Fact check: How does the Australian government define stillbirth for payment purposes?

1. Summary of the results

Based on the analyses provided, the Australian government defines stillbirth for payment purposes as a birth with no signs of life at ≥20 weeks' completed gestational age, or ≥400g birthweight where no gestational age is provided ^{[1] [2]}. This definition aligns with the standard Australian Institute of Health and Wellbeing definition ^[1].

Under this definition, eligible families who experience stillbirth are entitled to several forms of support:

• Bereavement Payment: From January 1, 2021, all eligible families who suffer a stillbirth receive $3,606 regardless of whether this is their first or subsequent stillbirth ^[3]
• Paid Parental Leave: The Australian government's Paid Parental Leave Scheme provides access to 18 weeks of parental leave pay for eligible working parents, including those who experience stillbirth ^[4]
• Unpaid Leave: The Fair Work Act 2009 provides for unpaid parental leave under the National Employment Standards ^[4]

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question focuses solely on payment definitions, but the analyses reveal several important contextual factors:

• Economic Impact Beyond Payments: The sources indicate that stillbirth involves broader economic and social costs including care expenses, funeral costs, and lost productivity ^[5], suggesting the government's payment framework addresses only part of the total financial burden on families
• Legal Inconsistencies: There are inconsistencies and ambiguities in the laws and policies across different schemes, meaning parents who experience stillbirth may not have access to the same leave entitlements as other parents ^[4]. The Fair Work Act's provisions for stillbirth and miscarriage are not clear and consistent across all employers ^[4]
• Varying Entitlements: The definition and entitlements may vary across different laws and schemes ^[4], indicating that the payment framework is not uniform across all government programs

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question itself does not contain misinformation or bias - it is a straightforward inquiry about government definitions. However, the question's narrow focus on "payment purposes" could potentially mislead readers into thinking there is a single, unified definition across all government programs, when the analyses show that definition and entitlements may vary across different laws and schemes ^[4] and that there are inconsistencies and ambiguities in the current framework ^[4].

The question also doesn't acknowledge the complexity of the support system, which includes both financial payments and leave entitlements, potentially oversimplifying the government's approach to stillbirth support.