About 11,000 families face welfare hit

The families of about 11,000 Commonwealth employees will take a hit to their welfare payments under a measure introduced to parliament.

But Social Services Minister Christian Porter says the government is just levelling the playing field and treating them the same as everyone else.

The change means Commonwealth workers will have to do what other workers already must do and start counting parental leave payments as income, which may mean they lose other benefits.

Mr Porter said that under the present system a person can receive a government-funded parental leave payment of $1314 a fortnight while also receiving $731.20 as a single parent or $472.60 as a partnered parent.

But if the parental leave was treated as income or paid leave it would reduce the singles payment to $280.24 a fortnight and the partnered amount to nil.

Mr Porter said the change would mean about 5000 families will receive reduced income support and another 6000 will get none.