Parenting Payment 2026: Rates + How Much You Can Earn

Parenting Payment Single (PPS) is the higher-paying version, at up to $1,028.20 per fortnight ($26,733.20 per year). This includes the base rate of $922.60, Pension Supplement of $84.90 (because PPS is classified as a pension), and Energy Supplement of $14.10. Parenting Payment Partnered (PPP) is up to $673.60 per fortnight ($17,513.60 per year), which includes the base rate of $659.10 and Energy Supplement of $7.90.

Quick version: PPS recipients also receive a Pensioner Concession Card, which provides discounts on medicines, utilities, and transport. PPP recipients receive a Health Care Card.

PPS uses a simpler income test than most other Centrelink payments. The income free area is $202.60 per fortnight, plus an extra $24.60 per fortnight for each child after the first. So if you have 3 children, your free area is $202.60 + (2 × $24.60) = $251.80.

Above the free area, your payment reduces by just 40 cents for every dollar earned — this is the most generous taper rate of any income support payment. With a maximum payment of $1,028.20 and a 40c taper, a single parent with one child can earn approximately $2,773 per fortnight (about $72,100 per year) before their PPS cuts out entirely.

This makes PPS one of the most work-friendly payments in the system.

PPP uses the standard JobSeeker-style income test. The income free area is $150 per fortnight. Between $150 and $256, your payment reduces by 50 cents per dollar.

Above $256, it reduces by 60 cents per dollar. This is a steeper taper than PPS, meaning PPP cuts out at a lower income.

Your partner's income is also tested: if your partner earns more than $1,256 per fortnight (about $32,656 per year), your payment starts to reduce by 60 cents for every dollar of partner income above that threshold. Both your income and your partner's income can reduce your PPP, and either one can reduce it to zero.

Parenting Payment Single is for single parents, grandparents, or foster carers with a child under 14 (or under 8 if you started receiving PPS before 1 July 2023, under grandfathering rules). You must be the principal carer of the child. Parenting Payment Partnered is for partnered parents with a child under 6.

You must be an Australian resident, and you or your partner must provide care for the child. If you separate from your partner while receiving PPP, you can transfer to PPS (which has a higher payment and more generous income test).

Both payments have assets tests, though these are more relevant for people with significant savings or property.

Parenting Payment recipients are often eligible for several other payments: Family Tax Benefit Part A and Part B (based on family income and children's ages), Commonwealth Rent Assistance if you rent privately (up to $253.12/fn for a single parent with 1-2 children), Pharmaceutical Allowance ($6.60/fn for PPS), and the Telephone Allowance ($30.20/quarter). PPS recipients with school-age children can also access the Pensioner Education Supplement ($62.40/fn) if studying. These payments can significantly increase your total income support.

For example, a single parent with 2 children under 13, paying $400/fn in rent, could potentially receive PPS ($1,028.20) plus FTB Part A ($454.72) plus FTB Part B ($193.34) plus Rent Assistance (~$186.00) = approximately $1,862.26 per fortnight before income test reductions.

If you share care with your child's other parent, you can estimate what child support should be changing hands with our child support calculator — it uses the official Services Australia 8-step formula, and child support you receive can also reduce your FTB Part A under the maintenance income test.

You can apply for Parenting Payment online through myGov (linked to Centrelink), by calling 136 150, or visiting a Services Australia service centre. You'll need to provide proof of identity, your child's birth certificate or care arrangements, income and asset details, and your relationship status. Processing typically takes 2-4 weeks.

If you're already receiving another Centrelink payment and become a parent or your circumstances change, you can often transfer to Parenting Payment without a new claim. Use our free Parenting Payment calculator to estimate what you'd receive based on your income and family situation.