Payment from Centrelink

[Lorin]

Does any body know the amount you get while you are off work at home with baby! Like when you put in to get fortnightly payments, does any body know how much your partner can be earning for you to earn how much???

Because i have been told i will get about 30 a fortnight by going on Marks my partners wage! so its looks like i will be going back to work sooner then i hoped! i will only be able to take 2 mths off work, if that.

[Tobily]

The Family Assistance office website has an estimate calculator that you can work this out.
You just put in all you and partners income details and it will tell you what payment you are entitled to per fortnight. It's pretty impossible to work it out on your own

I'm not sure if I can link it here but just put it into google and you'll get it.

[Trillian]

Lorin, google 'familyassist.gov" and it will birng it up for you. There is also the part B payment of around $117 p/fortnight for SAHM too in additon to the family assistance.

[Lorin]

what is SAHM

[Trillian]

Lorin, SAHM is Stay At Home Mum

[Lorin]

Oh ok so say.... my partner works and i stay home, i will received the say 30 per fortnight if it is that plus the 117 per fortnight of is that still also depending on our wages combined. Or is the 117 something every mother who stays home gets???

[ambz]

stay at home mums


so if you give up your job completely to stay at home you are entitled to the part B payment? and you can also get the part A payment if your partners income is not too high?
i already know im not entitled to part A. so it doesnt apply to me anyways.

[Trillian]

Part A is worked out on a sliding scale of your income. Even if you estimate your income to be $60,000 - you will still be entitled to the base rate of Family assistance. Part B is an additional payment which is paid if the mother does not work. This is not based on income - it is a flat rate.

[kirsty]

Can I just add Sherie part B is based on the mothers income, sorry. I work part time & I get a % of part B based on my income estimate for the year, eg this year I estimated I would earn about $10,200 & I am currently getting $70.24 per fortnite.

[Lorin]

Hmm Ok i understand now.
So you are defenetly not entitle to part b if you are going to atke maternity leave and return to work say after the year of maternity leave
Centrelink/Government confuses me so much i hate it

[Trillian]

*snap* that's right Kirsty - you can earn up to X amount before the payment is affected. Lorin, I assume you could get it while you are at home, but if you get any income from maternity leave, I'm not sure about that. If you call them and speak to one of the operators, they might be able to help you.

[ShootingStar]

So you are defenetly not entitle to part b if you are going to take maternity leave and return to work say after the year of maternity leave
Centrelink/Government confuses me so much i hate it

Im really curious about that also. Ive put in for maternity leave and at the moment dont plan to come back to work (cos i hate it!) but i dont know what is going to happen in a year.. i may need to.. but if i cant receive part B then it will make things alot harder to live on.. so any info anyone has would be great!

[Trillian]

If you decide to return to work, you just tell them and they will either pay you less depending on how much you earn, or they will stop paying it.

[Lorin]

Well i just dont understand the system because they go on your last financial year, which for me will be the one coming up because that will be the last before baby is born. BUT how is the last financial year going to help me when baby is born. Difference being i wont have my pay coming in or any maternity pay so in that case its what ever i can get from centrelink till i do return.
I understand what every one is saying but dont you think its really stupid

[Trillian]

You still have to estimate your income for the current financial year that bubs is born in though, and that is what your payments are generally based on. I ring them every quarter and change our estimate.

[Lorin]

Ahh i havnt been told that. See i am just going off what my sister in law & my partners sister have told me and they didnt say anything about that. I have tried to ring them and they tell me they dont give out any information untill the baby is born.

[kirsty]

You'll get all the necessary paperwork while you are in hospital after you have had bubs.

So can I ask, are you taking any paid maternity leave or is it all unpaid?

The reason I ask is if you are taking unpaid maternity leave you will get part B or a percentage of it if you will be back to work before the beginning of the next financial year (before June 30th 2007), you will be asked to estimate your income for the financial year (2006-07) & if you have no income at all you should get the full amount of Part B & possibly some of Part A dependent on your partners income. If you will be returning to work before June 30 2007 then you will need to work out approx how much money you will make & they will then work out how much of Part B you are entitled to, which is then paid to you in a fortnightly payment.

Feel free to ask any other questions you have & I'll help if I can.

[MrsBump]

Lorin,
I am currently on centrelink benifits. My DF can earn up to $600 a fortnight before my payments are affected, then i get something like 30-50 cents out of a dollar for every dollar he earns taken out. I get both tax a&b. I know centrelink organises it stupidly as how can last years tax help this year? Unless they want to see how much your wages go up a year if they do at all. I think they should up the amount you can earn as it is hard to live these days especially on a single wage. Cost of living isnt cheap! I hope i have helped a little,
Jenni