Super on Paid Parental Leave and expansion of the scheme
Super on Paid Parental Leave
A superannuation payment has been added to the Paid Parental Leave scheme. Eligible parents with babies born or adopted on or after 1 July 2025 will receive an additional payment, based on the Superannuation Guarantee (12 per cent of their Paid Parental Leave payment), as a contribution to their nominated superannuation fund.
Expansion of the scheme
The Paid Parental Leave scheme currently provides families up to 22 weeks of payment for a child, with 2 weeks reserved for each parent in a couple.
On 1 July 2024, 2 weeks of payment was added to Parental Leave Pay, with 2 additional weeks to be added each year to 2026. This will increase the overall length of the Paid Parental Leave scheme to 26 weeks from July 2026.
From July 2026, a total of 4 weeks will be reserved for each parent in a couple on a ‘use it or lose' it basis. This will help to encourage greater sharing of care responsibilities. The number of Parental Leave Pay days that a family is able to take together (at the same time) will also increase to 4 weeks. This will increase flexibility for families and support parents to take time off work together after a birth.
Read Minister Rishworth’s media release - New laws expand Paid Parental Leave(Opens in a new tab/window)