This report examines mothers’ take-up of Parental Leave Pay (PLP) and fathers’ take-up of Dad and Partner Pay (DAPP), two government payments designed to support eligible working mothers and fathers to take time off work to care for newborn or newly adopted children.

This report presents findings from the ‘Statistical profile of use of Paid Parental Leave and Dad and Partner Pay’ project that uses the Multi Agency Data Integration Project (MADIP), now referred to as the Person Level Integrated Data Asset (PLIDA).

The authors of this report argue that the Australian family payments system needs reform to ensure that it achieves the right balance between providing adequate income support for families with children, properly valuing unpaid care work in the family, gender equity and paid workforce participation.

This research paper was commissioned by the St Vincent de Paul Society National Council of Australia to help address the inadequacy of the Australian welfare system for some groups, in particular working age recipients. The paper proposes three simple policy proposals designed to improve the financial position of Australians most in need.

This paper summarises the major changes made to unemployment, student and parenting transfer payments over 2020 and early 2021 in Australia in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.