I say we were lucky to get any sum on money... my sister has 3 kids and got nothing like what we get... think she got like $600 or something......a long way off the 3, 4, or 5 thousand we stand to get (i say 3,4,5 depending on what year ur bubby is born in)
I work for Queensland Government also, and i haven't heard anything!
But from what the radios have been saying about this increase is that it's only a recent thing - like the 28th of March. I remember when i was looking for information on the baby bonus quite some time ago - i was quite strapped finding information then. The only things that kept coming up were the payments before 2005.
Anywho, i don't think Daniel and I are entitled to the baby bonus anyhow, so it doesn't really affect us..
Catherine - the centrelink/fao maternity payment (usually called the baby bonus in the media) isn't means tested - everyone is entitled to it when a bubba is born
the other "baby bonus" that some people enquire about is administered by the tax office - it's around $500 - not sure of what the criteria are to be eligible for that.
i really wish the media would use the same terminolgy as the government - would save so much confustion!!
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.
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
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 ). 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!
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!!!
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.
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.
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). Have a great Easter! I'm planning to! One more day to go!
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