Is it true?? $1000 per child??

[Missy]

oh I was just about to say that too ...lol

[sushee]

I'm confused about why anyone feels bad if someone says they don't need this money. If they don't need it, isn't it part of the discussion for them to be able to say so? They're not trying to make anyone feel bad by saying that the govt is giving them money they don't actually need. They're just stating facts. They aren't necessarily buying mansions, or driving ferraris either, they're just saying that they can survive without it. And what they then do with the money is really up to them, isn't it?

And please don't think I don't understand having to struggle, because I do. I've lived with so little money that if my kids ate, it meant I couldn't. But I still don't see someone saying they're surviving as being a personal affront to those who are struggling. I don't think Zee was bragging about her luxurious lifestyle, she was just saying that if the money never was given to them, they probably would have managed okay anyway.

[Neenee Jellybeanie]

I read in the paper today that it's 1000 per child, not per family.

Does this payment just get popped into your bank account or is it a tax refund? If your income is below a certain threshold (as mine is), you don't need to lodge a tax return, and many of the people receiving the payment will be doing the same I imagine. Surely you still get the payment even if you're not required to lodge a tax return?

[Phteven]

You can hardly say any of this is anyone's fault. It's a societal problem (the 'want it NOW' mentality that most of us seem to have today.... Labor or Liberal... Democrat or Republic in the US)...not one caused or fixable by an individual or even a political party. Who knows what is going on that the media don't see fit to publish (because it's not sensational or low-brow enough to sell papers). Personally though I don't think the previous party left our country in any particularly good shape. I worry just as much about our countries environment as the economy. You have to have a healthy environment before you can have a healthy economy. What i worry about is that while we all love a shopping spree are we really losing a bit of perspective? Are we desperately hoping that a quick-fix like this $1000 per child bonus is really going to best for our (or our children's) futures? I am always concerned when people seize the quick-fix option over and above the slower but more effective long term solution. That's why on a deeper level all this still concerns me.

I totally agree with this and I just wanted to add that the previous government left housing (owning and rental) less affordable than at almost any point in our history and fresh food also became less affordable. I hardly think that presiding over such price increases is good economic management.

[kristy J]

Neenee Jellybeanie - sa far as i know it will just go into you bank account if you get FTB-A they have your details already. i dotnt think you have to do anthing at all. just one day wou wake up and bam we have extra money. but i might be wrong?

sushee - hope no one thinks i was personally attacking Zee or anyone else! i wouldn't do that. sometimes its not what people say (or type) its how its said (or typed)
its great not to "need" the money and its awsome that they choose to give it to the kids (tho it is surposed to be spent, which is the whole point of the money) its when people brag about posessions that bugs me, brand droppers. it happens often in lots of threads,

when will we know for sure who gets what?

[{sarah}]

Hey BG, I haven't read the entire thread, but just wanted to clarify something? We get out FTB at the end of the financial year, too hard for us to calculate my wage as I work one regular day, but other inconsisten times from home as well. So does that mean we would get it at tax time? I read your other post, but wasn't sure if that's what you meant

Christmas time would be baaad for us, I'd want to spend it all on more presents or decorations

[Phteven]

Money that is saved will also help the economy too because it will increase banks confidence to have more funds to play with.
I've no idea if we'll get it and I'm too lazy to read all the details of eligibilty - I'll apply when it's time lol. I doubt we will but if we do I don't think it's really anyone's business how we use it.

[Sair]

Does putting money into my credit card help the banks too then? Whatever is left after my P&T is going straight onto our evil credit cards. Same with the baby bonus/whatever it is called when this bub is born. I want to be debt free!!!

[Phteven]

Since personal debt is at unsustainable levels anything that reduces it is going to help - not the banks but the economy.

[kristy J]

Since personal debt is at unsustainable levels anything that reduces it is going to help - not the banks but the economy.

I wonder if this is the same for lump sum super contrbutions. hmm my super myst be almost empty now i'm not working. thank god for DH's.

[nic]

Sarah, I think if you claim at the end of the financial year after having your tax done, it will be worked out and paid then? That's from reading what BG posted a few pages back anyway...i think that is what will happen

[briggsy's girl]

BG...can I ask a Q about the above you said a few pages ago?

It's a bit OT....but I've given them an estimate of 80k for the last two years for DP's earnings, I don't work. I get the base rate of FTB pA + rent assistance + FTB partB. IN reality, because we are contractors, our taxable income is in reality more like under 60k. I purposely over estimated JIC. So would you say that I would still receive the same FTB partA if I gave them our more realistic 60k estimate? See, I was under the impression and hope that when we lodged our tax returns for the last two years (we've had problems and not done it before now) that I would receive quite a large repayment as I overestimated so much...was looking forward to use it to pay off our income tax.
So I'm a bit freaked out to think that I might not be any difference between 60k and 80k...is there a reason for that?

there is a sliding scale for FTBA payments - once you hit a certain point, you hit "base rate" of payment, and it stays at that until you hit another threshold where it starts to reduce. the thresholds vary depending on the number of children you have, whether you pay rent etc. personally, if you've estimated 80 but only have an income of 60, i would say you're not going to get a mammoth top up. yes, you will get a top up, but it won't be huge.

FWIW, for 06/07 financial year, if it's not completed by june 30 2009, you won't receive ANY top up at all, so i'd get onto that now. if you're looking at 05/06 you're already past the deadline for top ups and supplements

Hey BG, I haven't read the entire thread, but just wanted to clarify something? We get out FTB at the end of the financial year, too hard for us to calculate my wage as I work one regular day, but other inconsisten times from home as well. So does that mean we would get it at tax time? I read your other post, but wasn't sure if that's what you meant

Christmas time would be baaad for us, I'd want to spend it all on more presents or decorations

Sarah, if you do a claim at tax time, you'll get the payment then - the only situatiion i'm not sure about is people that have estimates on file but being paid at the zero rate (so FAO process payments automatically at tax time rather than claiming through ATO or doing a new claim each year) - i haven't had access to anything to confirm what will happen in that circumstance

christmas deco's are pretty though... you could have lots of fun shopping....

HTH

BG

[Trillian]

It would be really nice if the discussion could stay on topic and not descend into rants and grievances about the have's, the have not's and the sometimes have's.

BG, you are doing a super brilliant job of answering everyone's questions yourself considering you haven't been at work and you're not feeling well.

[MistyFying]

This is going to be really helpful for me. DH and I both work part-time for a nonprofit organisation (paid) and parttime for a church which is unpaid.

Wouldn't it be great if everyone who received the money and didn't actually need it donated it to a welfare organisation who would then use it to help those who need it most? Can you imagine a huge increase in the Salvo's Christmas care parcels? Or the thousands more kids in overseas communities who can't afford clean drinking water being given a fresh water well and water purification system for Christmas?

I know that it's going to help the squeeze this Christmas for me, but I certainly won't be spending it all on myself and my family. Spread the love, I say, and make the world a better place

[Bathsheba]

I think it's difficult to have a discussion using the the word "need".

You can't assume you are on the same page (sharing the same definition) as everyone else in the thread. What people mean by "need" has HUGE variations. For instance: I don't think people need to own their own homes or have mortgages... you only need a roof over your head so renting should be adequate. I don't think people need to own a private car (in the city at least)... I don't drive, public transport and taxi use is all i need... having your own car is more of a "want". I also don't think you need to buy new clothes... Op Shop clothes are adequate. I certainly don't think anyone needs a television. Just a few examples. Need is a relevant term... not a fixed certainty beyond water/food/health/warmth/shelter/human contact. Western societies have turned so many "wants" into "needs" and I think this is a significant reason why we are in this mess.

So according to my own definition we don't "need" this money. We would if we didn't have a roof over our head, enough money to buy train tickets, or enough money to buy secondhand clothes. Maybe this is what some other people mean when they say they don't "need" this bonus? But thanks Trillian by suggesting we don't get too personal. I think it's more interesting to have a discussion in more general terms anyhow. Thanks Dach for acknowledging my comments... I wasn't sure I had made much sense I've just finished watching the US candidates debate and I still believe that no political party is to blame for this. This Crisis comes down to individual greed and impatience and only individual integrity and patience is going to get us out of this mess. It's good to see that on the whole our two political parties have stopped the finger pointing and settled down to deal with the issue as best they can.

It would be good to see a bit more personal accountability too though... like Dach said: "Since personal debt is at unsustainable levels anything that reduces it is going to help - not the banks but the economy". Let's all take some responsibility for this and try to clean up our own credit mess (if we are in one)... how can we blame fat-cat banking CEOs for benefitting from huge payouts despite poor performance if we essentially do the same thing? If we are in a financial mess then why should we go out and reward ourselves with a spending spree? Sure the scale is different between them and us... but the concept is the same.

[Smoke Jaguar]

I thought about the camera I want, the gear I could get for my horse, a weekend away (oddly enough, did NOT think about Christmas presents!)...all for about a nano-second. Pretty sure we'll be sticking it in DS's bank account - even if not all of it, then a goodly chunk of it. Like Bath said, there's nothing I 'need' that I don't really already have (that's obtainable by purchasing it - I 'need' more time and motivation, but can't buy it!!) and everything I need is enough (I confess, I pinched that line from Jack Johnson).
We're sitting pretty ATM, I just need to stick to our budget (no-one got rich by spending all their money!) and control impulse buying, so it's not like this bonus is going to save us from anything. I'd rather see the money go to Indigenous health, personally. But if we've got it coming, I might skive some of it off to just such a cause (ANTAR is a great organisation, for those who are similarly inclined!)

[mrsmac]

I just called them and we don't get it With 3 children you need to have earnt under $115K in the financial year according to the lady i spoke to.
Sadly we really do actually need the money, our mortgage repayments are through the roof and we are so short of money its not funny. Oh well thats life I guess.

[Liz]

Not sure that's right mrsmac.

Family Assistance Office | Your family income is $94,316 or more (less than base rate)

If you're over $115k then you can't get it fortnightly.. but the limit for qualifying for FTBA is actually $122k with 3 kids.