Aussie mum's warning after $15,000 Centrelink mistake
Newcastle mother-of-two Lexi recalled how her claim was denied when she initially applied for the scheme following the birth of her first child three years ago.
The 26-year-old and her husband had been relying on the money and was devastated to learn she was ineligible.
It wasn't until weeks later that she realised that she made a common mistake on her application.
She erroneously ticked a box applying for both paid parental leave and the family tax benefit – which she was not eligible for.
The mix up meant that Lexi's application was denied and was advised in writing that her husband earned too much money.
'We were counting on that money, we knew it was coming, and honestly to be denied it, we were just in a spiral,' she explained on TikTok.
'Basically, this one wrong box gets ticked all the time.
'I can't imagine the number of people that are going around out there thinking that they're not eligible for this money when they actually were.'
The second time she applied, she was approved.
'By the time that all happened and by the time I got approved, my son was about five months at that point,' she told Yahoo.
'I did get back pay from a certain date of my application. So I still ended up with 18 weeks.'
The value of the claim was $15,000 – an amount Lexi may have never received had she given up on her rejected claim.
The money made a 'big difference' in her household, despite having budgeted to live off her husband's income.
Lexi was reminded of the 2022 blunder when she applied for paid parental leave following the birth of second child last year.
Her video posted last week has since attracted more than 100,000 views.
The mother-of-two urged eligible parents to apply early to allow time to correct any errors and avoid financial hardship.
The mother-of-two urged eligible parents to apply early to allow time to correct any errors and avoid financial hardship.
'If you are denied the first time, make an appointment at your local Centrelink,' Lexi said.
'I made the appointment to make sure that I did everything correctly with my application, and while it did take a little bit more of my time, it meant that everything was correct.'
Services Australia allows parents to submit claims pre-birth.
Applications can be made up to three months before the baby is due.
The process can be completed online and requires a Centrelink account linked to myGov.
Eligible parents can claim the Parental Leave Pay government benefit to take time off to care for their newborn or recently adopted child.
The payments are based on the minimum wage, equating to $916 per week for 22 weeks.
From July 1 of this year, the duration will increase to 24 weeks and includes superannuation.
On that same date in 2026, the payments will last 26 weeks.
Applicants must meet income tests, work tests and residence rules to be eligible. However, Centrelink advised parents-to-be make an application and allow professionals to determine their eligibility.
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At dinner, I was able to order pasta and a glass of wine, and she had to sit there with her plain chicken. I had a lot more enjoyment in my life and I think she was envious of how many people said I looked good. After I had lost around 75lb, Erik took me to a shop so I could buy new boots and breeches. It was so exciting to be able to buy equestrian clothes that I wasn't able to fit into before. I love the European equestrian brands like Redpost and Holland Cooper, and now I could shop there – these are the experiences that I hold so dear. Staying on Mounjaro I suffer from chronic depression, and although Mounjaro has helped me manage some of my symptoms, I know I'll be on antidepressants for the rest of my life. I truly believe it's the same with obesity, and so my clinician and I worked to bring me down to a dose that keeps me balanced, so I'm not losing or gaining weight. We initially trialled going from 12.5mg down to 7.5mg, but I started to gain weight again so I went back up to 10mg and have stayed there for almost two years. I've had such a good experience with the medication that my husband started to take it too. He isn't obese, but once he hit 40, he became more conscious of his dad bod and wanted to feel good about himself. He hasn't lost as much as I did, probably around 30 to 40lb, and I think that is down to the fact he's not clinically obese. We are still figuring things out and discovering new science with this medication – we are the first generation. Now I look at my eight-year-old daughter, who is a fuller-sized, beautiful girl, and know that's ok. We have healthy conversations about listening to our bellies and eating when we are hungry. I don't want her on Mounjaro, but if she needed to be on it when she's older, I'd understand. Some parts of maintaining her figure are out of her control, and now there's medication to help with that. That's why I look at Mounjaro as the medication that broke my generational curse. My only issue is with how cost-prohibitive the medication is. In the US, most of the insurance companies don't cover weight-loss drugs, even though obesity is a disease. They believe that everyone can just lose weight with diet and exercise, when that is not the case. I pay $1200 (£880) a month for my medication – that's most people's rent, a lot can't afford it. (In the UK, you can get Mounjaro on an NHS prescription for £9.90, or from a private clinic for around £180 a month.) I'm so happy that there's finally an answer to obesity. At 41, the unhealthy food narratives that have always been a battle, I've finally been able to put to an end. As told to Nicole Collins What I ate before Mounjaro Breakfast: Coffee, three eggs, two pieces of toast Snack: Handfuls of cereal, children's snacks Lunch: A foot-long Subway sandwich with crisps, a cookie and a soda More snacking Dinner: Large portion of chicken and pasta Dessert: Coco puffs Alcohol: Two glasses of wine at night Exercise: Horse riding – even though it was very difficult What I eat after Mounjaro Breakfast: High-fibre cereal like raisin bran Snack: Protein shake Lunch: Soup and Vietnamese spring roll Dinner: Light dinner like a mince salad with taco shells Dessert: No dessert Alcohol: Mounjaro changed my relationship with alcohol, so I don't drink any more unless I'm out in a social setting, and I often feel nauseous when I do Exercise: Horse riding, I'm now able to ride properly every day Mounjaro FAQs By Dr Kaywaan Khan, a GP and weight-loss and wellbeing specialist at Hannah London, and Dr Leah Totton, a medical and cosmetic doctor at Dr Leah Clinics and Skincare Can you stay on Mounjaro forever? Yes, you can use Mounjaro in the long term, says Dr Khan. Some people 'will take the medication forever because they not only have obesity as a chronic disease, but they [have conditions such as] heart disease or diabetes so taking this medication is part of their core health treatment and preventative health care,' Dr Khan adds. Can taking Mounjaro affect your period? 'A woman who is already overweight might already be having irregular periods, so Mounjaro might actually help those women to regulate their periods,' says Dr Khan. 'It can potentially stop periods if you have too little fat. Alternatively you might have enough fat but if you lose weight too quickly, it can put the body into shock because of a very little calorie intake.' How can you prevent skin sagging while on Mounjaro? 'Slow weight loss is advised. I would recommend reducing the speed in which you lose weight and increasing your protein intake during the weight loss process,' says Dr Totton. 'I would also suggest doing resistance training to work on the lean muscle mass. You can also take collagen peptides and vitamin C to support skin health, or consider treatments such as radio frequency or microneedling to stimulate collagen elastin and tighten the skin.'
