Family and Child Benefits — Family Tax Benefit and Parenting Payment

Australian child-rearing support is anchored by the Family Tax Benefit (FTB), with Parenting Payment for parents who can't work or have cut back, and the Child Care Subsidy (CCS) covering childcare fees. Compared with Korea's flat KRW 100,000/month child allowance for under-8s, the biggest differences are that Australian payments taper and cut off automatically based on combined family income, and that Centrelink pays them directly into the bank fortnightly.

Family Tax Benefit Part A — for "having a child"

• Who: primary carer (50%+ care) of a child aged 0–19 (still in secondary school).
• Amount (guide): up to roughly AUD 244 per child per fortnight, with a higher rate for children aged 13+ (2026 settings, indexed every 1 July).
• Income taper: family combined income above around AUD 65,000 starts to reduce the payment, and around AUD 115,000–120,000 it cuts out.
• Annual reconciliation: payments are made on estimated income through the year and reconciled against your actual tax return — under- or over-payments are squared up afterwards.

Family Tax Benefit Part B — when one parent earns little or nothing

• A supplement for single parents or single-income/low-income couples.
• Generally for families with a child under 13 (under 18 for sole parents); the primary earner's income limit is around AUD 120,000.
• Adds roughly AUD 120–165 per fortnight as a flat top-up.

Parenting Payment

• Paid to single parents or low-income couples whose primary carer can barely work due to caring duties.
• Single parents can receive it until the youngest child turns 14 (extended in 2023); for couples, generally until the youngest turns 6.
• Around AUD 1,000 per fortnight for single parents and around AUD 700 per fortnight for partnered carers — slightly higher than JobSeeker.

Child Care Subsidy (CCS)

• Australian childcare is famously expensive (AUD 700–1,200/week), but CCS subsidises 0–90% of the hourly rate depending on family income.
• The July 2024 reform raised the maximum subsidy for low-income families to 90%.
• Activity test: subsidised hours scale with how many hours each parent works, studies, or volunteers.

Other payments worth knowing

• Newborn Upfront Payment + Newborn Supplement: lump-sum plus 13-week supplement at birth or adoption (around AUD 2,200 combined for the first child).
• Carer Payment / Carer Allowance: separate payments for those caring for someone with a disability or serious illness.
• Health Care Card / Low Income Health Care Card: unlocks discounts on prescriptions, dental, etc.

Things to watch

• Temporary visa parents are generally excluded from FTB and Parenting Payment under NARWP or visa conditions (typically 1–4 years' wait once PR is granted).
• FTB requires annual reconciliation, so if you miss your tax return, the next year's payments can be paused.
• Apply through myGov → Centrelink online; report changes (marriage, de facto status, income) within 14 days.

Official guidance: Services Australia: Family Tax Benefit, Child Care Subsidy