Quick question RE P/Payment

[aliasmel]

Hey,
I am new here:smiliedance:

Anyway I have a question:

I was fired from my job back in early may and have been on newstart allowance ever since, when I was in centrelink a lil while ago the lady said I could apply for the parenting payment 4 weeks before my due date.

I waited till that time (last week) and asked the lady there, she said yes but she would go off and ask to make sure,everyone else in the office said no,the child must be born but she was sure I could...

So my question is can you apply for it BEFORE the child is born or only after?
I am really getting sick of having to look for jobs... It's pointless as everywhere I call just say no cause im pregnant and they want someone who isint going to be there a few weeks and then leave.

PS: i was due on the 27th of this month but am now having a C-section ddue to complications and wanted to get it sorted before I went into hospital.
Any help would be great.

thanks
Melinda

[HarvestMoon]

nope you won't be able to apply for parenting payment unitl after the child is born however you can be granted an exemption on looking for work in the last 4 weeks of pregnancy (or it may have been last 6 weeks?)

You will just have to get a medical certificate from your doctor stating that you are pregnant and your due date and take that into centrelink.

Thats all i had to do.

[aliasmel]

Thank you!:hugs:

[lealea79]

yeah i went on newstart 3 weeks before my due date and you get the parenting payment after the baby is born, so as soon as u get home from hospital you basically need to call and ask them to change it over for you... but on newstart you dont have to look for work... but if you have a partner you do need to tell them his income...