Super on Paid Parental Leave

10 June 2026

Taking time off to care for a new child doesn’t mean putting your super on hold. Eligible parents can now receive super on Australian Government-funded Parental Leave Pay.

What this means for you

If you’ve welcomed a child through birth or adoption on or after 1 July 2025, you may be eligible to receive a super contribution based on the Superannuation Guarantee (SG) rate (currently 12%) of your Parental Leave Pay. This is called the Paid Parental Leave Superannuation Contribution (PPLSC).

These contributions are:

  • Calculated and paid by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO)

  • Paid as a lump sum after the end of the financial year you receive Parental Leave Pay

  • Counted towards your concessional (before-tax) contribution cap

The ATO will let you know when your contribution has been paid. You can then check it has been received by logging into the member portal or on your annual statement.


How it works

  • Services Australia confirms how much Parental Leave Pay you’ve received

  • The ATO calculates your super contribution based on the SG rate

  • In most cases, the contribution is paid into the same super fund your employer contributions go to

  • If you share Parental Leave Pay with a partner, each of you will receive a contribution based on your respective share of the leave


If you receive parental leave pay during the 2025-2026 financial year, the ATO will pay a super contribution in the 2026-2027 financial year.  

What might this look like in dollar terms

Based on 24 weeks (120 days) of Parental Leave Pay at a daily rate of $189.62 ($948.10 per week)1, a 12% SG contribution would be around $2,730.53, plus interest.

Over time, with compounding returns, this could make a meaningful difference to your super balance at retirement.  

If one partner is taking time out of the workforce, there are also other ways to help keep their super growing – such as making spouse contributions.


Tax and contributions caps

If your PPLSC is paid into Triple S, it won’t be taxed when it goes in because Triple S is an untaxed scheme. Tax is applied when you withdraw your super or transfer it to another fund.

If your PPLSC is paid into a taxed super scheme, like Super SA Select, it will be taxed at 15% when it’s received.

Your PPLSC will count towards your concessional contribution cap.


For more information:

ATO: Paid Parental Leave Superannuation Contribution

Services Australia: Parental Leave Pay

1Paid Parental Leave will increase to 130 days for a child born or adopted from 1 July 2026.

The superannuation schemes administered by Super SA are exempt public sector superannuation schemes and are not regulated by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) or the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA). Super SA is not required to hold an Australian Financial Services Licence to provide general advice about a Super SA product. The information on this website is of a general nature only and has been prepared without taking into account your objectives, financial situation, or needs. Super SA recommends that before making any decisions about its products you consider the appropriateness of this information in the context of your own objectives, financial situation, and needs, read the relevant Product Disclosure Statement (PDS), and seek financial advice from a licensed financial adviser in relation to your financial position and requirements.

Talk to us