The Australian Government provides payments and services that help families with the cost of
raising children, including looking after their children’s education and health care, and assisting
them in balancing their parenting and work responsibilities.
The Department of Social Services is Australia’s key social policy agency. The Australian Government
delivers payments and services to support families and children through the Department of Human
Services delivery agency—Centrelink.
This snapshot highlights some of the payments available and includes several case studies that
highlight the differing payments available to support working-age Australians. Descriptions of
available payments do not detail specific payment rates as they vary according to an individual’s
eligibility, circumstances, income and assets.