Centrelink benefits for working parents

[Widget]

OMG (sorry mods if this is part of topic deleted, I haven't read back over the thread, but I know it was mentioned in here and I need to vent!!)

DF started a new job 2 weeks ago - hadn't worked all financial year...

I just went to update my estimate online and it says I have an overpayment of over $2000!!

I already paid back $1800 after I returned to work in July because even though I'd updated my estimate I didn't know that I had to declare income every fortnight...

I seriously don't know HOW they expect a family of 4 to survive on less than $40k a year - before tax!!

They want to change my payments from what they are to just over $100 a fortnight!! We'll starve!! I was generous in the estimate saying $40k as well!! I rounded my 6months at work up to 18k but to make an even number I put 20k... With DF's new income, I took last weeks payslip (with all the overtime) and timesed it by 18 as there's just over 17 weeks for the financial year left, which put it up to just under 16k as the MAXIMUM he can possibly earn for the financial, so I rounded it up to 20k as well, and now they want to charge me 2k because he started working!!

Is it just me or is that wrong?? It's like we're being penalised for having one of us go to work... :(

[Susan Mac]

Widget - it's not the FTB part B that they have cut is it? You are only eligible for that if you have one income, or two and the lesser of the two is under about 20K.
But it doesn't seem like the right amount even if you are only eligible for FTB part A, I would think it would be more than that. I also didn't think you had to pay back anything till after you did your tax return? It might pay to talk to a DIFFERENT person.

[Widget]

I went to do it online... It came up with a warning that I've been overpaid by $2700 and I can either pay it back NOW or pay it off out of my benefits... We're barely surviving on $500 a fortnight, how am I supposed to feed the girls on $100 a fortnight... It cost that much for nappies, formula and a few tin special treat items for DD1 (she normally eats what we eat now, but some days are lazy days)...

This is screwy, I have to ring them annonymously tomorrow... We won't survive on that AND we have to move in the next few weeks (don't have the bond for that as it is)...

[Myztik]

Definitely ring them and speak to someone about it. They've just stuffed me around big time over the last 2weeks (all their fault and they actually admitted that for a change) so I am less than impressed with their system atm.

[Widget]

I'm not overly impressed myself, the estimate only went up by 6k!

Or is the problem that we've both earnt $$ this financial year now and we are not entitled to what we were when neither of us were working?? That's a little unfair because up until 2 weeks ago I was entitled to every cent of that money...

[purplefairy]

So is it because you were getting parenting payment and hubby was geting new start until you started declaring your income?
You are only eligible for parenting payment which is on you off week of FTAB if you are earning under 1080 a fortnight. You receive the max which is 360 a fortnight if you or hubbys combined earning are under 720 a fortnight. The higher your income the less you receive and this is also before tax to. So if you wernt declaring and still receiving this payment that is why you have to pay it back. It doesnt go on your yearly income est, Parenting payment goes on your fourtnightly need for that payment. Im not sure if this is what has happened to you guys or not but I hope it sheds some light.
You can also pay the smallest amount back a fourtnight as possible that way you guys are able to eat and live, get them to recheck their desision also incase they made a mistake. Also if your combined income is still $40,000 or just above Im sure you should get more than what you listed. How many children so you have and so you own your own home or do you rent?

[Widget]

Ok, so I've sorted it out...

Firstly, purplefairy, we were only getting FTB A, B and rent assistance. DF doesn't like to "bludge off the govt". My Dad has been helping us out...

Now...

I rang them yesterday and it's FTB B that's the problem...

Because we planned on DF staying home with the girls we had his estimate at $0. When I was breastfeeding I couldn't bare the thought of leaving Becca to go back to work, so we agreed that he'd find a job and go back.

So, my estimate went down by a LOT but his increased by a LOT. Because FTB B is based on the lower income, if that changes dramatically, the system has a heart attack (gave me one too!).

BUT when a parent is returning to work for the first time after the birth of the last baby and was a caregiver (as I said, he was supposed to stay home so I was making sure he knew everything in regards to the girls, I was planning on expressing before I ended up going to formula, but it didn't happen that way) there is a "quarantine period" where you are covered from July 1 til the day before you return to work. So while the system is having a spaz attack, at EOFY it will still say that we have a possible debt but then the system will kick in and say that we were in the quarantine period and it will over-ride the supposed debt.

So thankfully, instead of losing $250 a fortnight to pay it off, I only lose $80 a fortnight from the new estimate!!

Just have to fill out his work details, ABN addy ph no etc and it's all good, he's getting the info for me today so I can fix it all up!!

Gee I freaked out though, was thinking of telling him to quit and I'll go back because my earnings were covered in the original estimate! Glad I don't have to because instead of giving Becca a bottle, he sticks a dummy in her mouth and I couldn't concentrate at work wondering if he was feeding her...

SO yeah, thought I'd add the situation in there because if anyone is like me and gets a figure like that and it's the first time a caregiver has returned to work, there isn't a need to freak out, just make sure you speak to someone about it to clarify that you aren't actually in that much debt!! At the end of the year, I will owe them $120, not $2,700!!

[purplefairy]

Thankgod for that. lol