<Dan> Posted September 1, 2014 Report Share Posted September 1, 2014 Please don't think that we are emigrating just to claim benefits as we are not. But, we are worrying about how we are going to live when we get there in November. As I do not have a job yet (Still trying) and we have limited funds to live until I do get a job. I have been working out the Family Tax Benefit A / B, As we are arriving in November, can we claim from then or do we have to wait until the end of the tax year? Im trying to figure out all the finer details now so we have an idea when we arrive as its now only 79 days! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arwen Posted September 1, 2014 Report Share Posted September 1, 2014 I would just go into Centrelink and ask. You can do it both ways. If you claim it now (November) and then your tax return shows you have earned about the threshold you have to pay it back. Most people I know claim it when they do their tax return to avoid this. It's not too bad if you know your income is going to be steady throughout the year or if you know that any salary you earn is going to come in under the threshold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lou8670 Posted September 1, 2014 Report Share Posted September 1, 2014 I don't think what you think we think at all! Anyone with kids on a permanent visa is entitled to claim Family Assistance. You can lodge a claim as soon as you arrive on the Centre Link website. They will then probably ask you to take some documents in to your local Centre Link office. It's not a nice trip so best to do everything online first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nikkiwd Posted September 1, 2014 Report Share Posted September 1, 2014 I don't fully understand how it works but I believe we get one ( A or B, can't remember which) each fortnight and the other one we opted to wait til the end of the tax year for so we don't end up having to pay anthing back. Lou you're not wrong! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest6235 Posted September 1, 2014 Report Share Posted September 1, 2014 Good question, glad you brought this up. Can people who maybe don't necessarily need child benefit/family allowance claim it like we automatically get it in the UK, I think we get £80 a month for our daughter. Also has anybody still tried to claim the UK version of child benefit whilst living in oz? Do you have to do your own tax returns in oz, it sounds like you do after reading the above. Only people who do that in the UK are one's that have their own business isn't it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
<Dan> Posted September 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 1, 2014 I don't think what you think we think at all! Anyone with kids on a permanent visa is entitled to claim Family Assistance. You can lodge a claim as soon as you arrive on the Centre Link website. They will then probably ask you to take some documents in to your local Centre Link office. It's not a nice trip so best to do everything online first. Thank you, I know a similar question was asked on 'the other forum' and the OP got slated for it. So, we can choose whether to get A or B or both. What would need to be paid back? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lou8670 Posted September 1, 2014 Report Share Posted September 1, 2014 (edited) Yes, everyone with kids can claim so it's like the UK in that respect. I think everyone can claim A but not everyone can claim B. You can only claim once you've arrived and are resident. All the details are on Centrelink's website under Family Assistance so you're best to read up on it there. Everyone does their own tax return which can be done online. Some people recommend seeing a tax accountant the first year to make sure you're claiming everything you can back. There's lots of ways of reducing your tax bill in Australia, some of which us Brits wouldn't even guess. You can opt for the family assistance to be paid fortnightly or at the end of the year and you can take these options for each child or each part of the benefit. If you're overpaid though they'll ask for the money back. I would imagine that if you are resident in Australia you would not be eligible for UK family benefits. Edited September 1, 2014 by Lou8670 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest6235 Posted September 3, 2014 Report Share Posted September 3, 2014 Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travelchic Posted September 3, 2014 Report Share Posted September 3, 2014 I get either a or b. Can't remember which now. And I get help with child care. Debs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lou8670 Posted September 3, 2014 Report Share Posted September 3, 2014 I get either a or b. Can't remember which now. And I get help with child care. Debs @travelchic Are you getting yours already? I applied on 9 June and they still haven't assessed my claim! They keep asking for additional info which I've provided within a day or so of them asking Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy little Vegemite Posted September 3, 2014 Report Share Posted September 3, 2014 @Lou8670 give the family assistance phone line a call (I found early evening the best time, got through almost straight away, whereas when I called in the morning my approximate wait time would have been 40 minutes, and when I called in the afternoon it was 70 minutes!). Same thing happened to us, ended up with bits of information all over the place and no-one had bothered to tie it all up at their end. Once I had spoken to them I think it only took about a week to receive a nice surprise when logging in to my bank account! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lou8670 Posted September 3, 2014 Report Share Posted September 3, 2014 (edited) @Happy little Vegemite Thanks for the tip! I've tried to call and as you say it's a ridiculous wait so I've put he phone down. I've ended up writing to them the old fashioned way and posted it yesterday. They wrote to me recently to say that I needed to prove we didn't earn anything for 2013/14 and what we were living off. I tried to load the evidence via the app but system keeps saying "No" as I've not provided documents proving our identify ??? I provided these at the beginning of July!!! Edited September 3, 2014 by Lou8670 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akasully2 Posted September 4, 2014 Report Share Posted September 4, 2014 On the computer, I had that thing about not enough evidence to prove your ID. I was told to go the centrelink and provide evidence but once there, the computer said NO, I just needed a link code. Left it too long before entering the code and it had expired, so need to repeat the process which I am procrastinating over. I have found this so confusing overall. Haven't claimed anything yet. I didn't think everybody got family assistance as it was means tested. Also, one of the payments was only given to help stay at home parents. As soon as you start working that goes. As I said, confusing. Feel like a sponging thicky when I go in and ask for help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lou8670 Posted September 4, 2014 Report Share Posted September 4, 2014 Yep, very frustrating @Akasully2! I was warned the link would expire, so luckily I didn't fall into that trap, but once linked I still can't do anything except view my balance as it says I haven't provided enough ID but I have and provided it early in July....argh!!!! It would've been so easy to upload the documents if they'd managed to update their system with the information provided 2 months ago! Why is it when I provide info they're allowed to do nothing with it and when they ask for it I have a cr*ppy 10 day deadline during which I've wasted most of it trying to get the app to work and waiting to speak to someone on the phone in a ridiculously long queue!!! They've said if they don't get it by Saturday then I'll have to start all a over again!!! What a waste of everyone's time and tax payers money!!!! Rant over; sorry! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travelchic Posted September 4, 2014 Report Share Posted September 4, 2014 I did it online. Did it 21st July and was told it would take 4 weeks. Then a couple of weeks later I had a payment in my bank. Must have been lucky I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
<Dan> Posted September 4, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 4, 2014 Not filling me with confidence that this is an easy process and set up quickly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ali Posted September 4, 2014 Report Share Posted September 4, 2014 We've never been able to claim anything as we were above the threshold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nikkiwd Posted September 4, 2014 Report Share Posted September 4, 2014 We did ours online and took identity docs in a couple of days later. After 5 weeks hubby rang and the lady said it should be done soon. It was done a couple of days later. We were told we couldn't claim anything from last tax year(before june) though. When hubby rang to add on child care it was done straight away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest6235 Posted September 4, 2014 Report Share Posted September 4, 2014 What is the threshold for claiming child benefit or any other benefits that you are all on about? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akasully2 Posted September 4, 2014 Report Share Posted September 4, 2014 No idea. So very, very confusing. Makes me feel like I have a learning disorder! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nikkiwd Posted September 5, 2014 Report Share Posted September 5, 2014 have a look on the centrelink website Keefo, there is also an estimator on there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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