Parenting payment single (and FTB) & married...

[Lulu]

They can post him a copy BR. Don't know why they aren't doing that?

[Rainbow_Mumma]

I'm going to say this as politely as I can as DH and I have struggled for years financially. DH was a truck driver and did a lot of interstate jobs in other words he was home very, very little sometimes gone for a few weeks at a time, home for a few days then gone again. I was being paid partnered, we did get an allowance for him being away but it wasnt much and did not compare to being on single payments.
When we got married we HAD to provide them with the certificate to verify what we were saying was correct and our payments werent changing so i think with your wedding being before your child was born and then you claiming single there is going to be some backpay needed from you.

[Rainbow_Mumma]

There is an additional category of Partnered but living apart isnt there, BG? Would she qualify for that or is there only certain conditions where that can be applied?

I was discussing this the other day with a friend but centrelink cannot put her as partnered as he is unable to come to centrelink to sign the form.

DH had to have the forms certified with the police and had it faxed for his verification as he was away at the time

[Lisa]

I was thinking this over last night. According to your signature, your bub is only 3 weeks old right? She was born in Jan. So in theory, you have been receiving PPS for 3 weeks. Yet you've been married since 12 Dec? How come you didn't tell centrelink when you applied for PPS that you were married? That's a major worry to me.

ETA - I just realised some of the other girls have raised these same concerns. I probably should have read all posts first

[phynna]

Why didn't I tell them? Because I was living singlely. Because finances are that damn tight that EVERY SINGLE CENT makes a huge difference, and yet it's still a struggle. Because when I lost my job in Feb last year, they strung out my application for the dole for 3 months before denying me, citing lack of identification on their computer (NOT the case) and telling me over the phone I had too many assets (100%loaned farm) to get the dole and coz the farm was not operating couldn't get drought assistance either. Because that gave me 6 months of NO income altogether, in a rural area, with no jobs going. Because I am so far behind all the savings have long gone and still can't catch up. Because I can't afford to drop 160 a fortnight, can't make ends meet now! And my parenting & family payments haven't started yet either for the record. And yes we can prove we've been seperated and living seperately. And as far as telling Clink why we got married, because we believe it's the right thing to do, having a baby together, maybe it's old fashioned, but I think it's a good thing for bubs to look back at her birth cert and see everything legit. I understand most people wouldn't agree with that anymore, but it's my belief. And I'm sure I'm not the only one in the country who's omitted facts to Centrelink before, and I won't be the last. I only asked a couple of questions to help me decide what to do, I didn't ask for a morale-ass-kicking. Thankyou however to the ladies who have been kind enough to be more diplomatic, and to the lady who said I can check the actual payment rates on Centrelink's website, it was very helpful!

[phynna]

Don't mean to sound quite so cranky, but I'm tired and Centrelink are a touchy subject after how they screwed me last year. I've always paid my taxes and the right things and I got royally screwed over when it was my turn to need social security's help. Anyhoo, I'm outta here.

[briggsy's girl]

what happened last year is irrelevant - sorry - but i'm being blunt - it makes no difference to what is happening NOW. NOW, you are married. NOW, you are defrauding the system by asking for parenting payment single when you're partnered. NOW, you HAVE to be honest about your situation. just because he doesn't share your house full time doesn't mean you're not married. you are lying and you NEED to tell the truth. every single day that you dont you are raising a debt against yourself. every single day that you are actively lying, you are pushing yourself closer to being prosecuted for fraud. that's just the way it is sorry. i know it's hard. we've dropped from both of us working full time to me being on unpaid mat leave and DH being almost completely unemployed and unemployable for health reasons. we have NO money spare and are having to eat with family some nights just so we can eat. yup, the extra money from the government would be handy, but to claim it would be lying.

BR - there are circumstances where you can claim PPS while seperated - but the circumstances here are not those circumstances. it applies when partner is overseas and not able to financially support the family, or seperated due to ill health (one long term in a nursing home etc) - it's not coded as PPS though - it's coded differently on the system - and requires different information

[Lisa]

I'm not going to apologise for my part in the 'moral ass kicking' as it isn't hard to tell the truth. If in fact you & your husband are/were separated, why did you hide the fact that you're married? Sorry but it all makes zero sense to me.
I am sure there are thousands of people who have found themselves in similar situations to yours at some point in their lives... the strength of a persons character is shown by how they carry themselves through those times and I am sorry but defrauding the government is not the way to do things. I know I wouldn't be able to sleep at night knowing I was a step closer to being caught for defrauding the government.
I really hope you can understand where most people on here are coming from. People do it tough at times... I figure unless you're from a family with an over abundance of money that can be handed down through the generations, expect to do it tough once in a while. It will be tougher if you have a fraud conviction and a massive debt to repay also.
Better late than never to change your details and make things right. I hope you & your DH work things out in your relationship... I also hope you both find things easier financially soon

[Beatrix]

BG- just a question... you saying you have to be divorced/single for PPS? Its just that when i kicked my exH out i claimed for PPS straight away. I was still married for almost 18mths while claiming it.. But def seperated/no chance of recon (ex = ****er)

I was entitled to PPS wasnt i? during the time of seperation even though i was married correct?

[Kitt3n]

I've always paid my taxes and the right things and I got royally screwed over when it was my turn to need social security's help. Anyhoo, I'm outta here.

And by not being honest it is now YOU who is screwing over NOT centrelink but all of the good, honest, hard working, tax paying people around you, INCLUDING everyone on this forum!

Did you really think people were going to be sympathetic toward fraud ?! yikes!!

I hope you have called tem AND I hope you are made to back pay!

[briggsy's girl]

BG- just a question... you saying you have to be divorced/single for PPS? Its just that when i kicked my exH out i claimed for PPS straight away. I was still married for almost 18mths while claiming it.. But def seperated/no chance of recon (ex = ****er)

I was entitled to PPS wasnt i? during the time of seperation even though i was married correct?

you were seperated because your relationship had fallen apart. you were not living at seperate locations for work and still living as a married couple when the weekend came around.

the OP has further clarified her situation - it's not that the relationship has again broken down - he is simply not there during the week as he works away, and she "can't afford to not have that $160 a fortnight". there is a very dig difference between her circumstances and those of a parent who has seperated and is claiming as their relationship has broken down

[Jaycee]

And by not being honest it is now YOU who is screwing over NOT centrelink but all of the good, honest, hard working, tax paying people around you, INCLUDING everyone on this forum!

Exactly!

Just because you're doing it tough at the moment DOES NOT give you the right to abuse the system the way you are, and that's putting it lightly!

You just have to read a few threads on this forum to know there are plently of people doing it REALLY tough right now, but you don't find them sinking down to the level of fraud.

[murraysmum]

they go on are u defacto and if not then ur single they dont have a bf box to tick

i agree with what all the other ladies are saying alott of us struggle but we arent defrauding the govermwent for a wee bit extra

sorry sounds blunt but u better call them before they either take u to court or u have to pay it all back

[briggsy's girl]

they go on are u defacto and if not then ur single they dont have a bf box to tick

i agree with what all the other ladies are saying alott of us struggle but we arent defrauding the govermwent for a wee bit extra

sorry sounds blunt but u better call them before they either take u to court or u have to pay it all back

if it goes to court you get both the penalty imposed by the judge AND have to pay it all back

[~clover~]

All I can say is... welcome to my world. I also count nights with family/friends every week so I can budget the shopping. My kids don't have the proper school uniform coz I can't afford it. I had to apply for financial assistance so they could do swimming lessons through the school coz that extra $90 once a year is just not there!
This week my phone bill was paid, so now I have to decide if I should feed my family with the rest, or pay my rent. If I buy food & can't make the rent up (really don't know how or when I'll be able to) I'm facing losing my home. My kids home. But food is more important.
I've not eaten for days so my kids could eat when times were tough. Gone months with no car coz I couldn't afford rego.
Thats when I go to the Salvo's or Vinnie's & ask for help. Thats what they are for. Its no excuse I'm sorry. I have single friends living on PPS & they have it hard enough. I'm not going to claim it too. I'd love to til DH finds work again! I was on it when we were seperated last year. I didn't have to tell them we were back together. But I can't afford to pay them back.
Life's hard. We all have to deal with it.

[Inanna]

Phynna I am really sorry things are so tough for you at the moment. Sadly there are many many people experiencing this hardship at present. It's very very hard...

I understand that it can look appealing to claim off an organisation with no face to help out when you are struggling. However, it always always comes with a cost.
Cost to your Self, to others in the Society we live in & eventually to you when you are found out & forced to pay penance in whatever way it is set out to be in this situation...

I hear that they stuffed you around last year - it does happen & I also have had that happen. But claiming for something that is not yours to claim does not make it okay - just because you were jerked around...

I hope that you can find solutions to your financial issues that don't require this type of action. Contacting the Salvos is a really good start. Also to know that there are so many many people in this situation as well - you will get through it, sometimes a plan can really help.

So, please call the Salvos - make a time to talk & action this in a healthy & proactive way...

Good luck my love.

[briggsy's girl]

maddysmummy - just to clarify - the interviews you're called in for - everyone on any income support payment is asked to attend those interviews. it's easy to forget to update something and it's always better to ensure that there is regular contact - in many cases there is a reason to have money in the bank (inheritance etc) that is used to pay bills etc - but the initial value of the inheritance is listed against your name and (incorrectly) reducing your fortnightly entitlement.

[Lulu]

I actually didn't get the impression Phynna claimed single status when she wasn't. I get the impression she claimed when she was single..but circs have changed since then.

Although it seems you have been back together for awhile now (since you had time to accept a proposal and arrange a wedding), it's more that you are playing with fire. You are given a certain amount of grace, but when you rack up amounts over $5000 that you are not legally entitled to that's when charges of fraud come in. It's pretty serious with long term effects.

I hope you have called and like I said before it should be ok to use the date of marriage rather than the date of reconciliation because at the end of the day its about the right payment, not kicking someones ass retrospectively.