the federal budget cash injections...

[Calluna]

Thanks Trillian

[Yael]

Is the change to the education tax rebate into a cash payment per school child to replace the amount I would claim on the 2011-2012 tax return, or will it be after July 1 for the 2012-2013 tax return?

[FabFiona]

Is the change to the education tax rebate into a cash payment per school child to replace the amount I would claim on the 2011-2012 tax return, or will it be after July 1 for the 2012-2013 tax return?

It replaces anything you would claim on your 2011-2012 tax return.

[Liviam]

Why can't all families get it We only just miss out but would also benefit from it too

[FabFiona]

Why can't all families get it We only just miss out but would also benefit from it too

Unfortunately the cut off has to be somewhere - if all families were to get the payments the cost to the taxpayer would likely quadruple and that is just not sustainable.

[Liviam]

I know but it's just so frustrating that we are struggling exactly the same as everyone else but can never get any of these

[Ginger]

what is the cut off? how do you know if you get it or not?

[Trillian]

LIviam, I understand your frustration about it, but this was only ever a payment that was designed to help with the costs of sending kids to school. It's not a new payment, just a simplified delivery of a payment that has been around for a few years already. The media have made it sound like this shiney new cash payment for families, when the reality is quite different.

Ginger, the Schoolkids one is just for children already attending school. The other ones are connected to FTB payments.

[FabFiona]

The SchoolKids Bonus is means tested. You are eligible if you receive FTB A.

[Ginger]

so if your child goes to school in 2013 will you get it?

[Trillian]

Yeah, you will next year G

[LuluHB]

I know but it's just so frustrating that we are struggling exactly the same as everyone else but can never get any of these

I agree with you lovely. We are on the borderline of whether we get it or not - all depends on what the Aus $ does, which dictates how much DH earns. Funnily enough, that borderline extra of a $1,000 or so per annum doesn't seem to make life much easier!!

I appreciate that there must be a line drawn somewhere, but given the cost of housing, utilities, food etc - ie the things that you can't just say hey, we'll not "do" that this month - are so high, the cut off income really doesn't seem high enough.

N2L's point about medicare, IVF etc is also so valid. How are "normal" people supposed to manage. Bloody unfair enough if you have to go down that road, without being penalised even further financially than you are already.

And yet a couple buying their first house that is costing them in excess of $1 million are entitled to the first home owner's grant. Definitely not right.

Sorry - bit OT but woke up on my soap box this morning. Will crawl away now . . .

[Ginger]

i thought the first home owners was not available on properties over 500k?

[LuluHB]

Pretty sure there's no cut off in WA - it certainly was available on any property price, but if they've changed it I guess I'll have to go and crawl into my soapbox on that one

[Liviam]

Like you could really crawl away at nearly 38 weeks hun !!!!

[LuluHB]

You're not implying that I'm not full of athleticism and grace are you?????

[luna moth]

Increase to FTB A
- families will receive an increase of up to $600 a year in their Family Tax Benefit Part A payments from 1 July 2013
- Families receiving the maximum rate or part of the maximum rate of FTB Part A with two or more children will receive an extra $600 a year, or an extra $300 a year if they have one child.
- Families receiving the base rate of FTB Part A with two or more children will receive an extra $200 a year, or an extra $100 a year if they have one child.

Did I hear right, though, that this was happening from July 2013? Or was that something else? Badass brain fog right here.

[briggsy's girl]

Lot of the changes won't be coming in until 2013.

Sorry Fiona I hasn't been to work since budget night so hadnt read about the supplements.

In answer to the earlier q, if you qualify for ftba and b you will get both clean energy advances. Ftba actually has abOut half a dozen different "levels" of payment depending on child age and parental income. The max amount is about 111 for a child over 13 with low income parents.