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new baby paperwork & administration
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When a new baby is born, there are a number of important administrative tasks that need to be done. It is easy to forget them and hard to find the time to do them. The list below is intended to help, it is a general list, not all items may apply to you, and you may have additional ones depending on your circumstances. You may find it useful to print off the list and complete the details relevant to you prior to the birth and then get somebody else to help you at the time! Not all the items need to be carried out straightaway.
This page also contains further information about the processes involved
and contact details if you should require advice. The
symbol provides a quick link to the relevant 'further
information' section of this page. There is also a more information section at the
bottom of the page with links to websites for government organisations. These websites contain location details for
customer service centres and postal addresses.
before baby is born
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as soon as possible after the birth
at 2 months
general
registering your baby's birth
The hospital will provide you with a form to complete for
registering your baby's birth. This copy has an official section which
will have been completed by the hospital. For this reason, it is best that you use this copy of the form.
Once completed, the hospital will
often accept the form on your behalf. If you forget to hand the form in at
the hospital, or your hospital don't accept the form, you can lodge it with the Registry of Births, Deaths & Marriages or a local Magistrates Courts office.
The details for your local Registry are shown
below in the more information section.
The birth must be registered within 60 days or you may be liable for a fine.
If you lose the registration form supplied by the hospital, you can obtain another copy from your hospital, most Magistrate Courts offices or by calling the Registry. The registry have records of all births if you lose the copy with the official stamp.
The birth is registered at no charge, however, copies of birth certificates are not issued automatically. If you wish to receive a copy, complete the relevant section of the registration form at the time of birth and enclose the correct payment (credit card details are acceptable).
If you require a copy of the certificate and did not complete the required section on the form at the time of birth, a separate application form is available from the following web page.
adding your child to Medicare
New mums are usually provided with a Medicare Application for Enrolment of a Newborn Child
form at the hospital. This needs to be completed and either mailed to Medicare
or taken to your nearest Medicare Office. The hospital may even accept the form on your behalf.
If you do not receive a form from the hospital, it is possible to either obtain a further form from Medicare or register your child over the counter at a Medicare Office by taking one of the following items:
A child is covered under their parents' Medicare (if eligible) should any treatment be required within the first few days. It is however, advisable to register your child at the earliest opportunity. Once enroled in Medicare, your child's details will automatically be added to the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register. For more information on immunisation, see separate section here.
adding your child to your Private Health Insurance
Some private health policies (for example, 'family cover') generally cover newborns from birth, even if you
haven't had an opportunity to call and advise the insurer of the baby's details. It's peace-of-mind
should your child require medical treatment at birth. To check your cover, or change your policy type,
contact your policy holder as soon as possible (particularly if your
pregnancy is not covered by your policy).
After the birth, contact your policy holder to advise them of your baby's details. Many will allow you to make these changes over the telephone.
Medicare Safety Net
The Medicare Safety Net is a facility that covers your 'gap' payments for
out-of-hospital services once you have reached a certain limit. (a 'gap' payment is the difference
between what Medicare pays and the Schedule Fee). It is possible to group family members
together so that all family members' payments count towards the same limit. For
further information, visit the following page of the Medicare
website.
To register your family for the Safety Net, complete a Family Safety Net application form. You may be given a copy of the form at the hospital at the time of birth, if not, copies are available from Medicare offices.
If your family is already registered for the Safety Net and you wish to add another child, you may be given an appropriate form at hospital to complete, if not, you can add the child over the counter at a Medicare office once the child has been enroled in Medicare.
complete application form for Government benefits
An application form for Family Tax Benefit A & B, the Maternity Payment
and Maternity Immunisation Allowance will usually be provided in hospital. This
copy will contain an official stamp from the hospital and it is important
to use this copy for any benefit claims.
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A claim for Maternity Payment must be made within 26 weeks of the child's
birth.
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For further information, go to the government family benefit payments page of this
site or go to the Family Assistance website.
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ACT - Registrar-General's Office, Birth Death and Marriage Registry
NSW - Registry of Births, Deaths & Marriages
NT - Registrar-General's Office, Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages
QLD - Register of Births, Deaths & Marriages
SA - Births, Deaths & Marriages Registration Office
TAS - Registrar-General's Office, Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages
VIC - Registry of Births, Deaths & Marriages
WA - Births, Deaths & Marriages Registration Office