Baby Bonus V's Paid Maternity

[Pretty Butterfly]

Wow, I guess the fortnightly payments are only useful if your already at home like me, with all the baby things you need. (sitting on my ar$e and being broke finally has an advantage! )

It doesn't seem to help too much to all you other ladies. I'm glad I started this thread, its opened my eyes a lot ladies. Thank you!!!

[briggsy's girl]

i'm in two minds in regard to the lump sum vs fortnightly payments - i guess there needs to be a firm line in the sand - midnight new years eve, the baby bonus $5000 ceases to exist. that's it - Howards bonus ends there and then. on January 1, 2009, a new payment to help with the additional cost of having a child is being introduced. it will be paid for the first 13 fortnights (so six months) of your childs life. for some people, receiving the payment in a lump sum would be helpful - getting all the big ticket items at once is great. BUT, how many of those big ticket items are essential within a month after birthing your baby? and how many of them can't be purchased before bub's is born? most places that sell baby items will allow layby - even if you dont' find out (or accept) that you're pregnant even til 13 weeks, that's 27 weeks to buy the essentials - and most people know before 13 weeks that they're pregnant, so can start saving straight away

for me, the payments over six months will be more beneficial. we're going through hell to get a child, we're used to scrimping by on, essentially, less than one income for the times i've not been well enough to go to work, and using my income as well as some of DH's, to pay for IVF as we went. so supplementing our income over that six months means that DH can be home more with his child when it is born. we will layby what we need, and pay it off over a period of time. we'll prioritise what we NEED when bub's is born, and those things that can wait a while, we'll pick up later on with the payments we receive. everyone is going to have a different POV on what is most beneficial for them, but the government of the day have worked out what is most financially viable for the CHILDREN of most families. not everyone does the right thing, not everyone does the wrong thing - the government had to do what they believed to be the best thing on balance as these payments are ultimately for the costs associated with bringing up your children

[Pretty Butterfly]

My sister also went through expensive IVF, and although the lump sum was great, she has also said a payment each fortnight would of probably been more helpful long term.

Her DH could of stayed home more often, and she said she would of liked some money each fortnight to contribute, instead of having to get if off DH. Their BB went on catching up many bills that built up over the long IVF process, which my sister didn't work at the time, due to travelling for her IVF.

I assumed (wrongly, I guess!) that most families would like a small stream of money for 6 months, over a lump sum. I'm glad I got so many peoples opinions!!