The parental leave payment is a weekly payment for one continuous period of up to 26 weeks, to support eligible employees when they are not working to take care of a new child. The money is paid out by Inland Revenue.
- The maximum parental leave payment rate for eligible employees and self-employed people will increase from $754.87 to $788.66 gross per week.
Under the Parental Leave and Employment Protection Act 1987, eligible people are entitled to payments equal to their normal pay up to the current maximum rate. The maximum rate is adjusted annually to account for any increase in average weekly earnings. - The minimum parental leave payment rate for self-employed parents will increase from $231.50 to $235.00 gross per week, to reflect the minimum wage increase on 1 April this year.
- The minimum rate for self-employed people is equivalent to 10 hours worked at the adult minimum wage, which is now $23.50 per hour.