Government Benefits

From 1 July 2010, new education participation requirements will be introduced for Family Tax Benefit (FTB) Part A for young people aged 16 to 20.  This means that around 300,000 children aged from 16 to 20 will need to be enrolled in a full-time course leading to Year 12 or ...

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From 1 July, pensioners can receive advance payments of up to a maximum amount of $1,005.75 for singles and $758.10 for each member of a couple in a six month period. This is a significant increase on the previous maximum advance of $500 a year for singles and each member ...

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As you’re  probably aware, there have been some changes to income tests which affect your eligibility to certain tax rebates and government benefits. We now have to get used to terms like ‘adjusted taxable income’, ‘rebate income’ and  ‘income for surcharge purposes’. But wait, there’s more…  the income tests for HELP amd ...

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We are seeing more and more people lately who have found themselves cut off from household Centrelink payments until  they or their partner lodge overdue tax returns. If you receive Family Tax Benefit and you or your partner have outstanding returns for any year you were receiving FTB, don’t wait until your ...

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Apparently the Government have finally reached agreement regarding the passage of the Youth Allowance bill in the Senate (I posted a bit about this way back in July when it was first announced). This should see more than 150,000 students start to receive new scholarships from April 1st. It’s worth noting ...

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As the economy recovers from the global economic crisis, rates of return on investments are also beginning to increase. As a result, the deeming rates, which are used to assess income from a range of financial investments held by pensioners and other income support recipients, will also increase on 20 ...

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Approx. 4 million Australians will receive an increase in their pensions and other income support payments from 20 March due to indexation. Pension payments will increase by $29.20 a fortnight for singles on the maximum rate, and $44.00 a fortnight for couples combined on the maximum rate. Following these increases, total pension ...

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From today, around 273,000 families will receive a letter from Centrelink to explain new requirements for Family Tax Benefit Part A for children aged 16 to 20. Legislation passed by the Parliament last week will make participation in education or training a requirement for payment of Family Tax Benefits for ...

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If you did not receive a payment as part of the Economic Security Strategy (ESS) in December 2008 or the Household Stimulus Package (HSP) in March to April 2009, you may be eligible for payments under administrative schemes announced by the Government. Eligibility has been extended to include around 2,000 ...

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Family Tax Benefit Supplements

UPDATE: For current rates, see Family Tax Benefit Supplements 2011   One of the most common Centrelink-related questions this year seems to concern the FTB supplement…. or as most people call it the ‘$600 per child’ payment.  The Family Tax Benefit Part A and Part B Supplements are an increase in ...

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Options for Claiming Family Tax Benefit Have Changed

I know I have posted this before but many people still seem unaware that you can no longer lodge an annual lump sum Family Tax Benefit claim through the Tax Office with your tax return. If you receive FTB as fortnightly payments, this change to claiming will not affect you. It’s unfortunate because, ...

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