question about centrelink rate calculator

hi all
was wondering if anyone has tried the centrelink rate calculator to work out thier PPP/FTA-B/rent assistance?

dp and i are expecting #1 in may and i am planning to be a SAHM. DP is casual at the moment making about $700 gross a week, soon going onto fulltime contract with the same company but his pay will be staying about the same (maybe $50 less or more a week).

i have been working part time since start of financial yr (jul 08) and finishing in 5 weeks, worked out i will have made between 10-14grand in that time...so on my 08/09 tax return i will have about 10-14 grand as income.

i tried out the rate calculator and did it as if bubs has just been born so i could get an estimate, it asked me what my income was for 08/09 tax yr, i was just wondering if that 10-14grand ive made before bubs has come will effect how much benefits i get, even though i wont be working once shes born?
i thought the benefits go off whether you are 'currently' working, which i wont be cause i will be a SAHM.

hope this makes sense? any help would be great!!
also if u did use the rate calculator and are now on benefits, how accurate was the calculator for u in comparison to the actual amt u receive? it seems like with ppp/ftba/ftbb/rent assist i will receive approx $450 a fornight, seems like alot on top of baby bonus too??

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hi all
was wondering if anyone has tried the centrelink rate calculator to work out thier PPP/FTA-B/rent assistance?

dp and i are expecting #1 in may and i am planning to be a SAHM. DP is casual at the moment making about $700 gross a week, soon going onto fulltime contract with the same company but his pay will be staying about the same (maybe $50 less or more a week).

i have been working part time since start of financial yr (jul 08) and finishing in 5 weeks, worked out i will have made between 10-14grand in that time...so on my 08/09 tax return i will have about 10-14 grand as income.

i tried out the rate calculator and did it as if bubs has just been born so i could get an estimate, it asked me what my income was for 08/09 tax yr, i was just wondering if that 10-14grand ive made before bubs has come will effect how much benefits i get, even though i wont be working once shes born?
i thought the benefits go off whether you are 'currently' working, which i wont be cause i will be a SAHM.

hope this makes sense? any help would be great!!
also if u did use the rate calculator and are now on benefits, how accurate was the calculator for u in comparison to the actual amt u receive? it seems like with ppp/ftba/ftbb/rent assist i will receive approx $450 a fornight, seems like alot on top of baby bonus too??

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ok - first things first - if your partner is on 700gross per week, you won't qualify for PPP (if it's a smidge under you might, but i believe the current cut off is 1400 a fortnight to get $0 PPP) - so that answers question number one.

yes, your 10-14k WILL impact your FTB entitlement - the system doesnt look at what you earn in the period your baby is around, it looks at ANNUAL income. so from when bub is born to June 30, that money will make a difference to your FTBA and FTBB entitlement

from July 1 until you return to work, there is an option available to quarantine your income so that it only applies for FTBB PURPOSES from the date you return to work. so if you are a SAHM with no income from July 1 to Sept 30, you'll get max rate FTBB for that period and any income you earn from October 1 til June 30, will, for FTBB ONLY, be only applied to payments after that date. you have to return to work at least 10 hours per week and provide employment details for this to happen. your income will apply to FTBA for the WHOLE year though - the quarantining ONLY applies to FTBB

it's confusing, and messy, but that's how it works

my suggestion (for anyone that will be going back to work) is, for the new financial year (09/10) add what income you believe you'll earn to your partners income for FTBA purposes so that you don't get over paid. when you return to work yourself, you adjust his income down and put your income under your name so that it correctly impacts your payments

HTH

BG

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it's confusing, and messy, but that's how it works

BG

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yes yes it is!!!
im planning on having a couple of yrs off, so my 08/09 income will be the 10-14k, but as for 09/10 it will definately be zero income(apart from centrelink benefits of course).

so if i have understood the 'quarantine' correctly, i will get payments from 1 july to 30 sept based on my 10-14k income, then after that i can tell them i wont be working at all for 09/10 and get benefits based on me getting zero income?

and as for ppp, the calc said id only get about $20 per fornite based on a figure of dps pay being 700 p week, were not sure if itll go up or down once he goes onto full time (he'll get 3-5 more hrs per week but his rate will go down from casual to full time rate) but itll be around that.

and it seems we will get the max rent assistance cause ill be getting FTB and our rent is over $300 per week.
agghhh! my brain:wall:

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yes yes it is!!!
im planning on having a couple of yrs off, so my 08/09 income will be the 10-14k, but as for 09/10 it will definately be zero income(apart from centrelink benefits of course).

so if i have understood the 'quarantine' correctly, i will get payments from 1 july to 30 sept based on my 10-14k income, then after that i can tell them i wont be working at all for 09/10 and get benefits based on me getting zero income?

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urgghhh i just re read what u wrote BG....thouroughly...(sp?) and got what you meant LOL
so from when bubs is born (EDD 10th may ) until june 30, payments will be effected by my estimated 10-14k income, whereas as of 1 july it will be based on my estimated $0 income?

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urgghhh i just re read what u wrote BG....thouroughly...(sp?) and got what you meant LOL
so from when bubs is born (EDD 10th may ) until june 30, payments will be effected by my estimated 10-14k income, whereas as of 1 july it will be based on my estimated $0 income?

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that's it babe!

for the PPP - it really will depend on your partners income once he goes full time. you'd have to wait and find out exactly what that will be. if you're entitled to $20 a fortnight, apply for it - basically if you qualify for PPP, you'll get max rate FTBA, and you'll get a Health Care Card so well worth the effort

it will mean if he has a variable wage, you need to ring in once a fortnight to report his income - if it's a set wage, you can put it in as a set wage, and only contact if it's different for any reason (unpaid leave, public holiday pay etc)

great hun thanks your a lifesaver!!
im impresed by how much we will actually get, at the moment i work 20 hrs a week and make about $600 a fortnite, ill be getting more a fortnight from centrelink taking into account the baby bonus for the first 6 months!

you'll be "working" a hell of a lot more than 20 hours a week though hun!

tatto_mama we're exactly the same! its crazy isnt it to think we're working now and receiving less than we will once we stop and have (another) a baby!... i guess we're lucky to have a generous government these days!!