Is it true?? $1000 per child??

[aussienic]

honestly I think I will believe it when I see the $$ in my bank account

Is it one payment per family or per child?

Be pretty silly to give per child i think.. I don't know why I don't like jus being handed money for no good reason.. just feels wrong some how

[Kitt3n]

Bath - you would still be eligible for your share of the first home buyers grant - just because one partner has owned before doesnt mean YOU arent entitled.

PM me if you want some more info - or check out the office of state revenue website.

[Bathsheba]

Ta Kitten But I assumed that unless my name was on the mortgage/loan application then i wouldn't be entitled to anything? As a SAHM I don't have an income... so can't apply for a home loan. We've also bought an investment property (since sold) that I think had my name on it all for some reason so that would be another reason i wouldn't be eligible I guess. I'll PM you if I have any further issues. Sorry about OT discussion.

Nic: I agree... it is a bit weird getting so much money for "nothing". Infact it's kinda scary in a way. makes me think that the World Financial Crisis must be a lot worse that I imagine.... these are huge amounts of money for the government to be throwing around all of a sudden... If I didn't have to put it toward school fees i'd be stashing it in a home safe.... or buying something like a water tank.... something that would kinda help if the world's economy totally crumbled... the more i think about this the more it worries me.

[~Raven~]

Hope I don't go overdue for bub number 4! Might have to line up for an induction on the 7th of Dec as I would be 13 days post dates *insert sarcasam here*

I feel very lucky that we live in a country that is able to give us such a gift.

As we refinanced to buy another car for our extended brood we will probably pay it back into the mortgage and try to make up for the extra we have forked out over the last year due to the higher interest rate...or we could blow the lot on a new plasma TV

[Kitt3n]

Bath - i agree, I really think this is more of a cause for concern rather than cause for joy. I strongly believe there is much much worse to come and that if you can, pop this money away in your pocket everybody - if it gets as bad as what some economists are saying a plasma isnt going to fill your bellies in a few more months..................

but.... hey lulu i agree on the vodka LOL!!!!

[aussienic]

the more i think about this the more it worries me.

Same!!

[Bathsheba]

I agree Kitten (about buying something edible!!!) Even though we don't have a mortgage and a house full of nice stuff I'm kinda glad that DH and I have put so much of our money into education for our kids and myself... if the economy craps itself and we all end up bankrupt you can't repossess an education can you???

[~Raven~]

I was just joking about the plasma BTW. Debt reduction all the way in this household!

[nic]

Ok, so I received FTB A, last financial year as a lump sum payment of a grand total of 29c lol! I did notice that it has now reduced our safety net amount that we need to reach, so does this mean that I may be eligible for this one off payment? Seems kind of funny if I am. Though not entirely worried if I'm not.

Nic

[*Efjay*]

God, i think you would have to be pretty stupid to go out & buy a plasma anyway. Don't they chew through your electricity?
The only new appliance I will be buying (with the baby bonus) is a water efficient washing machine. living on tank water I think I deserve that.

Other then that, I wont be upgrading anything in the house, if it aint broke then I aint getting a new one LOL.
Oh, Might use the money to get Evan a new mattress as the kid does complain about his being too hard. But thats not exactly a plasma.

[sushee]

Unless things have changed since 2002, as long as one partner has owned a house previously, and the home is going in join names, neither person can get the first home owners grant, I thought. My DH had never owned a house previously, but I had (prior to any first home owner grant) and we couldn't get any help. So as a family, we've never ever had a grant to help buy a home.

I'm still a little peeved actually (thanks btw to all you lovely ladies to empathised. I thought I was being petulant!). DH and I had a chat about it over lunch, and he's saying I may be better off giving up my higher duty arrangements and going back to my lower paid, part-time position. Or get a higher level position. Right now, from my rough calculations, I think I may be worse off in the long run despite earning close to $6000 more a year than in my previous, lower level job.

So what am I working like dog for? What is the point? I spend less time with my family, spend heaps of time working, but I have to work, so I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't. I either stay in a boring, lower level position that I'm overqualified for just so I am eligible for govt benefits or I work hard and earn more just to lose the equivelant (or more!) in benefits.

What kind of choice is that?

[Liz]

Yeah it's probably leading up to something... they're putting little notches in their belts so when it all falls apart they can lay the blame on us for not being responsible with all the money they gave us.

[Sair]

This $1000 will come in handy for my P&T that I was going to buy after this one was born, then the $5000 can go to pay off the CC that is eating up $100 a month and $45 of that is interest. So the $1000 is coming at a great time, and I would love to put it all away but I don't drive and a good pram is really important to me. I do agree that this is a sign we are up for some troubling times ahead but thankfully I am preparing for this in other ways like stocking up and collecting seeds for my garden and buying as many staples as possible when grocery shopping.

[Bathsheba]

That's true about the plasmas (chewing electricity). When we go over to people's houses that have them i can feel the heat radiating off them so i dread to think how much they cost to run. During winter I must confess that I briefly thought of upgrading our little standard TV.... to keep warm without having to use central heating!

[Trillian]

I know it was a few pages back now, but Liz, you are so right. The ones targeted by this payment (and I mean that in no disrespect at all, just stating the obvious) will just go and blow the lot the day it comes into their accounts. And they are the same group who are more than likely not affected at all by this crisis - they are unlikely to own their house, have any loans/mortgages and certainly not have shares. Again a kick in the guts to those who get out and have a go and invest for their futures. I can picture my single SIL with no kids and the tirade she'll come out with about this.

[Bathsheba]

Oh yes! Spot on Liz and Trill. A definite kick in the guts to the people who have been investing their money in superannuation (My DH puts aside more in super than he legally has to) and education. We could have easily been the kind of family who blows all their disposable money on "nice to have stuff" but no... we try to invest it so that we can take care of our future (and save tax payers the cost of funding our educations/retirements/healthcare)... maybe we should have been more selfish and had some 'fun' with our money instead like most people seem to do? The lyrics from Dire Straits song "Money For Nothing" seem to spring to mind.... I know there ARE genuine battlers out there... but why are they having more fun than us? We can't afford to drink to excess, smoke and party as much as our battler relos either <--- now THAT'S what called being petulant Sush )

[Ginger]

quick question from me- i've just checked my bank account and i get two fortnightly centrelink payments- one says FB but the other is just numbers. the amount of the second one is $48.30. is this FTB A?????
BG- help!!!

[maz]

That's true about the plasmas (chewing electricity). When we go over to people's houses that have them i can feel the heat radiating off them so i dread to think how much they cost to run. During winter I must confess that I briefly thought of upgrading our little standard TV.... to keep warm without having to use central heating!

We had a plasma until it blew up this january...we noticed that our electriciaty bill has dropped $50 a quarter...big difference, we bought an LCD screen instead thought

We put extra into our super aswell....we live on a tight budget and Sushie honey..I hear you about the job front. I was going to go back when Wilhelm was 2 but I was worse of by $60 a week after child care, petrol ect than if I stayed at home.