Expert Opinion Panel
Jason Bryce – Business & Finance Specialist

Schoolkids Bonus payment date information

(and how to check you will get it!)

By Jason Bryce | 28 June 2015

DON’T panic if you don’t get your Schoolkids Bonus –

Centrelink can fairly easily change your details…

The School Kids Bonus is $211 per child at primary school and $421 per child at high school, paid in January and July. The Schoolkids Bonus payment date is Thursday 2 July to Thursday 16 July 2015.

You can check your eligibility for the automatic payment by:

1) logging on to Centrelink Online,

2) go to My Profile. Check that your children are listed as ‘Studying Secondary’ or ‘Studying Primary’. It should say something like this (red circle):

Family income limits have changed in 2015 for the Schoolkids Bonus. Only families with a taxable income of $100,000 or less are now eligible.

Parents of year 7 kids in Queensland and Western Australia will again get the higher Secondary Schoolkids Bonus rate. Only South Australian parents have to wait until year 8 for the higher rate now.

If you opt for receiving Family Tax Benefits as a lump sum, the Schoolkids Bonus will be added to that at tax time. If you are currently on Basics Card income management, the Schoolkids Bonus will be paid to the income managed account.

Parents of 2015 school leavers, such as all year 12 students should go online or call the helpline on 132 150 to ensure Centrelink knows they are school leavers. They may be eligible for an extra payment.

All being good you will be paid next week (between the 2 July and the 16 July 2015). If you don’t get paid, Centrelink is asking you NOT to call until after the 16 July.

DON’T panic if you don’t get paid. Many parents report that Centrelink can fairly easily change your details over the phone and get the Bonus paid to you within 1 or 2 days. Call centre staff use the honesty system for the Schoolkids Bonus – “You say your child is in Year Seven? OK no worries.”

Make the most of this Schoolkids Bonus because it is one of the last you will ever get.

Although the senate has blocked other cuts to family benefits, the axing of the Schoolkids Bonus seems certain to proceed after July 2016. This was a repeated election promise by Joe Hockey who said the SKB was funded by Labor’s now repealed Mining and Resource Rent Tax.

Labor said the Schoolkids Bonus evolved from the Education Tax Refund.

It is not acceptable to borrow from children and give it to parents said Joe Hockey while he was still in opposition.

Meanwhile the cost of sending a child to school in Australia continues to rise.

Today’s parents are paying in the order of $50,000 to put their children through the ‘free’ public education system according to the Australian Scholarships Group.

A public education for a child born in a metropolitan area in 2015 will cost more than $64,000. This includes fees, activities, school necessities, uniforms, computers and internet costs. NSW metro parents are hit the hardest, they will spend $71,000 on public education for today’s children.

Jason Bryce
Business & Finance Journalist

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Jason is a business and finance journalist with 20 years experience, and is also a member of the SingleMum.com.au Expert Opinion Panel. He has a regular weekly column in the Sunday Mail (Brisbane) and writes regularly for the Business Daily section of the Herald Sun in Melbourne and many other newspapers and magazines.

Jason’s personal website is www.centrelinknews.com.au

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