tommy2003

Dear all,


can i claim family benefit payments from centrelink as soon as i arrive in Australia.Or do i have to show them that iam employed and show them 1 month salary.

After how many days can i apply to centrelink to claim family benefits as soon as I arrive. I have a family of 2 kids under 5 yrs.


tommy

Boomie

I would be interested in this too...... we have five children.... at what age does it stop and how is it worked out?

their ages are 7,9,13,15,17 if anyone knows.....

kind regards



boomie
xxxxx

robertd

You can claim family benefit as soon as the wheels have come to a stop on your plane you arrive in on!!!! Get yourselves to centrelink (Bless them!!!) asap and dont feel quilty about taking money from the Oz government as they will take plenty from you. Good luck Robert

shecha

Hi there, Tommy2003 and Boomie,

You can claim family payments from Centrelink as soon as you arrive, or at least thats what my info said when my hubby's spouse visa arrived and we intend claiming them straight away.
Once you're working you may need help towards childcare as well, coz it appears alot more expensive than in the UK!!!
Don't be surprised if you get a few negative comments from others about wanting to claim family payments immediately. I've seen a few on here making negative comments about how migrants shouldn't expect handouts from the Government as soon as they arrive in Oz, so just ignore them.
If you're entitled to something, then claim it.
Good luck!!!
Shell

Siren & Brian

try this link



Centerlink

babybella

Sorry going to open up a big can of worms here but WHY do you think you have the right to claim anything before you have paid any tax!!
Yes I know I am going to get shot down for this but I really think it is a UK thing that you believe you are entitled to claim for having kids.
Can't comment too much about Aus, but NZ there is no maternity benefit, you choose to have a baby then you go from two incomes to one. No child benefit and pay for doctors as soon as the child is over 6. There are reductions for low income and cronic illness but it is very much user pays.
If you have it you contribute.
So how quickly can I grab some Aussie tax dollars!!! Please!!

mutant

Like robertd said, we are going to give our fair share back as tax and by the time the kids reach the age where child benefit stops things should even out. Are you saying you would not claim the benefit if you had chosen Aus?

cresta57

This topic comes up quite often and I've posted a few times about putting your claim in as soon as you arrive.
IT IS NOT "family allowance" i.e. the same as the U.K. It is a means tested benefit. They take into account any income earned in the U.K during the tax year and any income earned in Australia. If you claim and had a well paid job in the U.K when you produce your tax return /p60 here you will have to pay some or all of it back!
Yes pay it back. You don't get anything from Australia for free.
Lecture over

babybella

Perhaps you should hold off claiming until you are contributing!
KAZ

Siren & Brian

Well there are a couple of ways to look at it. Contribute to the country before taking money from it, or support the family/children from day 1, because it will be those children that will be paying the taxes for the next 40/50 years.

I vote for option 2

jad n rich

Beating the door down on the first days not really that important, because there are two ways to claim, both end up adjusted to what you earn in the Year.

!. Estimate your income for the year and recieve a fortnightly payment, at the end of the tax year data matching ensures you have included all your income, thats stuff like wages, income from overseas including the UK, interest from shares, interest from bank accounts all countries not just OZ, including the money from UK house sales, rental properties wherever they are, shares wherever they are, basically all income from all sources. Then they adjust to what you should have got, an adjustment is made and you repay if overpaid.

2. Wait till the end of the tax year, all income once again is taken into account, including what you made overseas. You are then paid the correct amount in a lump sum.

Unless you are on a Very low UK/OZ income I would be pretty wary of walking in and claiming the lot you just pay it back at tax time.

chocaholic

Yes, I haven't got round to the Centrelink yet either. I just couldn't face any more civil servants for a while. I'll ring them up and ask for a form though. We haven't done our tax return either - we may claim that way.

ABCDiamond

Income from the Sale of your UK residence is NOT taken into account. The Profit or Loss through FX, or selling well after moving, will be included, but not the full sale price.

If you do your FTB claim at the end of the year, and use E-Tax, the program does not appear to ask for details of your income whilst NOT an Australian Resident, and will therefore not be taken into account. So it may be safer to claim it annually.

bondipom

Tax reduction is part of the Aussie way. Have you seen the marginal rates here? Not sure what there is to be judgemental about.

Do you think NZ benefits from IMO a backwards maternity benefit? Is there any safety net for the poor for medical bills or are kids left to get sick? So far I have been entitled to jack for benefits but I do not begrudge helping families out as those kids are the ones that will pay our pensions. All children should have a fair start in life as they are not at fault for living in poverty.

shecha

Hi Kaz,
I personally feel entitled to (and can) claim all benefits coz I'm an Ozzie Citizen, born in Oz with an Oz father, so I'm more entitled to claim than most people emigrating.
But as an Oz citizen, I don't object to anyone claiming family payments as I know how expensive it is to bring up a family and if there are benefits to help - then claim them. Like others have said, you don't get aything for nothing and you'll be paying enough taxes for years to come and so will your children.
Shell