contacting centrelink about entitlement

[shan23]

If I were to contact centrelink now, would it be too early for them to tell me if I'd be entitled to anything once bubs is born?

I've done the online estimator, but I've no idea how accurate it would be so dont trust it.

I'm just really worried that we wont be entitled to anything other than the baby bonus, so would rather know now than later so we can try and work finances out.


TIA

[Indadhanu]

I have found the online estimator extremely accurate You can also go look on the website in the "Parents" section (or is it 'Raising Children'... I can't remember), and look up the FTB A and B and also Parenting Payment, and look at the eligibility. There is claiming information on there too, although I'm pretty sure you can't claim until you've had the baby. I think these are the most common paymenst you can get after a baby is born. Maybe Rent Assistance too?

[e_p]

Shan you can lodge a claim online for FTB and baby bonus/paid parental leave 3 months prior to your EDD. The only way to know whether you are entitled to payments is to lodge a claim and have it assessed - the estimators are accurate, as long as you input accurate information. You will have to decide whether you will be better off claiming Paid Parental Leave or Baby Bonus - Centrelink cannot advise you which to claim. All the best! xx

[shan23]

Thank you both so much for the help

Thats really good to know the estimators are accurate, that means I should be entitled to something other than just the baby bonus. I dont qualify for paid parental leave unfortunately, only because I havent worked 10 of the last 13 months even though I'll have done the minimum 330 hours.

And thats awesome to know that you can claim up to 3 months before your EDD, any idea how long they then take to assess your claim?

I'm just trying to work our finances out now rather than stressing about everything later on, especially if we dont end up with anything lol. I'm pretty sure we will get some assistance after reading all the requirements for FTB, I'm just a stress head

[*Sparklez*]

shan 23 dont mean to hijak ur post but girls how come u can lodge bb 3 months before n does it make a difference once bub is here??
can u explain it a little cause i didnt know this and im very interested...

thanks shan 23 for opening an interesting post

[shan23]

Thats alright Zaki&Amali, I'm curious to know as well!

I wonder if you claim early, if that means they can tell you earlier how much you would be entitled to.

Also, do any of you ladies have any understanding of how the income test works for FTB part A? I've read it asks for both my & my partners income over this financial year. Does that mean I have to put in what I earned BEFORE bubs is actually born? Because by the time bubs is born, I would have worked half of the financial year, but I wont be working after bubs comes. So the money I'm earning now will have no effect on our finances when bubs is born.

Sorry if that sounds confusing lol, I'm so confused I cant word it any better