Need to know..

**Muffy** · July 5th, 2012, 10:33 AM

So, if someone is claiming the single parent pension and runs their own 'facebook page' business with an abn number are they required to report their earnings?

**kelebek** · July 5th, 2012, 10:41 AM

I would *think* so. If they are declaring to the ATO then they have to declare to centrelink

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**Starfish** · July 5th, 2012, 10:55 AM

Yes, if it's income, it has to be reported. However, with a small business, I am not sure how you would calculate it, i.e. the costs of running the business vs profit...

**LimeSlice** · July 5th, 2012, 11:04 AM

You need to report income, but if the business runs at a loss, then it all gets reconciled back to them at ta time. Just beacuse someone runs a business doesn't mean it actually generates an income.

**e_p** · July 5th, 2012, 11:08 AM

You need to report income, but if the business runs at a loss, then it all gets reconciled back to them at ta time. Just beacuse someone runs a business doesn't mean it actually generates an income.

for parenting payment, if you over declare your income from self employment and it turns out your business ran at a loss, it does not get reconciled and back pay does not get issued at the end of the financial year.

**Muffy** · July 5th, 2012, 11:50 AM

This person makes a fair bit of profit from what they sell, and doesnt have many outgoing expenses..

**e_p** · July 5th, 2012, 12:25 PM

if you think they're not declaring the information to C entrelink, you can provide a tip off and it will be investigated.

**delphmoon** · July 5th, 2012, 01:02 PM

you would want to be sure something is going on before you potentially ruin someone's reputation...just saying

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**briggsy's girl** · July 5th, 2012, 01:28 PM

a tip off to c'link won't ruin anyones reputation
if they are investigated, they are investigated - it happens all the time
it's not like you're going to go on fb and tell all and sundry that this person is duping the system or something stupid like that. Business Integrity officers don't involve anyone else in an investigation unless it is absolutely necessary (and it would be only employers - which this person doesn't have - or banks/ATO etc) - it's not made public knowledge at all unless the person being investigated is stupid enough to whinge about it themselves!

put in a tip off - there is a real chance that the person has declared their business and their income is being taken into account, including profit and loss. but it's better to report them and have it checked, then to NOT report them, leave it ages, then somehow they get caught later down the track and end up with far more of an overpayment kwim? if they're doing the wrong thing, the sooner it is "caught" and rectified, the better (in a sense) it is for them cos they will get less of a debt etc

ETA - you don't have to sit on the phone to do a tip off either - you can do it online on the human services website

**delphmoon** · July 5th, 2012, 01:38 PM

I was more saying just because someone has a Facebook page it doesn't mean they are doing the wrong thing.
obviously in this case she must know this person well considering she knows that she has a fb page, abn and receiving benefits and she even knows that this person earns alot of money...but in same cases people just assume and this results ibm people being investigated un nessassarly. while i understand that alot of people are doing the wrong thing i am deeply saddened by the whole 'dobbing' culture....but that is completly off topic...

I still think you would want to be sure that something is actually amiss before you go making phone calls

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**Sopdet** · July 5th, 2012, 02:22 PM

Personally I'd notify centrelink. If everything is above board, then all is well and good.

It isn't a dobbing culture, it is people needing to realise that if they rip off the system, there is a chance they will get caught.

**Muffy** · July 5th, 2012, 02:44 PM

Thanks for the advice BG

ETA- Delphmoon, how is it dobbing? I suspect this person is doing the wrong thing and centrelink has a right to know. If this person just happens to be doing the 'right' thing then there is no harm done.

**delphmoon** · July 5th, 2012, 03:16 PM

Im sorry I got off topic in my last reply...
I don't think a single parent claiming benefits who has a fb page and an abn is reason enough to initiate an investigation....then again i don't know the situation personally...maybe there's more info that you havnt put on here.
Anyway I was just reply your thread...we are all entitled to an opinion...I was just sharing mine

Im sure you will do what you feel is right.

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**Muffy** · July 5th, 2012, 03:40 PM

Just as an example, this person is claiming single parent pensions and in one week earnt over $600 from the business... doesnt sound right to me

**delphmoon** · July 5th, 2012, 03:47 PM

no it doesn't but that info wasn't in your opening post luv....

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**e_p** · July 5th, 2012, 04:03 PM

Just as an example, this person is claiming single parent pensions and in one week earnt over $600 from the business... doesnt sound right to me

I don't know the exact limits off the tip of my head but with $600 gross p/w in earnings, the person may still be entitled to a part payment of PPS. Like BG said, if you provide a tip off, the information you provide is confidential. This person may well be doing the right thing - maybe she's exaggerating her income to you, who knows. If she's doing the right thing she'll have no problems. If she is doing the wrong thing by reporting it now, you give her an opportunity to sort it out.

**briggsy's girl** · July 5th, 2012, 06:21 PM

thing is, if you put in the tip off, the staff will have a quick look at her file. if there is a business listed there, the investigation may well be closed there - tops, it's 30 minutes of someones day to investigate it. if things don't add up, they may end up getting a letter asking them to verify their earnings. it happens randomly to people all the time - this might just put her at the top of the random interviews...

it's not about "dobbing" - it's about making sure that welfare payments go where they're supposed to - to people who actually NEED it. i'm sure no one here thinks it's right that money goes where it needs to go. people eventually get caught - with data matches with the ATO, banks etc - the difference is whether they get caught early (IF - and it's a big IF - they are doing the wrong thing) and get a small debt - or later, and face prosecution etc. even if i didn't work for FAO, i'd have zero drama reporting a suspected fraud cos, as i see it, i'd rather someone be investigated and maybe get a debt now, then to see them prosecuted, doing time and then STILL having to pay the debt back!

**delphmoon** · July 5th, 2012, 06:52 PM

I have no issues with dobbing or whatever the politically correct term is for it. I suppose my idea of who we inform/dobbing/notify on is different to yours.
believe me, if the man next door who is claiming disability pension for his sore back starts chainsawing down trees for a profit, i probably would be the first to call, likewise if the single mum at work has a husband but still claims single parent.
The perspective I was coming from before Muffy posted that this woman in question is actually earning alot, is we should actually have a reason to be suspicious rather than 'oh look, single parent running a business...they might be a fraud'. obviously, now with all the info provided we can see this isn't the case but initially to me it did appear that way.
Anyway just wanted to clarify.

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