Worker retention payment backdating deadline extended

This content was published on Monday 16 June 2025. There may be more recent updates available.

We are giving early childhood education and care providers more time to apply for the worker retention payment and receive backdated payments.

We will now backdate payments for providers who:

  • submit an application by 30 September 2025
  • meet the eligibility criteria from 2 December 2024.

We will backdate payments to:

  • 2 December 2024, for workplace instruments that cover the full grant period even if adopted later
  • the date the workplace instrument starts, if this is after 2 December 2024.

The deadline for requesting a funding review with backdated funding has also been extended to 31 October 2025.

Learn more about the worker retention payment.