Q's about paretning payment single

Okay so does anyone know why this is....

If you are on single parent pension, then go off it for a period of time because circumstances change (eg you move in with a new partner) the you are in a position after a while where you are again a "single parent" why aren't you entitled to parenting payment anymore?

This to me sounds crazy, but apparently you are then only entitled to new start, which is a complete different ammount to qualify for than parenting payment single

IS that really confusing???

How old is your youngest child?

There may be other factors, how old is the youngest child?
ETA: snap Lulu!

there was a date in may a few years ago where the rulings were changed - if you were on parenting payment single before that date, you are able to stay on it until your youngest child turns 16, with the explectation that you engage in mutual obligation (similar to newstart) from their 7th birthday. you get to keep your 'grandfathered' parenting payment status (you keep concession card and higher rate of payment). if you go off the single payment for more than a certain period of time (i think it's 13 weeks) you lose your 'grandfathered' status, and are treated under the newer rulings. under the newer rulings, parenting single is only available until your youngest child turns 7. at that time, you move to newstart as a principle carer (you're expected to engage in work/study/training for 15 hours per week, or be actively looking for work). newstart has a lower level of payment and you only get a health care card, not a pension concession card.

thee are other differences, but they are the main ones...

Briggy's girl, that was the explination that was given, but how is that fair that for a single parent who went off centrelink for a few years and did the right thing in supporting themselves are almost punished for it? How is it fair for one person to be entitles to higher payments for an extra 9 years than another just cause for a few months they were off parenting payment. Thats so stupid. No wonder people lie about their relationships and abuse the system by claiming something they aren't entitled to. Centrelink is one big joke.

The child is 8

i just commented in another thread and i'll say it here too - the policy makers obviously don't have to live on welfare payments cos they have no idea how it is in the real world!

i don't agree that there should be changes to the rate of payment - if you're single, you're single. i DO agree with the expectation for meeting mutual obligation agreements once your kids are at school (there has been a lot of study into the impact of being out of the workforce for 16 years or more and it's not good) - but yeah, as a person, not as a centrelink employee, i agree with you wholeheartedly. one single parent is no different to any other.

I agree about having to meet certain obligations too. The case i'm speaking about the mum has worked part time since the child was 1 year old for more than the required time. But yes, it sucks that a single mum doing it all on her own is not technically classess as a single mum and does not recieve any parenting payment for it. And yet many partnered mothers still recieve parenting payment.

But your capacity to work full time once your kids are at school is alot better though.

I know the changes suck but they have been put there so there being out of the workforce for 16 years won't be such a problem, it had to change sooner or later to avoid that.

:hiding:

Lulu, I see where you are coming from, but if changes had to be made then why make it only affect part of the 'single mums'?
Like i said, i can see why so many people lie about their circumstances, which i completely disagree with, but get why people do it. I bet they don't bother telling these women when they tell them they are moving in with a new partner that they'd better make sure they make it work or they'll be out on their ass with no help afterwards

the income limits for parenting partnered are much lower as well.

i agree that the changes to activity testing had to happen lulu - i just don't agree with the changes to payment rate between one group of single parents and another. newstart payment rates and earnings thresholds are so much lower. yes, they shoudl have to do something so that they're not out of the workforce for 16 years and they're moving towards being more employable - but the way it's been done doesn't sit well with me because it creates financial inequality between people that went on payments at different dates. most customers don't mind that they have to do something to get their payment - they just object to getting less for doing the same (earnings impactpayment earlier on newstart etc). i agree with them to be honest!

Then there is the renting issue. How is a single mum on her own expected to afford to rent somewhere to live (the mums are often the ones to move out with the child when something goes wrong) then you have to convince someone to rent you a house on a single part time income with NO parenting payment at all! Sure there is family tax and rent assistance, but honestly, without any parenting payment and a cheap place now being over $200 a week easily, where are these people meant to go?

you'd be suprised at how many charitible organisations are out there that help with rental until government housing becomes available. i didn't realise myself until very recently when talking about someone in financial hardship needing help with moving. i have heard of bond loans, but i was advised by an estate agent that some departments help with paying part of the rent on a private rental as well.

The income thresholds peeve me the most between payments. I can earn at most $61 a fortnight before I get my pay cut, if I was single I could earn hundreds before it gets cut, and the single income thresholds get indexed every year - that $61 has been the same for decades I reckon. The net result is that I get so little on parenting payment because of my other income that I actually get considerably less in total than I would on PPS with NO other income, after tax and expenses. Centrelink doesn't count most of my expenses as expenses, so they deem me as earning more than I do so it really cuts into my PPP. Or it would if they ever get around to actually PAYING me, I've been getting $250 a fortnight total from centrelink for rather a while now and I'm not working at the moment and have no other income (although they deem I do) so it really hurts.

It's sort of like when school brings in a new uniform. When it changes over you have to buy the new one if you start the year of the change, but if you are already there you can wear the old one for longer.

I'm not sure if I'm grandfathered or not. I've hopped on and off the payment a couple of times over the last few years depending on my work status but I'm leaving my head in the sand about it. I've got enough to worry about as it is......BG please don't tell me when the changeover was cos I don't want to know!!

Dee - the renting issue is a HUGE one, it scares the bejaysus outta me. I have my own house (so no rent assistance) but I'm not able to work and supplement my income so I couldn't afford to stay there. I thank heavens each day I have a friend with a house big enough to share.
If I had to sell it I'd be just as stuffed because who would rent to me? No matter I've paid my own way for years - I just can't work right now.

It's really hard isn't it :( The rent thing terrifies me too, you won't believe what I pay in rent here...and how much I go without just so I can stay in a semi decent neighbourhood. If I was to pay ANY less I would be living somwhere horrible and have to send my kids to schools covered in grafitti and where they lock up, yes...lock up, the lunch boxes so kids don't steal their food :(

And it keeps going up...just went up to $425 a week :( it's ****ed...i'm just getting further and further into debt with my parents :(

Damn ... after rent in, we pay $60pw for our house. If by some miracle we get a loan, after we move we'll be paid (yes, paid, not pay) $85 a week to live in a brand new 4br house. I just have to convince a bank that we can afford to do that. Bank criteria can be as stupid as Centrelink's sometimes.

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I'm not sure if I'm grandfathered or not. I've hopped on and off the payment a couple of times over the last few years depending on my work status but I'm leaving my head in the sand about it. I've got enough to worry about as it is......BG please don't tell me when the changeover was cos I don't want to know!!

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i don't know off the top of my head anyway!

the whole situation would be alot fairer if they changed the rule at a certain date, but the fact is that someone who had a child at a certain time is fine to get PP single unless of course they go off it for some reason. That is just the crappest of crap. People shouldn't get penalized cause a situation didn't work out, when they were fully entitled to it 13 weeks earlier