Raising a family in Australia is expensive. Between childcare, housing, food, school costs, and everything else, the financial pressure on families is real. The good news is that the Australian Government provides a range of payments and benefits specifically designed to help families — and a lot of people are either not claiming everything they are entitled to or do not even know certain payments exist.
In this guide, we will walk through the main family payments available through Services Australia (Centrelink), explain the eligibility criteria, and point you to the calculators that can help you estimate what you could receive.
Family Tax Benefit Part A
Family Tax Benefit Part A (FTB-A) is a payment that helps with the cost of raising children. It is paid per child and is income-tested — meaning the amount you receive depends on your family's combined income.
For 2025-26, the maximum rates are:
- Child aged 0-12: Up to $222.04 per fortnight ($5,773 per year)
- Child aged 13-15: Up to $288.82 per fortnight ($7,509 per year)
- Child aged 16-19 (in secondary study): Up to $288.82 per fortnight
The maximum rate is paid to families with a combined adjusted taxable income of $65,189 or less. Above that, the payment reduces by 20 cents for every extra dollar of income until it reaches the base rate. A second income test then reduces the base rate once combined income exceeds $113,415, reducing by 30 cents per dollar until it cuts out entirely.
There is also a supplement of up to $879.65 per child per year, paid after the end of the financial year once you have lodged your tax return (or told Centrelink you are not required to lodge). This supplement can be a nice little bonus if you are not expecting it.
Our family tax benefit calculator lets you enter your family income, number of children, and their ages to estimate your FTB-A entitlement.
Family Tax Benefit Part B
FTB Part B is designed for single-parent families or couple families where one parent earns most of the income. It provides extra help to families where one parent is the primary carer and is not earning a full income.
For 2025-26, the maximum rates are:
- Youngest child under 5: Up to $188.86 per fortnight ($4,910 per year)
- Youngest child 5-18: Up to $131.74 per fortnight ($3,425 per year)
For couples, FTB-B is income-tested on the lower earner's income. The payment starts to reduce once the lower earner's income exceeds $6,497 per year and cuts out at around $29,985 to $34,920 depending on the age of your youngest child. For single parents, there is no income test on FTB-B — you receive the full amount regardless of your income (though FTB-A is still income-tested).
An annual supplement of up to $430.70 per family is also available, paid after the financial year.
Child Care Subsidy (CCS)
If your children attend approved childcare (long day care, family day care, outside school hours care, or in-home care), you may be eligible for the Child Care Subsidy. This payment goes directly to your childcare provider, reducing the fees you actually pay.
The amount of subsidy depends on your family income:
- Family income up to $83,280: 90% subsidy
- $83,281 – $533,280: Subsidy reduces from 90% down to 0%
- Above $533,280: No subsidy
The subsidy is calculated as a percentage of the actual fee charged or the hourly fee cap (whichever is lower). The hourly fee caps for 2025-26 are approximately $13.73 for centre-based day care, $12.91 for family day care, and $13.29 for outside school hours care.
There is no longer an annual cap on the total subsidy you can receive — the cap was removed in July 2022. This means families can receive the subsidy for all the hours their child attends care, subject to activity test requirements (you generally need to be working, studying, or looking for work).
Our child care subsidy calculator can estimate your subsidy based on your family income and the number of hours of care your child attends.
Parental Leave Pay
If you are welcoming a new baby or adopting a child, you may be eligible for Parental Leave Pay from the government. As of 2025-26, eligible parents can receive up to 22 weeks of Parental Leave Pay at the national minimum wage rate (currently $915.80 per week before tax).
The payment is income-tested — you need to have earned less than $168,865 in the financial year before the birth or adoption. You also need to have worked for at least 10 of the 13 months before the expected birth date and worked for at least 330 hours in that 10-month period.
The 22 weeks can be shared between both parents, with each parent able to take their portion at different times. There is also a "use it or lose it" component to encourage both parents to take leave. Use our parental leave pay calculator to check your eligibility and estimate your payments.
Rent Assistance
If you receive FTB Part A (with a rate above the base rate) or certain other government payments and you rent your home, you may be eligible for Commonwealth Rent Assistance. This is a non-taxable payment that helps with the cost of private rental accommodation.
The maximum rate depends on your family situation and the number of children, but it can be up to $211.68 per fortnight for a family. The amount you receive depends on how much rent you pay — there is a minimum rent threshold below which no assistance is payable, and the payment increases by 75 cents for every dollar of rent above that threshold, up to the maximum rate.
Rent Assistance is paid on top of your other Centrelink payments and is adjusted automatically based on the rent details you provide to Services Australia. Our rent assistance calculator can estimate your entitlement.
JobSeeker Payment
If you are between jobs and actively looking for work, JobSeeker Payment provides a fortnightly payment to help you get by. The rate depends on your age, whether you have a partner, and whether you have children. For a single person with no children aged 22 or over, the maximum rate is approximately $762.70 per fortnight.
JobSeeker is income-tested and asset-tested. If you earn income from casual or part-time work, your payment reduces (but you can earn up to $150 per fortnight before it starts to reduce). There is also a mutual obligations requirement — you need to be actively looking for work and meeting the requirements of your Job Plan.
Our JobSeeker calculator estimates your potential payment based on your circumstances.
Other Payments Worth Knowing About
There are several other government payments that families might be eligible for:
- Carer Payment: If you provide constant care for someone with a disability, severe medical condition, or who is frail aged, the Carer Payment provides an income support payment of up to $1,116.30 per fortnight. Our carer payment calculator can help you estimate your entitlement.
- Disability Support Pension: For people with a permanent physical, intellectual, or psychiatric condition that prevents them from working. The maximum rate is approximately $1,116.30 per fortnight for a single person. See our disability support pension calculator for estimates.
- Age Pension: If you are of Age Pension age (67 for both men and women) and meet the income and assets tests, you can receive up to $1,116.30 per fortnight (single) or $841.40 each (couple). Our age pension calculator can estimate your entitlement.
How to Claim
Most of these payments can be claimed online through your myGov account linked to Centrelink. The process involves:
- Creating a myGov account (if you do not already have one)
- Linking your Centrelink online account
- Completing an online claim form
- Providing supporting documents (identity documents, income details, rent receipts, etc.)
Processing times vary — some claims are processed within a few days, while others (like Disability Support Pension) can take several weeks. It is worth claiming as soon as you think you might be eligible, because payments are generally backdated to the date of your claim, not the date you first became eligible.
Income Estimates Matter
Many of these payments depend on your family's estimated income for the financial year. Services Australia will ask you to provide an income estimate when you claim, and they will reconcile this against your actual income (from your tax return) after the end of the financial year.
If your estimate was too low, you might have to pay some money back. If it was too high, you might receive a top-up payment. It is in your interest to keep your income estimate as accurate as possible and update it through your myGov account whenever your circumstances change (new job, pay rise, partner starts or stops working, etc.).
Our salary calculator is a handy tool for estimating your annual income if you are paid hourly or have variable earnings. And our salary comparison calculator can help couples understand their combined income position.
The Bottom Line
There are billions of dollars in government payments available to Australian families each year, and a significant amount goes unclaimed simply because people do not know about it or assume they are not eligible. If you have children, are renting, are between jobs, or are caring for someone, it is worth checking what you might be entitled to. Use our calculators to estimate your payments, and do not be afraid to submit a claim — the worst that can happen is they say no.