Hey Sally, do yourself a favor and ring Centrelink anyway, just to check. Are you getting FTB A and B? If not, you should be, and you can have it paid fortnightly rather than waiting for it at tax time. You may also qualify for some rent assistance (not sure what the cut off is but worth asking about). 55K is not a lot to live on, esp if DP is being a total prat with his vehicle expenditure.