Is it true?? $1000 per child??

[Shanti]

Exactly Leasha I agree !! Money makes people think horrible things....and it really cuts a line between different people doesnt it.... to avoid all this the government should just put the money elsewhere but obviuosly thats not gonna happen.....

I just hope when times get tough every time, people don't assume they will get $1K from the government you know?? As some people may start wanting to rely on it.....

[Mum2SweetCs]

You girls hit the nail on the head!

Yesterday, my friend told me she gets FTB because she's a low income earner. TBH, I think we are struggling more than she is.

Our combined income is a little over 100k, but as you ladies put it, it mostly goes to tax. A few bills are piling up and its just the worse to keep having to check your bank account to see when your DH's next pay is going to come so you can pay these overdue bills.

For my friend, she's lucky to not have a mortgage as she lives with her in laws and does not have to pay for groceries, bills etc.

I'm not jealous, just saying that just because we are earning 100k, doesnt neccessarily mean the $1k wont help us out either.

[briggsy's girl]

did just want to point out one thing on the difference in tax for people on a single income v double income family - don't forget that single income family, if the worker is on less than 150k, gets full ftbb - it might not be a huge amount, but its an additional 128 a fortnight, so that removes almost $3400 of that $8000 difference. it still doesn't level the playing field, but if you're going to draw figures to show a difference in circs, it helps to draw ALL the figures

[Mum2SweetCs]

btw, just wanted to thank you BG, Your replies makes it so much easier to understand than ringing Centrelink because I have really bad memory so tend to forget what they just said!

[Olive]

BG with that FTBB does it increase with each child? or stay the same?

[christy]

For us Jols it increased, only by around $14 a fortnight, but every bit counts!

[Olive]

ta christy!!

TBH at the end of the day we all choose to have kids! they really are our responsibility whether we choose to have 1,2 or 6 kids! we should all be gratefull we can have them! love them and cherish them, no amount of money can replace those facts. we need to get over what everyone else has or hasnt got, gets or doesnt get. wants doesnt wants, needs doesnt needs. BE HAPPY with what you do have! i know i am!

[briggsy's girl]

FTBB is based on age of youngest child, income of lower income earner - so whether you have 1 child or 10, the payment will be the same. FTBA is the one that varies on the number of kidlets

if your youngest is under 5, it's 128 per fortnight (or ball park figure) - if your child is five or over $86. this is the max rate when the lower income earner has income less than approx $4500 for the year...

[sconeonamission]

I was hearing on the news that some politicians are saying that people are just going to blow that $1000 on whatever (tv's for example). The first thing that came to my mind was food for christmas!! Nothing else even crossed it! And even my dh's (who is a BIG money spender) first thought was food on the table! See we're not all crazy out there spenders mr politican!

I'm getting the $1000 at christmas - thanks mr rudd! I called centrelink about 15mins ago about my FTB (coz work wants me to do more hours - was the primary inquiry) and if I do more hours it brings *my* earnings up to a threshold that I will be receiving very little FTB B, but still earning Part A. I'm so confused. But happy there'll be food at christmas.

[briggsy's girl]

ftbb is based just on the lower income earners income Rhianon - so if your income has gone up - even though you may remain qualified for ftba, you may be nearing the thresholds for ftbb and thus reducing your payments for part b...

[PinkPalace]

ta christy!!

TBH at the end of the day we all choose to have kids! they really are our responsibility whether we choose to have 1,2 or 6 kids! we should all be gratefull we can have them! love them and cherish them, no amount of money can replace those facts. we need to get over what everyone else has or hasnt got, gets or doesnt get. wants doesnt wants, needs doesnt needs. BE HAPPY with what you do have! i know i am!

I totally agree AJP.
The one thing i hate when it comes to discussions like this is the sledging of high vs low etc etc... We all have choice in our lives, if you dont like your mortgage - sell your house, if you earn too much change careers.

We used to be high income earners and have a mortgage but we made the decision that me being a SAHM was what we wanted for our children. this cut out my wage which was a big part of our income. We struggle more now - behind in payments etc but i wouldnt change anything for the world! This is the life i choose and i am blessed to have my 2 children in my life even if it means we go without on a lots of things and DH has to work extra hours.

In the end all this material wealth is nothing.

I couldnt care less if we got 1k or not, not like it was anything i planned my budget around, and it is a bonus.

I think people forgot that in the big scheme of things the 1k bonus has nothing to do with us little people - it is purely being given out to be injected back into the economy.

*hugs* to everyone.

[maz]

Im starting to get annoyed at people thinking that the lumpsum payment recipitants are going to blow it on useless items. It makes it sound like just because you dont earn a large amount that you have no idea how to budjet and lead a normal happy life.

Im also getting annoyed that because people make over $100K a year that many of us think they are rich and live a high and mighty life.

If your not happy with your financial situation do something about it. We are all indivuals who have choices and can choose which town/city/state we live in, what job we have and most of all what kind of lifestyle we lead. If your not happy about it, do something about it. Life is way to short to sit and be stressed out and unhappy about this sort of thing. Our babies are only babies for a short time and you dont want to regret not being there for them later when they have left home. This just doesnt include poeple who work...but how many poeple arent there for their children on an emotional level aswell.

[SJmumof2]

Oh man would i love to make over 100k a year!
We pay $1040 a month on rent and $850 a month on our car loan....so thats $1890 a month which doesnt include food and other bills.
We manage to pay these expences on less than 50 grand a year. If we were were making 100k plus we would be living the GOOD LIFE! for sure!
If i wasnt coping financially on 100k a year then i would be living beyond my means.
100k is alot of money....it needs to be budgeted properly. If it all goes on bills and people are struggleing then you shouldnt be living beyond your means.
Im not being rude im just saying that if you are paying a huge amount on your morgage and other loans then that was your choice. Nobody made you sign the papers

[~clover~]

I just wanted to say again that on the FAO phone message it says UP TOO $1000.
So it sounds to me like it might still be on a sliding scale!

I would like to stay away from the $$$ debate. Sure I'd love to have more (I'm sure everyone would), but this is my life.
I'm sure I could put my kids in full time day care & go back to school to get the qualifications for a job that pays over $100k, but I don't wanna.
I wanna be home with my kids. I'm happy to struggle along if it means the precious time with them while they are young.
My DH is doing what he wants to do! Its bloody hard work (he's a shearer), but its what he wants!
I don't think anyone has a right to winge to higher earners as there is a chance they have sacrificed alot more to get what they have got.

Life is hard. It requires hard work to get anywhere. Everyone is different. Some people can do this, & some can do that.
Some people waste money, some don't.
Some earn more, some less. The majority of us choose our lives. Sure money is great, but I'd rather happy healthy kids any day.
As long as I have a roof over our heads & food on the table we are doing ok.

We both have mobiles on a plan & we have broadband internet. I consider them both major luxuries for us! To have a computer & registered car is a luxury for us.
But, as I said, this is our life. We could change it if we want to, but we are happy with what we are both doing with our lives.

[Pretty Butterfly]

To be completly honest, I am a little upset that people assume because your low income, its fine, because you live "low income", and if you get more than $100,000 your just as "poor" as the low incomers... In some cases that just isn't true...


We got our home loan as a working couple, and are now single income. So our mortgage repayments are JUST as high as "middle to high" incomers. Only we have half the wage to pay it with.
And we too have all the same bills.
They are just as expensive for "us" as it is for everyone else.
We dont get cheaper elec, ph, gas or food because we earn less.
We pay the same as everyone else.
We have to run a car. (Ad works half hour away).

But this our choice. We wont sell till we have to.
I am not whinging about my choices, just about the assumption that if our income was around $100,000 we would be just as worse off. (and I dont mean any particular post, just in life general!)

The government says I cant do FDC from home while Kane is a high matenience bub. Fine. But they also say he is ok enough to not warrent ANY extra financial help...
But I will get back to full time work as soon as Kane and bub are at school and things will ease a lot.

I have also heard "high incomeers" say they would like some of their hard earned cash back, instead of it going to the dole bludgers and mums that sit around on their a$$es all day...

Well I too have paid a LOT of tax.... after Kane is only time I haven't worked!!! I have held down 3 jobs to support my 3 kids on my own, instead of being a bludger.


It just really irks me to be labelled when noone else has lived in my shoes...And I guess the same goes to others here too....

I am happy with my choices, even if it makes me "poor".

I would just like for people to not assume anyone elses life is just peachy due to income....

[briggsy's girl]

Oh man would i love to make over 100k a year!
We pay $1040 a month on rent and $850 a month on our car loan....so thats $1890 a month which doesnt include food and other bills.
We manage to pay these expences on less than 50 grand a year. If we were were making 100k plus we would be living the GOOD LIFE! for sure!
If i wasnt coping financially on 100k a year then i would be living beyond my means.
100k is alot of money....it needs to be budgeted properly. If it all goes on bills and people are struggleing then you shouldnt be living beyond your means.
Im not being rude im just saying that if you are paying a huge amount on your morgage and other loans then that was your choice. Nobody made you sign the papers

sorry, but that IS being rude - that's passing judgement on YOUR values and telling someone else how to live their life! some people don't have a choice BUT to pay high rent or mortgage as they have to live where the work is available! it's not just a case of saying it's a choice. i'd like for anyone to find a house that is livable for a family in Melb/Syd/Perth for $1040 a month. i live a couple of hours out of the city, and to live close to the local infrastructure i STILL can't find a house for that amount that is reasonably livable for a FAMILY.

i thought we were off the haves/have nots discussion. away from passing judgement on how people live and what their expenses are. just because you're on a high income doesn't mean you have a lot of disposable income!! you pay a crap load more tax, you lose eligibility for government family assistance payments... it's NOT all it's cracked up to be when you're on those "middle incomes"

FWIW, my DH and I are probably on around that income bracket where we'll get no FTB at all. we live 40k's from my work (more affordable housing), DH lives, on average, 10 nights a fortnight away from home - so as well as having the normal housing expenses everyone else has, we have the costs associated with him living away. we're frugal, we send as much food away with him as possible - but when you have a small fridge, no set place to cook, you can't send everything - he has to buy meals more often than he wants. we have to pay added insurance to cover the stuff he has in his truck. we have no choice but to have a mobile phone for him as it's the only way he is contactable for work. on our combined income, with no family assistance payments (even when the gremlin arrives), we're financially worse off than my Brother and SIL - and they are on income support and family assistance payments - go figure!

ETA - because we live in a smaller town, several km's from the local "infrastructure" we have no choice but to have bottled gas, which is crap loads more exxy than natural gas - our average monthly gas bill, using minimal heating, is somewhere cose to $200 just for cooking and hot water, and for the "rental" of the gas tank

[Phteven]

No-one is saying that they are earning over $100k a year and can't get by without the bonus. Frankly, whatever your income, if you need this bonus you're budgeting badly because no-one knew about it until a few days ago. If your budget was based on $1k appearing out of thin air you need to start making a more realistic budget.
Regardless of your income, being just a tiny bit over the cut-off would be annoying and regardless of your income, $1k will be useful, even if it's just so that you can buy one more pearl studded chihuahua collar.

[maz]

An hench my precious post...to many people are being judgemental over others lives and having to justify their wages ect to everyone else. Get over it!


who cares what ANYONE pays in rent/mortage fee's is your own decision to do as you please and not point fingers at others!

Chloe - dont like pearls honestly what about rubies