2022 - 13:41

    Once you log into myGov and go into Centrelink, you should have a menu button (three lines) top of screen. once you click that, there will be various options and one of them is "payment and claims".

  • honeylemon on 18/02/2022 - 21:14
    +1

    Thanks I have sorted it out over the phone. It was a 50 mins wait but the person was very helpful.

  • koplik8 on 21/02/2022 - 17:50

    I walked into Centrelink when I was applying for mine. They gave me the forms. I left filled them in. Returned back to Centrelink and they told me to apply online. It's a headache! Once it's done you just have to upload the birth extract on the Centrelink app.

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join