Is it possible to live on centrelink alone?

[Arimeh]

Ok, just tossing around thoughts at the moment, because DH wants to study nursing, but he wants to do it full time. Actually, we both want to study nursing, but I thought if he did it first, got into the system, then when I start most of the kids will be at school.

So is it possible to live on Austudy payments and whatever I would get from family assistance? We manage to live on one income at the moment, but its a middle income I suppose you would say (over 50K) plus whatever I get from family assistance.

So does anyone do it? How much approximately are the payments? I had a look on the family assistance website and centrelink, and tbh, its just confusing me all those numbers.

Anyway, just something I'm tossing around in my head.

[Indadhanu]

Your best bet would be to jump on to the Centrelink website and use their rate estimator to see how much you would both get each fortnight. Then you can work out if it's doable

[deletedit]

Austudy is much, much lower than the other payments and at least one of you would be on it (you can stay on parenting payment) and Austudy is barely enough to feed a cat let alone a human. EVERY other payment is higher. Wouldn't recommend it unless you are single and in share accommodation and willing to live on rice and ramen like other students.

[Arimeh]

Whats parenting payment? I get FTB A & B at the moment.

Thanks Leash, I did jump on there, and I *think* I got my estimates right, but I'm not too sure.

It would most likely involve a move back to Queensland, so will probably never eventuate, but I just wanted to get my numbers right to back me up.

[Gigi]

AUSTUDY is a very low payment. I can't imagine someone paying a mortgage with that.

Do you qualify for Rent Assistance? (i can't remember if you are renting or have bought a home).

The family tax payment (either b or a) that is tied to income, will probably go up if the $50K stops.

Other options may include:
- studying part-time instead of fulltime
(find out what the percentages are - e.g if studying 75% of a course entitles a person to fulltime AUSTUDY)
- studying online (the bits you can do that are theory)
- doing the parts of the course that are theoretical part-time (while dh is still working), and doing the practical parts fulltime (thereby minimising the length of time your family needs to be existing on F/T CL payments.

Can you learn to be a nurse in Tassie? or do you have to go to QLD to do that?
Is it exam based or does it involve "practical modules" in hospitals?

If you don't understand the CL website (i find it confusing too), maybe get a CL staff member to help you look up the right bits and add them up. (at a CL office).

just a bit of brainstroming from someone who has never studied to be a nurse, so pure brainstorming. but i have lived on AUSTUDY in the past, and it was really hard (as a single person, paying rent, no child). i worked fulltime in the semester breaks, saved EVERYTHING in order to survive for the rest of the year.

don't forget to allow money for text books and course fees. these days, with the internet, fees may be for other things (than text books). Plus the HECS debt that will accrue.

ask at the Uni about scholarships.

The CL site says (under Training - AUSTUDY)
"maximum fortnightly payment for partnered person with children" is $413
plus family tax a and b
plus rent assistance (if you qualify for that)

[Fleur]

I guess technically you could, but it would be really tough IMO.

I would *think* you'd be entitled to the max rate of FTB A & B, plus parenting payment.
Parenting Payment is given to the lower income earner. It's a taxable income & it's means tested - at 50k a year you might not be entitled to any (we're not) but if your DH was on Austudy I would think you would be.

I second speaking to someone at CL to help you out with what you'd be entitled to.

(and moving back to QLD would be ok too, lol )

[miss.cinders]

Totally agree with everyone's opinions.

We live on clink alone since DH hurt his back [apart from the odd occassion I have to take $ from the business acc when we are desperate].

It is very hard, you get just enough to live off. If you have any debt it's really tight - we were paying off our car + 3x credit cards for the first 18mths after DH hurt his back. Now I only have the cc's left. It is doable, but coming off your income it would be a real shock to the system. It was a huge change for us even though DH only earnt about 10K more a year than what we get now.

Austudy would be worse. AFAIK & as the PP have said it is alot less that Newstart+Parenting Payment.

[PollyA]

Hey,

I studied a few years ago (Graduated 2007) with a few families living on CL. I was a povo singleton living on Youth Allowance and then Austudy and woudln't have survived without credit and loans but the families were much better looked after. Most of them had a house coming into it but definitely lived off benefits alone.
ALso My DH is studying nursing now externally through Charles Darwin Uni (First year is web based study) and he manages to work 2 nights a week as an EN, used to be Patient Care Assistant(a few days manual handling training is all that is required). The new changes to Centrelink let you earn a little more before they take any away so that could be something to consider. He does most of his study while he is at work and is a SAH Dad the rest of the week while i work. I think if it is what you want to do you can defnitley do it. There are also MANY MAny nursing scholarships that don't get taken up especially if you are from or plan on practicing in a rural area.
Good luck

[Jaycee]

I'm actually studying social security as part of my financial planning course at the moment and the 40k will only be exempt from the income and means test if it is from the sale of your principal residence and is going to be used to purchase another residence within 12 months. So in this case the funds will be included in the asset and income test.

[Just Me]

I think while you are studying, you can also work part time and earn a couple of hundred dollars a fortnight before your payments start decreasing so you can get a bit of extra cash by DH or you working part time.

I think you aren't allowed savings of over $2000 if you are living off c'link (that's just from memory) so if you had money in the bank from the sale of your house, you would have to live off that first. If the money is tied up in your house and your assests are valued at less than a certain amount (it used to be around $200'000 but it has probably gone up since I was studying 10 years ago), then you would still be eligible and not expected to live off it.

[Lulu]

Certainly do what you gotta do and follow those dreams, if you are prepared for the sacrifice (and it is, cos I been living off Clink for nearly 3 years now and it sucks balls), go for it.

I personally hate been thrown backwards when things happen (car, kids etc), that weren't a problem back in the actual INCOME days.....That's just moi, and if I was studying for a degree at the end of it I would probably have a different perspective.

xoxox GL with whatever you choose!

[briggsy's girl]

I'm sure BG took our money into account when doing the figures (didn't you BG? Or was I assuming you did.. LOL)

yes, i did take it into account

if you have money in the bank, you do not have to live off it before applying for payment. you will be asked if you have liquid assets (so it's best to have money in term deposits that you can't access) but you don't have to spend that - particularly as it's not "savings", it's funds from the sale of the house

the 40k earned a "deemed" amount of income which was applied to the calculations.

yes, if you sell a house and intend to buy another, you don't have that "deeming" apply at all for 12 months (from memory). if, after 12 months you don't buy the house, you're not cut off payments, it is simply brought in under the income and assets test

Mel, do what feels right for you and your DH. if he isn't happy doing what he is doing and believes his passion is for nursing, then now is the time to do it. now, white you can be home and not have child care costs etc on top of it. yes, it will be tight, but you're not stupid - you know how to budget, you know how to live frugally. do what feels right for you guys. you've seen the figures - if you think it's workable, do it!

[Antheia]

This is how we are living right now. DH is on parenting payment, I am on student youth allowance (as im under 25) doing Cert III in childrens services and i get FTB A and B. We pay a mortgage and have a credit card each for emergencies. On average we get around $850 per week. This will go up when bub is born to around $930 per week (not including the baby bonus). We live off this amount fine and are not struggling. However, we have no debt other than $3000 in credit cards and a mortgage that is only $250 per week. So it can work but you wouldn't want to have a lot of debt and be very good with your budget.

[e_p]

if you have money in the bank, you do not have to live off it before applying for payment. you will be asked if you have liquid assets (so it's best to have money in term deposits that you can't access) but you don't have to spend that - particularly as it's not "savings", it's funds from the sale of the house

just wanted to clarify that money held in term deposits ARE considered to be liquid assets: Liquid assets

[Jennifer13]

SIL sounds like she'll be a great source of info on how much study, etc, is required. You guys are doing the right thing to consider it so seriously and investigate so thoroughly!! If he's studying full-time you will get the benefit of all of that time he has off too, mum and MIL notwithstanding.

I think mature age study is such a great idea, you're so much more focused, committed and disciplined. Finishing both of my courses are probably two of the best decisions I've ever made. GL with it all!

[Rivlas]

Do you have 2 cars. If so you could live close to the Uni and sell a car which would save you heaps.

I like his idea of treating it like work, makes alot of sense.

[deletedit]

I'm actually studying social security as part of my financial planning course at the moment and the 40k will only be exempt from the income and means test if it is from the sale of your principal residence and is going to be used to purchase another residence within 12 months. So in this case the funds will be included in the asset and income test.

That's an irritating ruling ... the house I have for sale USED to be my principal residence (for 6 years) but it has been for sale for well over a year now with no buyer. When it sells it will go towards a new house for us to live in - depending on timing the money will probably go straight to the builder and I won't see a penny. Unfortunately because it has been so damn long that house is now very much an investment property - nothing more stupid than leaving a nice house empty in a poor area. I was kind of counting on it not being included in the means test since we're already on payments ... but it is certainly on our asset list.

[Jennifer13]

I get what you're saying about his time, Mel, but studying full-time internally will not guarantee he's doing it all in 'work' hours either. There's still lots of time outside of that you need to put in, assignments, reading, etc. IME it made no difference, external and internal, to what I needed to do at home. The only way to limit the time I had to spend studying was full-time vs part-time. While external, I'd pop off to the library for allocated study time where I needed to, but when I was internal, it had to be mostly at home because of DD (class time was also sometimes after hours). It was tricky to do things at home and complete the workload. Part-time made a big difference and the stress decreased enormously.

Bear in mind there are lots more holidays for uni, months at the end of the year, for eg. So whatever form of study he and you do, you get lots to downtime. So when you feel like you're killing yourself in the lead up to exams and at the end of the semester (and your partner has had enough of handling kids alone!), you know you've got a big break coming up. DTMS?

GL with your decision.