I thought you had to be below a certain salary bracket to receive the payment.... We aren't too phased anyway - i'm sure we will find out more when bubby is born.
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I thought you had to be below a certain salary bracket to receive the payment.... We aren't too phased anyway - i'm sure we will find out more when bubby is born.
for the ongoing family tax benefit (ftb) payments it's based on income limits, but the maternity payment is a one off payment you get when bubs is born - it's $4133 at the moment
Um. From what I've read (The Age, The Australian and Sky News), legislation went before parliament in the past week to make the bonus available to under 18s only by instalments (13 instead of a lump sum) and each news item referred to the bonus increasing to $5000 July this year. The change was introduced in a parcel of legislative changes that mostly dealt with technical amendments to the payment of child support. So maybe there's a little bit of a time lapse before formal notification trickles down to the government departments. I used to be a newspaper editor, so I hear what you're saying about lazy journos who don't check their facts. :p
am on leave now til after easter, so can't check. we usually get emails from the ministers department if there are changes, so will check it out next week - will see what i can find!
as for the media thing - i guess i'm just a little wary of what goes through the press cos we're constantly trying to correct misinformation that's gone out in the press - wasn't meant to offend anyone, i promise:lol:
No offence taken at all, BG! Like I said, I used to be in the game and I know mistakes happen from time to time (would drive me crazy and often gave me sleepless nights). Would be surprised if three journos managed to get it wrong though, unless the source was shared and a mistake occurred at that end. Looking forward to reading what you find out next week. Unfortunately, the people I used to work with have moved on out of the industry and I don't really keep in touch with the newspaper which I used to edit (barely a face there that I would know anymore :rolleyes: ). Have a great Easter! I'm planning to! One more day to go!
Kerry, I couldn't even find any media releases referring to an increase this year. I think it's likely they got their facts wrong, or one got their facts wrong and the other two papers just rehashed the same news!
Still I'd love to be disproven! :)
CatherineL it doesn't matter how much you earn - everyone is entitled to the baby bonus so expect a nice little sum coming your way once bub is born :D
CatherineL, we didnt think that we would be entitled either as DH is a high income worker, But the surprise was about 2 weeks after we had DS and we were taking care of all the little things, Medicare for money back for Ob & Pead etc... Centrelink because we had to fill out family tax etc... and they told us that we were entitled and it would be in our account in 48 hours LMAO, Unreal for a while I didnt touch it as I was sure we were overpaid.....Funny heh!!!
Lindie
I don't think there is any point in getting your hopes up. Best case I think will be that they will announce after 1st july that as a campaign thingo they are planning to increase it, not that it will increase this year.
Ours is going straite off the mortgage, and hopefully our work bonuses can go on the other bills. I'm planning a finish date of end of financial year fingers crossed I meet KPI's and get my full $2000 from work.
Yep I;m happy with $4000 anything else will... Only be spent anyways!?? LOL...
Well.. If were entitled to it - i guess we'll just invest it for bubba... make it grow and it'll make a nice little 21st gift.
We have bought most of what we need now, so we will use it to do up our bathroom, it isn't very safe with open shelving and no locks on the medicine cabinet. I would also love a bigger bath so we can share a bath with bubs once they are born.
i can't believe the government is paying us all to have babies!! no wonder i pay so much tax...
would be nice if it increases to $5000, but $4133 is already $4133 more than i think i deserve!!
Aren't they encouraging people to have babies??? So that the aging populATIOn have young ones to look after them.
Yes, the grant is an incentive to raise Australias birth rate.
They give it out with one hand and take it back with another (medical fees etc).
Ella - You deserve every cent of that $4133 :)
So true there Renee!!!! They always find a way to recover their costs!!
Well, i didn't hear anything in the budget last night about it going up, so does that mean its staying at the $4k mark??
it was scheduled to increase to $5k in 2008, i have not heard anything contrary to this.
It's $4133 at the moment, it will go up about $100 in September in line with CPI, then the big jump is July 1 2008, when is goes up to $5000. No changes announced in the budget.
Just people were talking earlier in this thread about the big jump happening a year earlier,
I assumed if it was going to change, they would mention it in the budget?? But maybe they will say it in the lead up to the election.
Or maybe the rumours are completely untrue, and it will change in 08 like planned.. who knows anymore?
The $5000 would be nice this year but I would miss the increase if it happened this year anyway. I have 3 more kids to go though so I might make it next year. I am just grateful we get anything. Back in Canada you get something like $150 a month and that is it. No Family Tax Benifits or Maternernity Payments like there is here...
Its going up to $5000 next year not this year.
I couldnt see it happening this year any way.....Oh well next year there will be no babies for me (lol..i said that this year to tho :rolleyes:), bout 2009!
After 2008 rise.. is there any more planned rises??
I am pretty sure it is not increasing until next year.
There were some rumors a while ago that a few people brought up, however I think this was miss interpreted by the media, as it was mentioned at the same time as the announcement that as at the 1st of July parents under 18 would get the bonus in fortnightly payments rather than a lump sum.
it is a bit dissapointing that no retractions have been published, as I remember there being a lot of confusion.
awwww that would be so nice but I am happy with the $4000 as I only got $800 for my other 2 and well thats no where near as good, I guess all we can do is hope and wait to see if it happens if not nothing lost nothing gained so all is still great.
I think the $5000 is the maximum, however it increases in line with CPI each year in March and September, so it keeps up with inflation.
Also, don't forget (not sure if it has been mentioned already) that we get $600 per child in our tax returns, can't remember what it is called.
I welcome any money we get - we have officially drained our savings two years later and are now living off one wage, so ours is just going in the bank along with tax money to give us a nice buffer to live off again, means we can relax a little for a while!
Cally July 1st 2008 it becomes $5000 & does not increase after that!
It is currently $4133 & will increase in September, but oonly buy a small amount!
The baby bonus has changed so that teenage mothers (under 18) will not be paid in a lump sum but in weekly or monthly installments to make sure it is spent on the child not 'luxury' items such as tvs, cars etc...but i dont think it is just teens who are buying these so called 'luxury' items lol.
Plus the amount being paid until July 1st is $4100 and it does go up to $5000 after July
1st 2007...it was in the paper after the new budget was announced.
oh I hope so that would be so great
Hey there
Its def July 1st 2007 :)
Hmm im still not convinced... but would be great and come in handy
I think i'm going to call the FAO on the 1st of July and ask them.. Apparently they won't confirm it until it does go up anyway.
For the people who say it is going up, where did you read this? I only read the age online on budget night, not the next day, but saw no mention what-so-ever.
Also, if it goes to 5k on 1st July, do you think it still goes up in Sept for inflation?? I mean, i was happy with 3k when DS was born, but the more money they want to give us the better (espec. cos of Australias stupid no paid maternity leave provisions.. i think we deserve it!)
Nope I have a few friends working at Centrelink & 2 are pregnant so have looked into it...
Teenage Mums will get the payment over a few months, at the moment it is $4133ish & ill go up in line with inflaion in Sept, but will then be capped at $5000 as of July 2008!
I get paid maternity leave as well, so I am happy with any assistance!
I don't care really how much it goes up by, this is our first one for the government' LMAO (we need the other three to fund our retirement ;) ) so anything is better than nothing.
I haven't heard anything mentioned about it in the new budget, they would have made sure something like that would have been publicised. I bet when it goes up with the CPI in September, it will be after I have the baby LOL.
Actually I was at my local Centrelink office the other day and read one of the pamphlets and it said that the rise would be from 1st January 2008, and would be the $5000, plus a bit more, not sure what the bit more was for tho. Perhaps I should find that info again and sus it out a little better.
The little bit extra is usually from inflation and the Consumer Price Index (CPI), that's why the current figure is $4133 or whatever it is.
Just another thought, it really is great that we actually do get something for nothing outta the government! When I had my first 3 children, we got nothing, my 4th I think we got like $700 and the 5th was probably the same if not a couple of hundred more.
I sometimes think they should reassess some of the reasons people are falling pregnant too, is it only for the money as I see far too often where I live????
I see way too many new babies born then fostered out cause their mum or dad needed the money for other purposes!
To be honest, I wouldnt care if I received the $4000+ or not, as long as I had a happy healthy baby in my arms at the end of it all lol.