centerlink question

[jessgray]

does anyone know if they can answer this question? last year when cody was born i was told about a $600 payment and when i asked about it i was told i was entitled to 100 of the 600 coz cody wasnt born before the last fincial year. so does this mean i get 600 this year? does it automaticly go into my bank or do i have to ask for it?

[shellymumof2]

I think you mean the family supplement and this is paid after you do your tax return.

[FourAngelKisses]

It will automatically go into your bank account after you and/or your DH do your tax return. It isn't much, but every little bit helps.


I missed out on this (he was born after the night of the budget) and the $3000 payment (he was born 7wks too early) the year Matthew was born.

[sugar n spice]

Yes you will get the full $600 after you and dh have done your tax return or notified them if you dont need to, This is how they check to see if you have been overpaid if so they use the $600 for that. I only got $150 for sheldon last year as he hadnt been around for the whole 12mnths.

[jessgray]

thanks guys :) if DP and i both dont need to do a tax return do i have to ring centerlink to tell them this?

[InSaneOne]

you can also get a $500 payment from the tax department every year until your child turns 5

[FourAngelKisses]

you can also get a $500 payment from the tax department every year until your child turns 5

That has been scrapped now, the $3000 payment has replaced it.

[jessgray]

yeah i was told about it and when i looked on the ato site it wasnt thre anymore lol

[cupcakemafia]

if you and your partner are SURE that you both wont need to lodge a tax return this year you WILL have to call centrelink and let them know so you wont be marked as a "non-lodger". centrelink needs this for reconciliation on your account at the end of the financial year. Check with the tax office before calling to confirm if you do or dont need to lodge...

[jessgray]

i rang c/link and the guy i spoke to said i didnt need to lodge a tax return :) and neither does DP
he also said the $600 would come end of july. my MIL gets hers before then she gets hers on july 3rd ...confused

[maverick]

I am not sure what this $600 hundred is that you are refering to as the maternity payment from Centrelink is now $3166 and will be going up to $4000 as of the 01 July 2006. This is a once off payment unlike the old Baby Bonus scheme which basically was designed so as not to pay anyone anything. The Baby Bonus scheme became defunct as of the 30 June 2004 and that is when the Maternity Payment came into force. For those that want to know more about the Centrelink Maternity Payment you can find it here:

http://www.centrelink.gov.au/internet/internet.nsf/payments/maternity.htm

Cheers

Mav

[lippintyna]

The supplement payments are paid to people at different times depending on their individual cirumstances. For some people, in particular if you are a single parent and have been on an income support payment (like parenting payment) at the single rate for the full fin yr, you do not need to notify of not being required to lodge a tax return. The supplement will be assessed automatically and entitlement will be delivered late july to late august.

For others, especially partnered, it depends on notifying of not being required to lodge tax returns and if you are required to lodge a tax return you need to lodge before being assessed for the supplement entitlement and receiving it.

Basically it is like this::ecomcity:

Single for whole fin yr & on parenting payment the whole year: don't need to do anything.
Ptr'd and only 1 member of couple working: notify of non requirement to lodge for one person and lodging tax return for other
Ptr'd both not required to lodge: both notify of not lodging tax return
Ptr'd and both working: both need to lodge tax return before being assessed.

[lippintyna]

jessgray i rang c/link and the guy i spoke to said i didnt need to lodge a tax return and neither does DP
he also said the $600 would come end of july. my MIL gets hers before then she gets hers on july 3rd ...confused


I don't blame you for being confused...I think I can pretty much guarantee your MIL won't have her's on the 3rd of July...that is incorrect....normally these payments don't even start until late July.

:wave:

[jessgray]

thanks guys :D
you all have been very helpul :D

[FourAngelKisses]

I am not sure what this $600 hundred is that you are refering to

The $600 payment is a yearly payment that is paid for each child. It was introduced in 2004 to help families with the increased costs of raising a family.

[maverick]

The $600 payment is a yearly payment that is paid for each child. It was introduced in 2004 to help families with the increased costs of raising a family.

Thanks Angel, we do not qualify for any form of assistance so I am not up on the different payment schemes. Well we do get a minimum child care payment of about $20/week but that is it.

[FourAngelKisses]

Thanks Angel, we do not qualify for any form of assistance so I am not up on the different payment schemes. Well we do get a minimum child care payment of about $20/week but that is it.

No worries. I'm pretty certain you should still get it though, it isn't means tested as far as I know.

http://www.centrelink.gov.au/internet/internet.nsf/publications/ah1097.htm

[CJJHRA]

the 600 payment.. heres more infor from the centrelink site



What is the Family Tax Benefit Part A Supplement?

The Family Tax Benefit Part A Supplement is an increase in the annual rate of Family Tax Benefit Part A of $627.80 (for the 2005-06 financial year) per child to be paid as a lump sum after the end of the financial year.

The Supplement is an ongoing payment that will be indexed in July each year. If you only have a child for part of the year, you will only receive part of the Supplement proportional to the time the child was in your care.

This may also be referred to as the 'Child Supplement'.
Who is eligible for the Family Tax Benefit Part A Supplement?

The Supplement is available to all Family Tax Benefit Part A eligible families regardless of whether they are entitled to a top-up, no adjustment or have been overpaid during the year. However, where families have been overpaid, the Supplement will be used to offset outstanding overpayments.


When will the Family Tax Benefit Part A Supplement be paid?

Families will be paid the Supplement after family tax returns have been lodged (or the Family Assistance Office has been notified that the family is not required to lodge) and Family Tax Benefit payments have been balanced for the financial year.
How does shared care affect the Family Tax Benefit Part A Supplement?

Families who share the care of a child or have care for a dependent child for only part of the financial year will be eligible for a portion of the Supplement in line with their shared care percentage.



What if I only have care of a child for part of the year?

If you have care for a child for part of the year, you will receive a portion of the Supplement in line with the proportion of time the child was in your care. This may apply to a range of circumstances, including where a new baby is born during the year or when a child has a birthday part way through the year and ceases to be an eligible dependent.

For example, a family who have a child, eligible for FTB Part A, born on 1 January may be eligible for half of the annual Supplement (ie. $313.90 for the 2005-06 financial year).
Where do I go for more information?

* Call the Family Assistance Office on 13 6150 between 8.00am and 8.00pm (local time) Monday to Friday.
* Visit the website at www.familyassist.gov.au.
* Visit the nearest Family Assistance Office located in all Centrelink Customer Service Centres, Medicare offices and Tax Office shopfronts.




and the 500 baby bonus payment info




What is the baby bonus?

Introduction

The baby bonus is a refundable tax offset, which means that it is not limited to the amount of tax otherwise payable. You are not required to have received any income during the income year or to lodge a tax return to still receive the tax offset. You can only claim the baby bonus from the Tax Office. The baby bonus is paid whether or not you currently receive any other family benefits – for example, maternity allowance – and it is not income tested.
Who is eligible for the baby bonus?

You are eligible for the baby bonus if you were an Australian resident at the time you became legally responsible for a child between 1 July 2001 and 30 June 2004 – for example, by birth or through adoption. To qualify for the offset, you satisfy the following requirements:

* you had legal responsibility for the day-to-day care, welfare and development of the child
* this responsibility arose during a time when you were an Australian resident, and
* the child is under the age of five.

taken from here (http://ato.gov.au/individuals/content.asp?doc=/content/33906.htm)

[maverick]

No worries. I'm pretty certain you should still get it though, it isn't means tested as far as I know.

http://www.centrelink.gov.au/internet/internet.nsf/publications/ah1097.htm

No the family benefit part A is definitely income tested and we definitely do not qualify for this subsidy.

We have been down this path we Centrelink, not through our choice as we really do not expect any government assistance but we had to lodge the papers to get our daughters vaccinations linked to the medicare card and Centrelink stuffed up and started paying us the family benefit which we did not pick up for a couple of months. When we noticed the payment we went down and questioned Centrelink who still said that we were entitled to the payment, even though we knew we were not. Well at the next tax return the government took back the payments from our tax return as we were not entitled to any assistance.

[cupcakemafia]

hi guys, i work for the family assistance office. a quick summary:


The "$600" supplement is part of FTB A and is only payable after the end of the fin yr
What you actually receive can be less than $627, depending on whether you have any outstanding ATO or Centrelink debts, your income and your partners income
Even if you do not need to lodge a tax return I'd recommend calling FAO and confirmin with them that this is the case. Sometimes the system does not register you as a person who doesnt need to lodge a tax return, so you can incorrectly be labelled as a non-lodger and not be paid. For safetys sake, just call FAO and say "I do not need to lodge a tax return this year". If you're unsure yourself, check with your accountant or the ATO