thread: Child care benefit - how does it work?

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  1. #1
    Registered User

    Oct 2004
    Sydney
    2,614

    Child care benefit - how does it work?

    I am possibly going to be returning to work for 2 days a week in november, and my daughter will be attending a long day care centre for those two days...

    Now, my question is, can anyone tell me how the child care benefit works? I am trying to work out whether or not it is going to be worth it financially to even go back to work at all at this stage.

    I have tlked to my child care centre and they hve given me the daily fees which are $66 per day (before any benefits are applied). I have then used the calcultor on the FAO website to give me my CCB % which is 43%. I overestimated our incomes just in case.

    Would anyone be able to tell me what I do with this percentage?
    Is it 43% of the mximum rate of the CCB or 43% of something else?
    Their website is not that helpful (or maybe I am looking in the wrong spot!)

    I'm so confused.

    any help would be appreciated. I need to tell my child care centre in the next week or so and I hate waiting on hold when I try to cll the FAO during the day! (who has the time to sit there on hold anyway!!)

    thanks

  2. #2
    Registered User

    Apr 2006
    Geelong, Victoria
    269

    I am not really good at working this out but, I will try and help!!
    On my statement it has the % 54.29 x110.00, my fee is $55.00 per day and the CCB is $24.15 so I pay the Gap of $30.85.
    I hope that this helps??

  3. #3
    Registered User

    Oct 2004
    Sydney
    2,614

    oh ok, thanks Dani.. I'm sorry but I am still so confused! Whats the 110 for? Is that what my 43% will be based on? 43% of $110 or something??
    omg I must be so daft.

  4. #4
    Registered User

    Apr 2006
    Geelong, Victoria
    269

    Oh I have no idea, as what I told you dosn't add up... sorry!!
    You could ring the daycare direct and asked then, that is what I did.
    Sorry I haven't been much help

  5. #5

    Mar 2004
    Sparta
    12,662

    Karina, I think that the 43% is what the govt pays towards your childcare.
    So, if your CC costs $100 per day you will pay $57 per day yourself and the remaining $43 will be paid by your CCB.

  6. #6
    Moderator

    Oct 2004
    In my Zombie proof fortress.
    6,449

    It is quite a complicated formula for applying the CCB to chilcare fees, applying 43% to the total cost of the fee does not work. I have tried to work it out from the vague govt website I came across, but I am having trouble getting my figures to match. If I can work it out (can't at the moment, Maggie wont' give me back my cc statement), I will post it.

  7. #7
    BellyBelly Life Member

    Jul 2004
    House of the crazy cat ladies...
    3,793

    The 43% is % of the maximum childcare benfit given. Not 43% off the daycare fees.
    Out rebate is somewhere around 60-70%, but its definitely not that much off the daycare fees.

    HTH

  8. #8
    Registered User
    Follow Pandora On Twitter

    Jan 2005
    cowtown
    8,276

    I'm not sure how its worked out.
    We get the minimum rate which works out to about $6 a day of CCB.

    You know that you can claim the Child Care 30% rebate as well, right?
    At then end of the financial year you can claim 30% off your out of pocket childcare costs (so after the CCB) up to $4000 per child in approved care, and they pay it to you in a lump sum? I think you get it back around September after the financial year your claimin for ie Sept 07 for 06-07 financial year.

  9. #9
    Registered User

    Oct 2004
    Sydney
    2,614

    Yep I saw about the 30% thing, but it said you could only get it if you got the CCB!!! So I thought I'd check wht this CCB is, cos I thought they were all the same thing. hehe

    So, Ambah, I have to find out what the maximum weekly rate of CCB is, and then work out what 43% of that is, and that figure will be my CCB?

    ok ETA I have just looked on the FAO website. It says the maximum rate is $168.50... so would my CCB be 43% of $168.50? thats $72.46, or would it be less since I wont be having 5 full days of childcare, like it will be a prorata amount of that $72.46 or something?

    OMG so confusing. I wish they would answer their stupid phones!

  10. #10
    Registered User

    Dec 2006
    In my own private paradise
    15,272

    hi ladies

    the 43% is off the maximum child care benefit paid by the government - which is around $3.15 per hour - each child care provider has a different way of charging unfortunately, but to give you a run down example

    child care costs $66 per day for each child - this child care provider charges for an 11 hour day, no matter how many hours your child is actually at the centre

    in the 11 hour day, you get a rebate equivalent to 43% of the base rate for each hour (so around $1.35 per hour) - multiply that by the number of hours (11) and you get a daily rebate of around $14.90 - you then pay the difference to the child care provider.

    the maximum rate you're looking at of $168.50 would apply for a person getting 100% rebate and using the maximum 50 hours of subsidised care per week

    hope that helps in some way to ease your confusion a bit - the easiest way to work out your exact out of pocket costs each week is to go to the provider with your estimated child care benefit entitlement - and they'll let you know

  11. #11
    Registered User

    Oct 2004
    Sydney
    2,614

    ahhhhh I get it now!! Thanks Briggsys Girl!

  12. #12
    Registered User

    Apr 2004
    Outer East, Melbourne
    581

    Rachel - with the 30% out of pocket thing - that used to be a whole year behind, so for this year you would claim for 05/06. But I think they are bringing it up to date so that for this year only you get to claim two years worth 05/06 and 06/07.

    I'm pretty sure I've received two lots of out of pocket expenses this month - one came separate from the rest. Cait was in care in 05/06 and Alex was last year.

    Barb.

  13. #13
    Registered User

    Jul 2007
    Central Coast NSW
    919

    you also get $600 per child when you put your tax return in.

  14. #14
    Registered User

    Oct 2004
    Back in Brisvegas :)
    2,048

    The $600/child is FTB Part A, and then there is a max of around $300/family for FTB Part B dependant upon how much the lower earner of a couple has earnt in the financial year.

    The 2006-2007 30% out of pocket expenses will be paid automatically around September I believe.

  15. #15
    Registered User

    Dec 2006
    In my own private paradise
    15,272

    yeah, Becka is right - the 05/06 out of pocket costs could be claimed through your 06/07 tax return, and 06/07 will be automatically processed by family assistance office starting from September (provided your tax details are completed already for the year)