Centrelink and the Defence Forces - Another question for BG
Dh has been told that he may be posted overseas for up to 9 months, most likely to Afghanistan to help with the rebuilding efforts. While he is overseas will I qualify for single parent pension? and how do I report his earnings while he is overseas? this is all to confusing!
PLEASE help me to understand the policies re the defence force, there are so many different rules!
you'll still be on partnered rate cos you're not seperated relationship-wise, just distance wise. he should be given more information before he ships out on what is classified as taxable income, and what is not. your ftb estimate includes both - the non-taxable portion for any defence force personell (anyone really) that is located outside of Au, but income sourced from within Au, for more than 61 days is classified (this has changed on July 1 from previous years when it was omitted from estimates). parenting payment wise, i believe (and i'm not at work, so i can't check and say for sure) that his whole income would be included, which would, after a period of time, negate your eligibility to parenting partnered.
please please please - i know that there are people who live apart for work purposes that state they're seperated and the sahp claims parenting single, when they're still in a marriage like relationship with just distance between them. their relationship is still intact and there are intertwining finances and things. it's not worth it. they get caught. simple things that you take for granted (like net banking) can be enough to bring it all undone and have you paying back debts or facing presecution! - so please don't go there!
Thanks BG. I find the wording of all the forms so hard to understand. We have joint account and i work too so not worth the trouble of getting caught for only $400 per f/n if that
On a similar topic, BG has there been any word along the Centrelink grapevine about whether any consideration has been given for Defence families with regards an exclusion to the reporting of 'tax free' income.
It's just obscene that blood money that they are being paid to be shot at, at the behest of the Australian Government, is now counted by Centrelink. If you partner deploys frequently and irregularly it will be impossible to predict income for the year plus most Defence families revert to fairly low incomes when their partners at on Australian soil - it will be an overpayment nightmare for a lot of Defence families, especially as there is already a lot of confusion regarding pay and entitlements in the first place.
as far as i know, for anyone overseas for more than 61 days it counts - but not being at work, i can't check! i've had a fair amount of leave since the budget was announced...
it's a PITA for you guys i know - it's hard to "guess" what you're going to be entitiled to cos overestimating is the best option, but it can make money tight when he's home (when you're expenses are generally higher cos you have to feed HIM too! lol) - wish i could give you a better answer than that, but i'm having a vague morning
ok, from what i can find (and don't quote me on this cos it was FLAT OUT today, nothing on the internal system reflects the changes til tomorrow, and the person who did our brief training is off work with severe morning sickness!! typicall!! so i just did a quick look to see what i could find)
with regard to defence force incomes and income support payments, i couldn't find anything at all. i would assume that even the income when defence force personel are home is slightly above the income thresholds for qualifying for payments like parenting payment - not sure, but it's an assumption. no matter how woeful defence force money is, it's gotta be better than that! i've never come across a partner of a defence force member on a parenting payment....
anyhoot, on to FTB!
firstly, with regard to income, Service Allowance for full time Defence Force personal is not exempt. some payments are however exempt - and PLEASE - this is my interpretation on a quick flick through details between calls, so don't shoot the messenger!! if they're overseas on an approved project for a period of more than 91 days, their income may be exempted for FTB purposes (so your nine month time would be exempted on my interpretation of it). i also noted on my training notes that deployment to an active warzone is exempt income, but i need to check that with trainer (how rude of her to not be at work!)
both a friend and i read it that, if the dollars appear on their payment summary for the ATO to see, then it appears on your estimate for FTB purposes
sooooooooo, my suggestion - ask your partners to query with whoever is responsible for paying them - they should know (and if your partner is too slack, tell them you'll deploy their sorry butts to the warzone known as "b!tch wife city" when you get a debt!)
Thanks BG! We shall have to cross these bridges when we come to them hey I have put in the wages DH will earn if he is not deployed at this stage, and if we get a debt we should be able to afford it if he has been away, but I dont like having black marks against my name. at this stage we are still waiting on entry dates! For a tradesman Salary the army is lower than what DH can get on the outside, however on the outside he is not guaranteed work IYKWIM. At the moment we want the security. And if he does get deployed then he will earn way over what he would on a civilian wage.
Centrelink and the Defence Forces - Another question for BG
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