A grieving mother has been forced to return to work just two weeks after giving birth to a stillborn child because of an “unfair” rule which prevents her from receiving financial help.
Patty van Duijn, 29, was just over 19 weeks pregnant with her son Mason when she had “no choice” but to terminate the pregnancy due to complications.
The Adelaide woman applied for Centrelink’s stillborn payment to help her cover her bills and rent while she cries, only to discover she is ineligible due to a “disgusting” rule.
According to Services Australia, parents can receive a one-off payment of $4,059.17 for a stillbirth that meets the government agency’s definition.
Patty van Duijn, 29, was just over 19 weeks pregnant with her son Mason when she ‘had no choice’ but to terminate the pregnancy due to complications.
According to Services Australia, you may be able to receive a one-off payment of $4,059.17 for a stillbirth that meets your definition.
To be considered dead, a baby must have had a gestation period of at least 20 weeks or weighed at least 400 grams at birth, according to the Services Australia website.
Mason weighed just 230 grams when he was born at 19 weeks and one day.
‘I’m still going through this whole process of giving birth and holding a baby that’s not alive. It’s very traumatic and very hard, but now I have to think about going back to work,” said Mrs van Duijn. yahoo.
“I’m just not sure who made this decision and if they really know what people go through, but a week shouldn’t make a difference because it’s still the experience, the trauma and everything that comes with it.”
It is understood Ms van Duijn and her partner Lee Simpson experienced the same complication during another pregnancy last year, but did not believe “something like this could happen twice”.
Due to her long history of inflammatory bowel disease, Mrs van Duijn was losing blood and water from the amniotic sac containing her baby, which meant Mason could not survive.
While she is grateful for Mr. Simpson’s support, she said they cannot survive on their chef’s salary alone.
The couple has created a GoFundMe so they can grieve without too much short-term financial stress.
The couple has created a GoFundMe so they can grieve without too much financial stress in the short term.
“My partner and I lost our little miracle baby at 19 weeks, easily the hardest thing we’ve ever had to do,” she said.
‘Now we need time to grieve without having to worry about money, but paying the rent and life bills we can’t cope with right now.
‘Centrelink won’t help us because the baby was only 19 weeks old and they will only help you if the baby was 20 weeks old, which we find absolutely disgusting!
“A loss is a loss no matter how old the baby is.”
Mrs van Duijn is now calling for the rule to be changed so that other mothers in her situation do not have to go through what she has gone through, saying “it is very wrong”.
Services Australia told WhatsNew2Day Australia the “stillbirth” policy is set by the Department of Social Services and they cannot grant leniency based on individual circumstances.
The matter has been referred to the Department of Social Services, which stated that “the Australian Government recognizes the tragic loss and trauma of miscarriage.”
“While a medical professional must certify that a child was stillborn for families to receive the Stillbirth Payment, other supports are available through Services Australia, including advice and support in connecting with local services,” a department spokesperson said. .
“Depending on a person’s circumstances and employment, they may also be entitled to paid or unpaid leave following a miscarriage. For example, the Fair Work Act’s National Employment Standards give all employees, including casual ones, the right to compassionate leave.’