Birth Registration a Condition of Receiving Baby Bonus
The Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs Legislation Amendment (Child Support Reform Consolidation and Other Measures) Bill 2007, has recently been passed by the Australian Parliament.
This bill will introduce a requirement for parents to register the birth of their child as a condition of receiving the Baby Bonus. From 1 July 2007, parents will need to make a declaration on their Baby Bonus claim form that they have lodged their child's birth registration form with the relevant state or territory Births, Deaths and Marriages Registry. Parents will need to register the birth and claim the payment within 26 weeks of the child's birth to be eligible for the Baby Bonus.
The ABS anticipates the requirement may lead to improvements in the timeliness and coverage of birth registrations and in turn the accuracy of ABS birth statistics and population estimates.
More information on the Bill can be found at the Australian Parliament website, http://www.aph.gov.au and the FaCSIA website, http://www.facsia.gov.au.