TTC - Moving to Australia - Maternity Pay

[Jen6jen6]

Will try keep this brief:

I've got dual citizenship (UK born, also an Australian citizen).
Lived back in the UK since 2011
My family and I (British DH, 2yr DS) want to move to Australia in January 2024 (DS is getting his citizenship by descent and then we are applying for his Australian passport, DH will be submitting an onshore partner visa so that is all sorted).
The spanner in the works... we are (were) actively TTC.

I know I am eligible for medicare once we arrive (I think) so that covers my medical needs if we were to fall pregnant, but the maternity pay situation is confusing me. I am currently self employed in the UK and will be continuing to work for my current UK based clients when I move to Australia (I will be registering as a sole trader once I get to Australia and will declare my foreign income). I've read you can get maternity pay in Australia as a sole trader but I am worried that if I fall pregnant before we arrive that I wouldn't have met the earning quota to receive maternity pay.

Has anyone else been in this situation or can tell me who I can reach out to and ask. Is it just an email to centrelink? Any help or advice or anyone else whose been in a similar situation it'd be great to chat and find out more.

I think you have to have been employed for 10 out of the last 12 months to gain govt maternity pay. This takes effect from the day you go ion leave or the date your child is born - whichever is earlier.
A lot of companies will have their own leave policy in addition that can be added on after but the time to qualify will vary.

Also the centrelink answers may vary depending on how much experience the person has. We got several different answers and the hit on an absolute superstar who knew the system inside out and back to front.

yes, I am preggers in Aus and waited couple of months before getting pregnant as you have to be employed/ self employed for 12 mths when the baby is born www.fairwork.gov.au/leave/maternity-and-parental-leave#:~:text=leave%20has%20finished.-,Who%20is%20eligible%20for%20parental%20leave,if%20the%20employee%20is%20pregnant

Thanks for all of this guys. I think we’ve decided we’ll wait until we get there. Part of us thinks stuff it but it would be a bit silly missing out on any maternity pay so think we just need to wait it out x