A grieving mother was forced to return to work just two weeks after giving birth to a stillborn child because of an “unfair” rule preventing 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.
Adelaide woman applied for Centrelink’s stillborn baby payment to help cover bills and rent while she grieves, only to find she wasn’t eligible due to ‘disgusting’ rule .
According to Services Australia, parents can receive a one-off lump sum of $4,059.17 for a stillbirth, which 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 her pregnancy due to complications.
According to Services Australia, you may be able to receive a one-off lump sum of $4,059.17 for a stillbirth that meets their definition.
To be considered stillborn, a baby must have had a gestation period of at least 20 weeks or weigh at least 400 grams at birth, according to the Services Australia website.
Mason weighed only 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,” Ms van Duijn told Yahoo.
“I just don’t know who made this decision, and if they actually know what people are going through, but a week shouldn’t make a difference because it’s still the experience, the trauma and everything that goes with.”
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 would happen twice”.
Due to her long history of inflammatory bowel disease, Ms van Duijn was losing blood and water from the amniotic sac containing her baby, which meant Mason was unable to survive.
Although she is grateful for Mr. Simpson’s support, she said they cannot survive on her boss’s salary alone.
The two men created a GoFundMe to be able to grieve without too much financial stress in the short term.
The two men created a GoFundMe so they could grieve without too much short-term financial stress.
“My partner and I lost our little miracle baby at 19 weeks, without a doubt the hardest thing we have ever had to do,” she said.
“We now need time to grieve without having to worry about money, but we can’t cope with paying rent and living right now.
“Centrelink won’t help us because the baby was only 19 weeks old and they won’t help you unless the baby was 20 weeks old, which we find absolutely disgusting!
“A loss is a loss, no matter how old the baby is.”
Ms van Duijn is now calling for the rule to change so other mums in her situation don’t have to go through what she’s going through, saying “it’s so wrong”.
Services Australia told Daily Mail Australia that the “stillbirth” policy is set by the Department of Human Services and they are not able to grant leniency based on individual circumstances.
The case was referred to the Department of Human Services, which said “the Australian Government recognizes the tragic loss and trauma of miscarriage.”
“While a health professional must certify that a stillborn child has been delivered for families to receive the Stillborn Baby Payment, other supports are available through Services Australia, including advice and support. support to connect to local services,” a department spokesperson said.
“Depending on a person’s situation and employment, they may also be entitled to paid or unpaid leave following a miscarriage. For example, the National Employment Standards of the Fair Work Act provide all employees, including casuals, with the right to compassionate leave.
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