$948 Centrelink Payment for Everyone in Australia – Check Eligibility & Payment Dates

Australian households, when they welcome a new child, can get government assistance of $948 Centrelink payment to offset their rising living expenses. Centrelink offers parental leave pay, a PLP scheme designed to provide a weekly safety net for individuals caring for their newborn.

A new key update to the PLP program is the inclusion of retirement savings, which help parents balance long-term superannuation. The $948 Centrelink Payment is given to those parents who are nurturing a new child and find it difficult to cover their expenses.

$948 Centrelink Payment

The $948 Centrelink payment provides parents a kind of steady support on a weekly basis to ensure that their child will not be short of daily essentials. Although, many eligible individuals are unaware of their entitlement or do not claim this valuable support.

This missed opportunity of a $948 Centrelink payment created a huge difference at the time of this important scenario of their family life. This immediate financial assistance allows them to cover their day-to-day costs and focus their attention towards their child without worrying about the finances.

$948 Centrelink PLP Benefits Overview

Authority	Services Australia (Centrelink)
Name of Program	Parental Leave Pay (PLP)
Country	Australia
Amount	$948.10 per week before tax
Super Boost	12% contribution ($2637 over 24 weeks)
Effective Date	From July 1, 2025
Duration	24 weeks (Direct Deposit)
Next Update	Leave may extend to 26 weeks from July 12, 2026
Category	Australia Finance
Official Website	https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/

$948 Centrelink Payment for New Parents

This new Centrelink payment of $948 is given to the parents who are welcoming a new baby so that they can take their time off to care for them without financial hassle. This rate is given to the family each week before tax. This support is continued up to 24 weeks, or they get $21979 in total.

This payment support is designed in such a way alongside the employer leave benefits, such as paternity or maternity leave. Parents can share it, but the payment is paid only on those days when they are not working.

$948 Centrelink Payment Super Boost Update

The PLP scheme comes with a superannuation boost in which the parents or caregivers are getting not only the regular payments but also the extra retirement savings:

Details	Information
Boost	12% added automatically
Amount example Applies to	$2637 for 24 weeks Children born/adopted from July 1, 2025
Next change	Leave extended to 26 weeks from July 12, 2026

$948 Centrelink Payment Eligibility Guidelines

The PLP is not entitled to be given to everyone automatically, but there are specific conditions they have to follow to claim the benefit:

• The annual taxable income must not touch the income cap of $180,007 or their combined family income must stay below the range of $373,094.
• Applicants must have at least 10 consecutive months of employment within the past 13 months before the baby’s arrival, with a minimum total of 330 hours worked.
• The baby’s birth has to be registered by the parents with local authorities across the state or territory before claiming.
• The applicant must be a resident of Australia or hold an eligible visa while they access the payment.
• The payments are only given on the days when caregivers are not working. This applies per child, not for twins or multiple births.

How to Apply for $948 Centrelink Payment

Applying for PLP comes with simple steps to ensure a smooth process and avoid delays:

• Set up access with the help of your myGov account with Centrelink, or if you are new, then you can set one up.
• Lodge your application early, up to 3 months prior to the birth of the baby or adoption. If the leaves are shared, then both parents must lodge the claim.
• After the baby arrives, submitting proof of birth along with registration details to the center link is mandatory.
• Inform the employer about your plans prior to 10 weeks so they can prepare the leave arrangements.
• The primary parent must apply within 12 months or 52 weeks of the child’s birth or adoption, while the secondary parent has a duration of up to 2 years.
• There are many tools and multilingual assistance available to provide the extra help.

$948 Weekly Parental Payments

The latest reform, which started on July 1, 2025 is one in which, under the parental leave pay, caregivers may get a weekly payment of $948.10.

Over an entire 24-week period of leave, the parents may see an additional payment of $2600, which will be added to the super fund or retirement savings.

The goal of this initiative is to strengthen financial security, specifically for the mother and primary caregiver. In this way, the family will get short-term financial support as well as long-term benefits.

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