$406 a week gross

[MummaBear03]

That's what I'll be on with full PPS and FTB combined. I don't know that I can do it, but the alternative is to keep on working and studying and really my health and my daughter's happiness at risk.

Each week the money comes out for the house and the car, then school fees, gas, power, phone/internet, mobile phone all fortnightly.

I do have cheap things, we live in a really cheap area which helps. I'm also paying the car off fast, so might be able to ring up and see if I can change it to a 7 year loan.

This is what comes out each week/fn:
$181 - House (W)
$81.60 - Car (W)
$50 - School fees (FN) - but still have to pay extra/term
$34.95 - Gas (FN) - doesn't quite cover the bill though
$22 - Power (FN) - keeps us in credit
$22 - Mobile (FN) - also keeps slightly in credit
$35 - Home Phone/Internet (FN) - doesn't quite cover it
I've also got a Centrelink debt coming out at $15/fn. So what goes into my actual account is $15/fn less than what's stated up there as I use Centrepay for that.
My car goes through roughly $30/week in fuel just getting to appointments and sport, $40 with me working as work isn't close to home.

I've got the FN amounts coming out different weeks, all on a Wednesday because my wages go in every Wednesday. Basically there's roughly the same amount coming out each week.

In short, I doubt we'll be able to do it. My savings are down to a nil amount, my wages next week have to go on insurance (I pay yearly) so I'll be left with almost nothing after direct debits and insurance. This week car insurance was paid (also a yearly amount) and it left me with $31 in my account, and that's from wages!!! Today $30 has to go into the car so we'll have $1 in the account. The puppy's 4.5 months old now, so he'll be due to be desexed in another 6 weeks or so, too, not to mention the car being overdue for a service already :(

Looks like I'll have to just keep working in a burnt-out state and put studies on hold for a while.

I also have tax coming out of PPS that I only just remembered about.

[SimplyMum]

Sorry you are struggling MB. I work so I can give DS the extra things, like swimming lessons, dancing etc etc so if I wasn't working than those would have to go (at least).

Could you take up some study at tafe? That should increase the fn amount by about $30.

I also remember you saying that your daughter has medical issues- can you apply for carer's allowance or payment or whatever it's called?

Do you get rent assistance?

Can't think of much else at the moment. Will come back.

[girly]

Do you get child support, rent assistance, can;t centrelink help with school fees?

[florence]

Does your DD go to a state school? I am guessing not by the fees in which case why can't you send her to a state school?
I guess it's hard at times but most people have to work to get by. It's just the way it is.
Good luck

[delirium]

Have you considered working maybe a day a week casual in retail/hospitality? You can earn around $300 before tax before they will start taking $$$ out of your SPP. After that they take 50c for every dollar you earn.

[MummaBear03]

I get no rent assistance, child support, and the school fees are already reduced after I spoke to the principal a few months back.

My daughter currently does swimming and gymnastics, as well as school swimming and these are all paid up for this term and the first term of next year.

I'm not going through TAFE as they stuffed me around heaps during the childcare studies and kept on losing assignments so then I'd have to pay for enrollment fees for that subject again to resubmit the assignments :banghead: so now I'm going through a different company and it's all through correspondence. I email assignments and they have to receipt it to say they've opened the emails with the assignment attached.

Carer's does come into it, it's $105/fn and my daughter's specialist is $200/month so I've got that going to a different account and it's just for her specialist alone and any medical related expenses. That's why I did not include her specialist appointment or the carer's allowance in the figures. They pretty much cancel each other out lol. Sorry, probably should have included those.

I'm not going to apply for assistance through centrelink for studies, as I'm still paying back a debt I had with them last time I did that, just because I should have been doing a subject a month and wasn't, as I was working 3 full days (8:30 to 5:15) each week, and had DD home on the other days, along with 4 other kids at that time, so each subject was taking me around 2 months to do. I rang centrelink and told them, they said that was fine, then they sent a letter saying I had to pay back the full amount I'd been receiving up to that date, and they cut it off, even though I only slacked off for about 3 of the 9 months I'd been studying for. There's grounds for appeal, but I don't have the energy to appeal, just not going down that path again.

[MummaBear03]

Have you considered working maybe a day a week casual in retail/hospitality? You can earn around $300 before tax before they will start taking $$$ out of your SPP. After that they take 50c for every dollar you earn.

I thought it was like $120 before they deducted from PPS.

[girly]

I don't know, yu have ALOT of stuff going on, that yu really can't cut back on, maybe try getting a casual job. you can earn up (what I was told) $200w whilst recieving PPS..

[delirium]

I thought it was like $120 before they deducted from PPS.

Let me have a look at the centrelink site....

[Jakois]

Mummabear, have you spoken to the school to see if they can offer you fee relief for this year? If it is a Catholic School often they do reduce fees for parents who are finding it tough.

Also with you studying you should be recieving Pensioner Education Supplement.

Is there anyway you could as a PP suggested do one day of work a week?

I hope you find a solution:hugs:.

[MummaBear03]

I would love to just work 2, maybe 3 days a week through school hours. It seems that even on relief, they are after people for full weeks to cover holidays and maternity leave and so on. I'll keep looking around, but finding it more difficult to get just a couple of days a week with DD in school than I did last year when she was in daycare, and that's because I was able to work full days last year, but limited to pretty much 9am to 2:15pm now.

[delirium]

Do you have your RSA? It's a one day course at TAFE for about $120. You could work lunch shifts a few days a week at a resturant, they pay around $20 a hour casual.

I looked on the CL site and they don't give the amounts you can earn, just what working credits are.

[MummaBear03]

I've been working 20 to 25 hours a week since DD was a toddler, so way out of working credits. It's somewhere between $100 and $150/fn and I'm sure it was $120/fn before it started to affect PPS.

I don't have RSA and have looked into it, but they run it at the TAFE (not externally) and it's at night time, anything that happens outside of school hours that doesn't allow children to be present is out for me, no babysitter. My own brother has just finished his pool with all the decorations and everything, sent me an invitation to their pool party and put on there that since it's also a cocktail party, meaning alcohol and water are going to be combined, no children are allowed. Why would they even invite me? Seriously! They know the situation, and they won't even help out with babysitting because they just have no patience, a vicious dog, and no idea what to do with kids outside of a classroom (both teachers). There's a lot I'd love to do at TAFE by way of short courses, but it just can't happen unless they are courses I can take her to.

[Mum2Lucas]

I know it's tough. I have 2 kids, minimal family support and I study 2 days a week. I've been looking into work and I'm not sure how i'll do it with not having a babysitter. I know TAFE offer RSA online so maybe try that way. most taverns have a bistro you could do lunch shifts in. I hope everything works out for you.

[MummaBear03]

Thanks. I rang the local TAFE and checked, they said those courses (Food Handlers, RSA, RGA) are only held onsite and only of an evening. I've requested information from 3 other training organisations to see what they offer via correspondence. The course in disabilities is done through email which is perfect, as it's a fair drive into TAFE and the fuel is not going to be affordable for that kind of driving while I'm not working. I don't know why people think it's so easy living on PPS when the PPS amount per fortnight is the same as what I get paid in a 25 hour work week! That's PER WEEK!!! 3 days would do me, even 2 days but I would go for 3 if it was on offer. Will have to keep trying to look around for that.

[singlemumma82]

Sorry to hear how tough it will be, I am also a single mum with a school age DD.

To help with figures, here's mine, I currently work part time 3 days, school hours, my wages per fortnight are $660 (gross) from this I still recieve $368/fn of the PPS I also get $300/fn of FTB A&B + rent assistance.

Is there a reason you currently don't receive rent assistance? At the price you pay i am sure the rate is about $100/fn, not much but still something extra.

Also, I work in admin for a small family business, have worked in admin since DD was 2 1/2, also find smaller family companies are alot better when it comes to working school hours etc. My current boss offered me 3 permanant days, 9:30-3 and if I am sick I get the option to take it as sick leave or simply make the day/s up over time.

Hope that helps a little, it is so hard, but it can be done, speak to Centrelink, go in, ask for a Social worker, explain your situation.

One thing I have to advise though, and I'm sure you are aware, Centrelink will require you to work a minimum 15/week once your youngest child reaches 7, this may be your only hurdle if you decide to not work at all.

All the best :hugs:

[ConfettiGirl]

Thanks. I rang the local TAFE and checked, they said those courses (Food Handlers, RSA, RGA) are only held onsite and only of an evening. I've requested information from 3 other training organisations to see what they offer via correspondence. The course in disabilities is done through email which is perfect, as it's a fair drive into TAFE and the fuel is not going to be affordable for that kind of driving while I'm not working. I don't know why people think it's so easy living on PPS when the PPS amount per fortnight is the same as what I get paid in a 25 hour work week! That's PER WEEK!!! 3 days would do me, even 2 days but I would go for 3 if it was on offer. Will have to keep trying to look around for that.

Look up OTEN....it is TAFE NSW and they offer all those courses online (I did my RSG online). They send you a little book which is your assignment and your reading materials and you answer the questions in the book, send it back and they mark it and then send your certificate in the mail. I can show you mine next time you come here if you like to show you it is genuine - watermarked, embossed the works LOL.

Also it is nationally accredited so it accepted anywhere in Australia.

Singlemumma82 - Mummabear has a mortgage which is why she doesn't get rent assistance :)

[MummaBear03]

I've got info from a cairns place, a little closer to home. I've gotta look at everything, including the cost of a course that's only going to be used short-term. Is it worth paying that much if it's only going to see me through a few months while i study (more cost) the course that will get me further in life?

[MummaBear03]

One thing I have to advise though, and I'm sure you are aware, Centrelink will require you to work a minimum 15/week once your youngest child reaches 7, this may be your only hurdle if you decide to not work at all.

All the best :hugs:

Study for 15 hours/week is an option other than work as well, but DD turns 7 in August so I'll well and truly be through this all by then (hopefully). I do have to check with them for school holidays, though. That 15 hours, how will that go over the Christmas holidays?

[Mrs Nietzsche]

Mumma Bear - I was in that situation with centrelink a whlie ago (when single) - I was at uni full-time though. Study satisfies the requirements so long as you are going in consecutive semesters.

[Formerly Mick]

For online RSA you might want to look at http://www.southbank.edu.au/course/DOM/FFS186-1.htm

It's an online course that only takes a few hours and is fully accredited. They post your certificate and everything out to you when it's done.