Howard Jenings

Just a quick question about this, we are applying for PR (currently here on 457) and will have 2 children who will attend daycare full-tikme at a cost of $600 a week, do you get help with these costs? and how much is it?

TillyG

It depends, to be honest. Check out www.familyassist.gov.au . One thing it depends on is the working status of both parents. And also what type of child care you're using - whether it's "approved" or "registered" (your child care provider can tell you which one they come under).

When we changed to PR, I wasn't working and DD was in the wrong type of childcare for us to get any rebate.

The Family Assistance website should give you an idea of how much you may get back.

hantsfamily1

Everyone even Kevin Rudd gets some assistance but it is means tested, varies depending on income but there is something even if you earn bucket loads of cash.

TillyG

Not necessarily - it *does* depend on working/studying status & the type of care.

DD was in the type where both parents/claimants need to be working or studying or training in order to get any rebate. And as I chose not to work, I didn't get any rebate.

Full details are available on the Family Assistance website.

Howard Jenings

Child care centre is 'resistered' and my self and my husband will both be working full-time and earning $72,000 each, 2 children will be in child care a 1 and a 3 year old.

TillyG

OK, as per the website:

http://familyassist.gov.au/Internet/...-min_rates.htm

Table 3:
Child Care Benefit Rate for Registered Care- Non-school child Per hour each child = $0.581
Maximum per week for each child (for 50 hours a week) = $29.05

However, as per this page http://familyassist.gov.au/Internet/...more_32485.htm (re family income), I'm not sure if you'll qualify:

If your family's adjusted taxable income is under the income limits in Table 2, you can get a part rate of Child Care Benefit. The part rate is worked out using your Child Care Benefit percentage.

Child Care Benefit Percentage
We work out your Child Care Benefit percentage from information you give us about:
your family's estimated annual income; and
the number of children you have in care.
The Child Care Benefit percentage decreases as a family's income increases. For a personal assessment contact us.

From July 2008, families with income above the income limits will no longer receive the minimum rate of Child Care Benefit. They will be assessed as zero rate Child Care Benefit. This will enable eligible families to continue to receive the Child Care Tax Rebate. Table 2:
Child Care Benefit is not payable over the following income limits Number of Children in care Income limits
1 $126 793
2 $131 457
3 $148 452


****
So as you're earning $144k between you, looks like you won't be entitled to any rebate.

What it might be worth doing is giving FamilyAssistance a call and ask them to do you a quote and see whether or not you'll be entitled though. You never know.

ABCDiamond

You can check the amount yourself, using the online calculator at: http://www.centrelink.gov.au/interne...ices/index.htm

However, based on your incomes at $72,000 each, you will find that you are not entitled to any Child Care Benefit or Family Tax Benefit.

comet555

No, not everyone with PR will get assistance.

Last year I was not working and was at home with the kids. My husband's income was too high to qualify for CCB so we paid full price for child care. So while everyone with PR can qualify on principle there is an income test on it which could mean some people get 0% Child Tax Benefit and therefore pay full price.

This year when I am working part time (so both of us are working) I can get the child tax rebate and get 50% back from the child care fees. To qualify for this both parents need to be working and there is no income test.

So as the others have said it will depend on what visa you have (PR would qualify), whether both parents are working and what your combined family income is.

ABCDiamond

Centrelink haven't quite worded the info on the Child Care Tax Rebate (CCTR), when they say there is no income test.

There isn't a specific income test for this, but you do need to be eligible for the Child Care Benefit (CCB), which does have the income test, to become eligible for the CCTB.

Child Care Tax Rebate Factsheet - http://www.centrelink.gov.au/interne...034_0809en.pdf

comet555

Yes I know it's a bit odd. Technically speaking there is no income test, but you're right you need to qualify in principle for the CCB.

In our case we qualify for the CCB because we have PR and use child care. The income test determines how much you're eligible for. So for us my husbands income is too high so we get CCB at a rate of 0%. So we really do get nothing for that.

Because we've applied for CCB and get 0% AND have both of us working (with me part time only) we can get the child tax rebate at 50% back. When they say there is no income test for the child tax rebate they do mean it. There is no sliding scale like the CCB, the only criteria is that both parents are working.

I spoke with Centrelink many times about this before I went back to work. Everytime they told me the same thing as I wrote above. Now that I've been working I can say for sure that you can receive no CCB (eligible but at 0%) and get the child tax rebate.

ABCDiamond

Eligible but at 0%, I've learned something new. I kind of assumed that 0% would mean not eligible...

I've just read the factsheet again, and no doubt about it...

Well worth the original poster checking with this, as, when I earlier said "you will find that you are not entitled to any Child Care Benefit", the calculator actually said "rate: 0% ",

I took this to mean nothing, especially as it made no mention of the CCTR.

comet555

Yes, it is a bit strange isn't it. I thought the same thing but after a bit of reading and many phone calls to double check there is a difference between not eligible and assessed as 0% for CCB. So even if you get 0% CCB you can still get the child tax rebate. I'm proof of that one!

wmckellar

Some good information on here. A friend of mine who is in the process of coming over was asking me the same questions last night on the webcam. I will point him to this thread.

Thanks

comet555

It's important to remember that the visa does make a big difference to what you are eligible for. The original message asked about benefits as a PR which is what is described here. So for those coming over as a PR it is completley relevant.

For those coming on a temp visa it is completely irrelevant as they generally do not get any benefits. There might be a couple of visa such as temp spousal visas that do get benefits, but it's best to check on a case by case basis.