Financial assistance when you're having a baby
Help for the first few months
Paid Parental Leave
Paid Parental Leave is a government funded payment for working mothers while they take parental leave from their job(s). The payment goes towards the loss of income that working mothers experience when they take parental leave to care for a newborn baby or an adopted child under the age of six. Mothers may also be able to transfer all or part of their entitlement to their partner. Currently you can claim Paid Parental Leave for up to 14 weeks.
For more information about eligibility and the amount that can be claimed, call the Department of Labour on 0800 800 863 or visit:
Parental Tax Credit
Parental tax credit is a Working for Families Tax Credits payment to help with the costs of a new baby.
If you apply within three months of the baby’s birth, you can get weekly or fortnightly payments for eight weeks. Otherwise you get your payment in a lump sum at the end of the tax year. You can claim a maximum of $1,200 depending on your family income. To find out more contact Inland Revenue on 0800 227 773 or go to:
You can receive either Paid Parental Leave or the parental tax credit, but not both.
Domestic Help
If you’ve had a multiple birth, have a domestic emergency, or need domestic help with things like laundry, housework, cooking or childcare, you may be able to get Home Help to help with your costs. Unless you’ve had a multiple birth, your income and assets must be under a certain limit to be eligible. For more information contact us.
Help with ongoing costs
Community Services Card
The Community Services Card makes it cheaper for you and your family to visit the doctor and get prescriptions. Call the Community Services Card centre on 0800 999 999 for more details. You may also qualify for a Pharmaceutical Subsidy Card if you need lots of prescriptions – talk with your pharmacist about this.
Working for Families
The Working for Families package includes Working for Families Tax Credits payments, help with childcare costs, and the Accommodation Supplement. Financial support is available for:
- almost all families with children, earning under $70,000 a year
- many families with children earning up to $100,000 a year.
For more information call Working for Families on 0800 774 004 or visit:
Work and Income
There are lots of ways that Work and Income can help, from financial assistance to linking you with support agencies in your community. The situations we can help with include if you’re not able to work because of pregnancy, you’re raising children alone, or you’re finding it difficult to make ends meet. For more information contact us.
If you apply to Work and Income for a sole parent benefit, your benefit payments may be reduced if you don’t legally identify the other parent or apply for Child Support. In some situations you may not need to do this, for example if you or your child would be at risk of violence. Work and Income can tell you more about this.
If the father’s name is not on the birth certificate, there are several ways to legally identify the other parent. This is known as ‘establishing paternity’. Work and Income can help you with this, or you can contact your local Family Court, your local Community Law Centre or a lawyer, or visit:
You may be able to get legal aid to help you work through any paternity issues. Talk to your lawyer or your local Community Law Centre about this.
Child Support
Child Support is financial support paid by a parent who doesn’t live with their child. This money is collected by Inland Revenue Child Support. If you’re not on a sole parent benefit, the child support is paid directly to you after it has been collected. If you are getting a sole parent benefit from Work and Income then the money will be paid to the government to help cover the cost of your benefit.
To find out more contact Inland Revenue Child Support on 0800 221 221 or visit:
Contact
Inland Revenue
Child Support: 0800 221 221
Parental Tax Credit : 0800 227 773
Deaf and hearing impaired free fax: 0800 447 755
Work and Income
Working for Families
Childcare: 0800 774 004
Working for Families Tax Credits: 0800 227 773