claiming baby bonus

[Visitor7]

Can someone tell me how you claim for the baby bonus. I have so far sent away for the birth registration and medicare forms. We already claim FTB with centrelink, so do I need to claim for the baby bonus, or is it automatically done when these go through?

[PinkPalace]

It should automatically lodge with your FTB forms Jodi from memory.
Mine was very quick - 5 days.
But i have heard up to 6 weeks

[Visitor7]

Thanks for that. It's been over 4 weeks now, so I guess they must be busy.

[~breeze~]

I had to fill in a seperate form for the baby bonus (I cant remember doing one for FTB though) & that was 3 years ago, so may be different now?

Mine took a couple of days to come through

[fionas]

I was given a form at the hospital where I gave birth. I think it would be worth putting in a phone call to check if it's been more than 4 weeks. Mine didn't take anywhere near that long.

[squidipa]

i was given papers in hospital contact centerlink for this as there is a time delay and restriction to get the info in k last i heard anyhow

[Astrid]

Mine took awhile to be processed, about 3 or so weeks from posting it and I filled in only one form for BB, FTB and medicare. Have your updated medicare cards come through yet?

[*becstar*]

Baby bonus forms are all in one, the medicare form is also for centrelink, it's all done together.FTB is done when the claim goes through. I was told it takes up to 28 days to be processed, and mine wasn't far off the 28 days. HTH

[Visitor7]

Just looking at the form on the centrelink website & it's the same one I've already sent off, so might call them tomorrow.

ETA: astrid, nope, no new medicare cards yet

[briggsy's girl]

if you post your form in the reply paid envelope you receive, it goes to medicare FIRST, and then it is forwarded for centrelink processing (unless the medicare office it has been sent to is also a FAO processing site). the turn around from lodgement to receiving payment should be less than 3 weeks (4 weeks if you add in mailing time and the amount of time it takes for money to hit your bank) - if it's been six weeks, and you've not received medicarecard or centrelink payment - i'd be making a quick call as it's possible australia post have misplaced your mail. IF it has been received by medicare or centrelink, it will have been entered on to the FAO system, and there will be a date it was received, and record of which location currently holds the form/is responsible for processing. if it is more than three weeks since it was received, and there is nothing on file showing what additional information (if any) is needed, the consultant should be able to contact the processing centre to see what is happening for you....


you may find though that they don't call through - in general, there are central processing offices - and they will have a not on their profile showing where they are at if they are behind - so don't think you're being fobbed off if they tell you that!

[Visitor7]

Thanks for that bg. I did send it in the reply paid envelope. I'll give them a quick call tomorrow.

[SugarDust]

did your baby bonus come through jodi?

[Visitor7]

Yeah, it arrived the day after I started this thread, lol!