On this page (6 sections)
The short answer
For babies born or adopted from 1 July 2026, the government's Parental Leave Pay runs for 26 weeks (130 days), up from 24 weeks. It's paid at the national minimum wage, and the ATO now adds 12% super to your fund after the end of the financial year. Teachers get it on top of their employer's paid parental leave, which is 14 to 24 weeks depending on the state.
- Income test: $186,487 individual or $386,525 family, assessed on 2025–26 income.
- Super on PPL applies to births from 1 July 2025, with the first payments from July 2026.
- You don't need to claim the super; the ATO pays it to your fund.
- PPL is taxable income.
What changed on 1 July 2026
The government Paid Parental Leave scheme has been growing in steps. Families with a baby born or adopted between 1 July 2025 and 30 June 2026 got 24 weeks (120 days). From 1 July 2026 it's 26 weeks (130 days), counted in five-day weeks. Services Australia's June 2026 factsheet is the source for the new length.
The second change is super. For children born or adopted on or after 1 July 2025, the government pays 12% of your Parental Leave Pay into your super fund. The ATO pays it as an annual lump sum, plus an interest component, after the end of the financial year you received PPL in. The first of these payments started in July 2026.
Work out your pay rise and back pay
⚙Your details
New pay rates
Default: the new rates' operative date, 9 October 2026.
When the back pay lands. Default: six weeks from today. New rates apply from the following pay.
E.g. a sign-on or cost-of-living payment in the agreement (gross).
Back pay owed (before tax)
$505
New salary
$92,882
+3.0% on $90,177
Rise per fortnight
$104
$71 after tax
Tax on back pay
$162
32% of the lump
Back pay in hand
$344
What this means
From 9 October 2026 you should have been paid $104 more each fortnight. Because the new rates weren't paid yet, the difference builds up and arrives as one back payment: about $505 before tax. After that, your fortnightly take-home goes from $2,723 to $2,794.
Payroll taxes back pay at your marginal rate rather than spreading it, so roughly 32% comes off. That's your actual tax on the money: it doesn't push the rest of your salary into a higher bracket. These are the latest rates already in force: if they are on your payslip, nothing is owed. This shows what you're owed if payroll was late applying them.
Estimate only. Back pay = (new − old) fortnightly pay × fortnights between the two dates, using the pay column in force at the start of each fortnight. Tax uses the ATO marginal-rate method on your annual salary for 2026–27; back pay for an earlier financial year over $1,200 may be taxed differently and is reported as a lump sum E. Old rates: 9 October 2025 column; Crown Employees (Teachers in Schools and Related Employees) Salaries and Conditions Award 2024, verified 16 October 2026.
Who's eligible
- Income test: individual adjusted taxable income of $186,487 or less, or family income of $386,525 or less if you don't meet the individual test. For 2026–27 births and claims, it's tested on your 2025–26 income.
- Work test: you need to have worked enough in the period before the birth or claim. The standard rule has been 10 of the 13 months and 330 hours, but we haven't confirmed the 2026–27 version, so check Services Australia.
- Sharing between parents: part of the 26 weeks is reported to be reserved for each parent in a couple. We haven't confirmed the 2026–27 split on Services Australia's site.
Most full-time classroom teachers are well under the individual income test. A NSW teacher at the top of the classroom scale earns $133,422; a Victorian Learning Specialist at the top of Range 3 is on $146,439 from 1 October 2026 under the VGSA 2026 (approved by the Fair Work Commission on 16 Oct 2026), up from $129,544.
What it means for your pay
26 weeks of PPL, tax and super (illustration)
- 26 weeks at the reported $1,004.70 a week
- $26,122 gross
- Super paid by the ATO after 30 June (12%)
- About $3,135
- Teacher with $60,000 of salary in 2026–27: take-home without PPL
- $50,380
- Same teacher with PPL added ($86,122 income)
- $68,043
2026–27 income tax after LITO plus 2% Medicare, no HELP debt, from our tax engine. How much tax you pay on PPL depends on your other income that year. The $60,000 is an example for a teacher on leave for about half the year.
PPL is taxed as income. If your employer pays it through payroll, tax is withheld like a normal pay. If Services Australia pays you directly, think about asking for tax to be withheld so you don't get a bill at tax time.
The 12% super counts towards your concessional contributions cap ($32,500 in 2026–27) and is taxed at 15% in your fund, like your employer's contributions.
Free calculator
Teacher parental leave pay calculator
Combine your state's employer-paid leave with 26 weeks of government PPL, then see income, tax and super week by week.
Plan my leave payHow it stacks with teachers' employer leave
From the state agreements and policies in our state research. See teacher parental leave in Australia and each state's page, for example NSW parental leave.
Taken together, a NSW teacher could have up to 16 weeks on full pay from the Department and 26 weeks of PPL. Check your state's policy on when each kind of leave can be taken, and on how any unpaid leave affects your increments and long service leave.
What happens next and dates to watch
Watch for
- After 30 June 2027: the ATO pays super on any PPL you received in 2026–27 to your fund.
- 1 July each year: the PPL rate is linked to the national minimum wage, so expect it to move when the minimum wage does.
- Before your due date: check Services Australia's current claim rules and when you can lodge, so payments start on time.
- Your fund: make sure your ATO record shows the right super fund so the PPL super lands in it.
Frequently asked questions
How long is Paid Parental Leave from July 2026?
Do teachers get government PPL on top of their employer's leave?
Is super paid on Paid Parental Leave?
What is the PPL income limit in 2026?
Is Paid Parental Leave taxed?
Sources we checked · last verified 2026-10-28
- 1.Services Australia: Parental Leave Pay factsheet (June 2026)
- 2.Services Australia: PPL superannuation contribution payments to start
- 3.Services Australia: Meeting the income test for Parental Leave Pay
- 4.Services Australia: Paid Parental Leave scheme changes
- 5.ATO: Contributions caps
- 6.NSW Government: Paid parental leave (public sector)
About this page
Written and fact-checked by the TeacherPay AU Editorial Team against the enterprise agreements, awards and official pages listed in the sources. It is general information, not personal financial, tax or legal advice. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll fix it, usually within a day. See our editorial policy and how we calculate.
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