Austudy and parenting payment

[Karina]

Hi there

I'm trying to work out how to sort myself out for Austudy and parenting payment.
I'm pretty sure i'm going to be single soon and I dont have a (paid) job, so i have no income. I'm at uni full time (its only 2-3 days a week, but that what the full time load is for my course). My daughter goes to childcare on the days i go to uni.

I'm trying to do those rate estimators on the centrelink website but it only lets you estimate one payment at a time. So what I was wondering was, say, I do my estimate for Austudy and it gives me a rate for that. Then I want to go do the estimator for PP, where it asks me for my income, do I need to put what I'd get for Austudy as my income? Just not sure if Austudy is like a "taxable income" when they assess your eligibility for other payments (.. Or is it that you can only get one payment at a time?

I would talk to them on the phone but I was just waiting on hold for I dont know how long and got frustrated. I'm thinking of actually going to the centrelink office on monday or saturday to see if i can sort it out in person, but just trying to get some idea of it all.

Sorry if my question is confusing. I just have no clue about anything relating to centrelink payments!

[Visitor7]

You can only receive one Social Security payment at a time. Austudy & PP are both Social Security payments. You will need to work out which payment you would be financially better off being on, and applying for that one. With the Centrelink estimator, you can estimate both Centrelink payment & Family Assistance payment (so you can estimate PP & FTB OR Austudy & FTB). It's best to call Centrelink rather than going in, as they will most likely tell you to call anyway.

ETA: Social Security payments are taxable incomes.

[deletedit]

You can get parenting payment single when you are studying. Worked it out on another thread - with one kid and paying rent, you get about $900 a fortnight.

[e_p]

you were right - you will only be entitled to one or the other of Austudy or Parenting Payment. If your child is under 7 y.o and you become single you will be financially much better off on Parenting Payment Single and Family Tax Benefit than Austudy and Family Tax Benefit. Claims for Parenting Payment are done over the phone so there isn't much point heading into the office at this point - the best time to contact will be the day after you become separated. You may also be eligible for JET child care assistance and Pensioner Education Supplement. You can make a claim for FTB online now if your combined income with your partner is below the income limits. Good luck!