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clarebear1983
30-07-2006, 14:42
Ok, i have just updated my income estimate for family assistance and somethings just dont add up!!!

According to the Family Assistance website:
If your income is $40000 or less (total combined annual) you are entitled to the maximum rate of Family Assistance A which is $140.84
If the lower income earners income is less than $4234 annually you are entitled to the maximum rate of Family Assistance B which is $120.96
If you are a couple with a child and pay more than $332.17 rent a fortnight you are entitled to full rent assistance which is $118.30
This totals $380.10

I put in my estimate based on what i have got from centrelink and future payments i am entitled to while DH is working and what DH has gotten from centrelink, future payments until income bank is nil and his wage (set wage-plus a bit for payrises etc) for the financial year (he starts work on monday).

My estimations are as follows:
Me: $2200
DH: $37800

According to this our annual income estimate is $40000 which means we SHOULD get the top rate of family assistance a. My income (as i am the lower earner) is less than $4234 so we SHOULD get the top rate of family assistance b. We pay $350pf rent which means we should get the top rate of rent assistance. So we SHOULD be getting $380.10pf.

When i got the sheet that tells you your entitlements once you have put in your estimate it says: Your new regular payment will now be paid at the new rate of $340.80 per fortnight.

Why, if i am on or under the threshold for all the payments, am I not getting the full amount?

Has anyone else had these problems?
Should i approach centrelink about this?

InSaneOne
30-07-2006, 14:47
what they do is pay you slightly less so you can get a top up at the end of the financial year instead of owing them money

clarebear1983
30-07-2006, 14:49
what they do is pay you slightly less so you can get a top up at the end of the financial year instead of owing them money

hmmmmmm if only they said that in their website. Is that why everything is refered to as you "could be" entited to yada yada amount???? $40 less a fortnight is a fair bit of a pay cut but then i cant be upset as its still money.

So i will get the amount back at the end of the financial year that i am entitled to? (that must be why i NEVER got what the estimator said i could get!!!!)

Thanks for this insite its very very very interesting

InSaneOne
30-07-2006, 15:13
you could always call them up on monday and ask them why the estimator says something different to what you worked out. or you could wait for the letter they send you. our estimate was slightly lower to what it was on the letter they sent.