As you know we have to give up our child benefit here in the uk, we are planning to come over on a PR this year to Brisbane. Having 3 children does anyone know if we are entitilted to child benfit over in OZ.
Any advice will be appreciated.

There is a Family Tax Benefit that you can claim, but it is means tested so the answer is depends how much you earn If you are entitled to claim that then you may also be able to claim rent assistance (obviously if you rent).

As with most government websites......all in plain English

www.familyassist.gov.au

Thanks for that guys

If you can manage without the money - cancel your child benefit before the tax year end. They are completely useless at understanding the concept of removing people off the system and even though you think you have done all you can, you may well still get silly letters from them once you are here.

You may not but I am having a nightmare with them and we thought it was all sorted long before we left.

Yes, we cancelled ours four weeks before we left and they still paid us one month too much!

I sent them a letter with no forwarding address on it. Just told them we were no longer living in the country and didn't need the stuff. Worked a treat. (as far as I know)

So did we. Got letters back (always duplicated) to our address here confirming everything. Later letters confirming we owe nothing, even later letters confirming we owe nothing then in October ish two letters confirming that we owe them 202 pounds. I replied - quite politely with loads of copies of their letters suggesting they check their records blah blah blah.

Just got one back on Monday asking for the 202 pounds back because I was late in telling them that me and hubby had split up and were no longer together I still haven't worked out exactly what my reply will be, but be assured there will be one. The strange thing is, this last letter is the only one we have had addressed to Mr and Mrs P - WTF are those people on.

Just got one back on Monday asking for the 202 pounds back because I was late in telling them that me and hubby had split up and were no longer together I still haven't worked out exactly what my reply will be, but be assured there will be one. The strange thing is, this last letter is the only one we have had addressed to Mr and Mrs P - WTF are those people on.[/QUOTE]



You and your hubby splitting up shouldnt have made any differance to your child benefit entitlement!!!

You and your hubby splitting up shouldnt have made any differance to your child benefit entitlement!!![/QUOTE]

Thats's the whole point though. We haven't - well, he's sitting here now We told them we were leaving the country. Suddenly over a year later, the reason we owe money is because we have split up - none of it makes sense, least of all the splitting up part

Thats's the whole point though. We haven't - well, he's sitting here now We told them we were leaving the country. Suddenly over a year later, the reason we owe money is because we have split up - none of it makes sense, least of all the splitting up part [/QUOTE]
Very strange...............have you managed to get through to a section supervisor...........

Very strange...............have you managed to get through to a section supervisor...........[/QUOTE]

Oh God, haven't tried to ring them - that sounds like a recipe for raised blood pressure I have been going down the letter route - if only because we have a good few weeks between letters

Thinking about it, I don't think I have an international number for them.

Thinking about it, I don't think I have an international number for them.[/QUOTE]


use the number that you have on the top of your letters............be firm, but polite. I was a section supervisor for the benefit agency............and honestly all I wanted at the end of the day was a happy customer

use the number that you have on the top of your letters............be firm, but polite. I was a section supervisor for the benefit agency............and honestly all I wanted at the end of the day was a happy customer[/QUOTE]

Aparrantly i owe the uk family tax credits lots from when i was a single parent that was 5 years ago and they decided i owed them in dec 2005. havent giving them a forwarding address seeing as it took them 5 years to realise they gave me to much money they can kiss my arse