This Facebook post had many mums reacting and commenting – there are billions of dollars worth of child support owed in Australia- this mum’s experience may help you recover a child support debt too!

The best of the Australian single mum Facebook support group

I just won several year’s worth of owed child support – even though my child is now an adult. I hope other separated mums can use the same free methods I describe here to get their own owed child support.

I am writing here about my child support evasion struggles with my Ex, and how I got a lump sum of all the money owed to me by using Child Support Australia (CSA).

My daughter turned 20 this year, so it has been two years since she turned 18 and Child Support Australia (CSA) stopped calculating owed child support payments from my ex. They child support owed totalled over $30,000.

“I called Child Support and begged them to help…”

There were times when I was calling the Child Support Agency in desperation asking for them to do more – but somehow there wasn’t much they could do because of the so called loop holes which enabled deadbeat dads to side-step paying.

Child Support froze my ex’s bank account

For example, in 2018 Child Support froze my ex’s bank account. Although he had enough money in his account to pay off his CS debt,  CSA failed to get it withdrawn from his bank account because his account was a joint account with his new wife.

How to stop your Ex at the airport

I had been hearing that my Ex was travelling overseas regularly – as frequently as every few months. It was really frustrating to know that he was spending fun money on himself and not on basic necessity money for our child.

An airport ban – the Departure Probation Order

I decided to ask the Child Support Agency if they could do a Departure Probation Order (DPO) on my Ex.

A DPO is a legal order that would stop him from leaving the country for as long as he had an unpaid child support debt.

CSA agreed that they could put a Departure Order on my ex, but only if I could give them precise information, such as the date and time of my Ex’s travels.

This was an impossible condition for me to meet.
I live in Sydney and my Ex was on the other side of Australia, in Perth. I didn’t see any of his friends anymore and only heard about his travels overseas third-hand after they had happened.

So I gave up on it.

I thought it was just impossible.

That was, until a couple of months ago…

My Ex got banned from traveling

A friend of mine called and told me she had heard that my ex got DPO’d at the airport!

It was such a joy to hear, and I felt justice had finally been done.

My Ex realised he was caught! He couldn’t travel freely anymore like he wanted to.

He got someone to get in touch with me. He told them to offer me $15.000 as a settlement – less than half the child support what was owed – and get him released from the DPO.

I refused to settle for less child support than I was owed

I told them under no circumstances would I accept any of his offers other than the full amount of Child Support owed.

Meanwhile I got in touch with a Legal Aid solicitor and decided I would await the CSA’s decision on what the outcome of the DPO situation would be.

The Legal Aid solicitor told me that he was surprised that I had been able to obtain a Departure Probation Order, because they were usually only done for amounts greater than my thirty thousand dollar debt. But when he learned that my Ex had hardly paid me any child support over the years, he said he understood why the DPO had been put on him.

Child support evaders get penalised by CSA

Child support payers who refuse to pay get penalised by the CSA. Each non payment attracts penalty’s – plus interest.

So the child support debt can accumulate to an even larger amount over the years.

My Legal Aid solicitor estimated my Ex’s debt could be anywhere between $100.000 to $300.000 – most probably the latter amount, and so the justification for a DPO to be ordered against him.

I told the CSA that I had learned about the DPO from a friend. They confirmed the DPO, but didn’t tell me much. My Legal Aid solicitor told me that the CSA were said probably negotiating with him.

My Ex had to pay or go to court

He thought that the CSA probably gave him an ultimatum.
For him to pay the debt owed and they would waive their own considerable penalty charges on top and lift the DPO.

Or if he still refused to pay the debt, they would take him to court which would add another $150.000 to $200.000 worth of court fees on top of the already large amount of debt and added penalties and interest.

My Legal Aid solicitor’s parting words to me was “it looks like you will get the money soon.”

This morning I jumped up from my seat when I saw the bank notification of the deposited amount of the child support debt owed – paid in full!

It was such a lovely Birthday present to me!

Don’t give up on your unpaid child support

So don’t give up pursuing what is yours. Keep getting your child support amount assessed. Don’t lose hope about non-payments, because I have got the whole amount in full today.

I hope this will raise your hope and belief in getting your long-owed child support justice.

An Australian single mum and member of the Australian Single Mum Support Facebook Group 

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The post I got Child Support Australia to put a travel ban on my ex until he paid up appeared first on Singlemum.

Expert Opinion Panel

Jason Bryce – Business & Finance Specialist

‘Blame, Shame and Punishment’

The Big Six Centrelink 2018 changes every single mum needs to understand

Single mums face a crackdown on benefits in 2018 and thousands of struggling families will have to survive on less cash next year. And some mums will face the very real prospect of jail for some fairly common mistakes.

By Jason Bryce | 17 December 2017

Some mums will face the very real prospect…

…of jail for some fairly common mistakes

Malcolm Turnbull has targeted single parents for budget savings and many of the cutbacks come into force in 2018. In short, Parenting Payment and Newstart will be harder to get, Pensioner Education Supplement cuts will make study less viable and the risk of running up a debt to Centrelink is increasing.

1) Will you get ‘dobbed in’ this year?

“We are putting more effort into cracking down on welfare fraud than ever before,” said the Minister for Human Services Alan Tudge.

The vast majority of so-called ‘welfare cheats’ who get dobbed in (mostly by family and friends) are single mothers

In the last financial year, Centrelink received 108,000 ‘tip-offs’ about possible welfare cheats, up ten per cent on the previous year. From that information and subsequent investigations, the government generated $40 million in debts and prosecuted 118 people for serious fraud.

“Tip offs have become a very important source of information,” said Alan Tudge.

Dr Cassandra Goldie from ACOSS.

Not everyone is impressed by the tough new approach.

“The government is singling out single parents, the vast majority of whom are women, as being unreliable and untrustworthy,” said Dr Cassandra Goldie from the Australian Council for Social Services.

And Terese Edwards from the National Council of Single Mothers and their Children agrees

“The tempting idea of a government ‘welfare crackdown’ does have some community appeal but that is really starting to fade,” said Terese.

2) You need a referee to verify your relationship status

Centrelink Third Party Verification. Sometime after 1 January 2018, existing single mums on Parenting Payment will get a letter, probably in their MyGov inbox, but possibly also in their actual letterbox, asking them to find an independent person to verify their single relationship status. This is called ‘third party verification.’

That means you need to find someone who is not related to you to sign a government form declaring that you are really single and not part of a couple. That person faces up to 12 months jail if they make a false declaration.

This new rule will immediately apply to new claimants for Parenting Payment Single from 20 September 2018.

“You need to get an independent person to confirm your relationship status so start thinking about who you may ask now,” advises Centrelink CEO Hank Jongen.

Single mums will probably already be aware that the Parenting Payment application forms already ask for referees that Centrelink can contact, so this new rule seems to be doubling up.

“We have no sense or reason as to why the new ‘third party verification” is necessary,” said Terese Edwards.

The assumption that claimants cannot be trusted – conveys a toxic message about the character of women who are in receipt of income support

“It does cast assertions that claimants cannot be trusted, and this conveys a toxic message about the character of women who are in receipt of income support

“It’s foreseeable that a woman would need to keep the third party informed of their personal relationships and they will need to say, ‘I’ve started dating again, we have progressed to spending some evenings together and just want you to know that we are not breaking any DHS guidelines!'”

Dr Cassandra Goldie says this new rule is “unacceptable.”

“It’s intrusive, offensive and demeaning, it is a policy which says single parents uniquely can’t be trusted to tell the truth to government agencies,” said Cassandra. “What about business people claiming business expenses? What about property owners claiming tax deductions? Will they need to get a third party to vouch for their claims?”

3) Big cuts to Pensioner Education Supplement

The government is making it more difficult for single parents to improve their situation in life by cutting PES rates for part-time study

The government tried to axe the Pensioner Education Supplement completely but failed to get this passed through the senate. But they have succeeded to cutting PES rates for part time students. That means that some single mums who are enrolled in university or TAFE may have to live on a lot less money from 2018.

Terese Edwards from the NCSMC

Currently, the Pension Education Supplement is $62.40 per fortnight or $1,622.40 p/a plus you get an annual Education Entry Payment of $208 to help pay for books and enrolment costs.In 2018, the entry payment is being pared back to $156 and the PES is being cut by 55 per cent for mums with a study load between 51 and 75 per cent of a full-time student. Those mums will get just $998.40 per year in total.

“Single mothers often have a lower study load,” said Terese Edwards “because of the time demands of sole-parenting. This move is a retrograde one and we are wholly opposed to it.”

And new research indicates it could actually hurt the children of single mothers as well. This week the education minister Simon Birmingham labelled new results from Australia’s NAPLAN tests a “wake up call.”They show that students with educated parents are up to four years ahead of kids with parents with lower educational achievements. So cuts to PES, which support mums to get educated, are not going to assist kids do well at school either.

4) No Jab, No Pay rules extended to FTB Part A.From 1 July 2018

Family Tax Benefit Part A will be cut for families whose children who are not up to date with their needles

Family Tax Benefit Part A will be cut by up to $28 per fortnight for children who are not up to date with the immunisation schedule, making it financially beneficial to ignore the anti-vaxxer movement and get up to date with the jabs for your family budget.

5) Harder to apply for Centrelink payments

In 2018 a series of rule changes will make applying for payments harder and these changes may impact heavily on single mums leaving a relationship.

Take a few minutes to collect all your documents and tax info before bundling the kids in the car and running out the door…

Now you can start getting payments while Centrelink waits for you to provide information like your Tax File Number. That is going to change in 2018. In future, Centrelink won’t be paying out on any new applications before you have provided all the information they require and all their forms have been 100 per cent completed. So if you are rushing out of a bad relationship and hoping for help from Centrelink, take a few minutes to collect all your documents and tax info before bundling the kids in the car and running out the door.

6) Additional Newstart mutual obligation requirements

Newstart parents will be required to be away from their kids for longer

From 20 September 2018, single mums on Newstart who are aged between 30-49 years will face activity requirements of 50 hours per fortnight, up from 30 hours now. That means 25 hours of work-for-dole or other approved ‘work-like activity’ per week just to collect Newstart.

There is some good news for mums looking for work

From 1 July 2018, the government is providing an extra $263 million to Jobactive providers under the ParentsNext Program to help parents prepare for work.

But overall,these 2018 Centrelink changes mean won’t make life easier for single mothers who have had to endure a lot of cuts from both Labor and Liberal governments in the last few years.

Dr Cassandra Goldie has no doubts about the reasons why.

“This is about blame, shame and punishment,” said Cassandra, “And it has to stop.”

“Almost forty per cent of children in single parent households now live below the relative poverty line…Instead of designing more ways to undermine and demean single parents, the government should asking what can be done to support them to secure decent employment, and balancing their caring responsibilities.”

Jason Bryce

Business & Finance Journalist

Further Australian Single Parent reading

Huge, free playground at Sydney Olympic Park – and more! Let’s go Mum single parent blog Sydney Olympic Park offers new ways for single parent families to play together – sports, experiences, activities – plus some of the best family restaurants in Sydney more…

Verification bombshell – Every Australian single parent to be reviewed Jason Bryce Just because you have been receiving parenting Payment Single or Newstart for years makes no difference. All single parents must be more…

Drugs and Centrelink – and why your FTB may soon be income managed Jason Bryce These income management trials apply to all payments and to all welfare recipients, including those parents simply getting a few dollars of Family Tax Benefit Part A each fortnight… more…

Centrelink debt – 5 ways to avoid being branded a welfare cheat Jason Bryce Single parents targeted by Centrelinks robo-debt – here are five ways to avoid being branded a welfare cheat… more…

Have your say on this story – what do you think? Make a comment below!

Read more of our single parent Centrelink features here

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Twitter page or Australian Single Parent Mailing List?

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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.

Keep up to date with the latest Centrelink news and information at Jason’s Facebook page here

Follow Jason on Twitter @JasonBryce

…read Jason Bryce’s Profile here

Read more SingleMum.com.au exclusive Centrelink articles

Read more SingleMum.com.au exclusive Child Support articles

Disclaimer: The views of authors on our website are not necessarily representative of those views of our website. Articles contain only general information, correct at the date of publication. For advice regarding your own personal circumstances, always seek individual advice from a qualified professional. This article may not be reprinted, reproduced, or retransmitted in whole or in part without the express written consent of SingleMum.com.au. Please read the complete Singlemum.com.au Disclaimer here

The post The Big Six 2018 Centrelink changes single parents need to know appeared first on Singlemum.

Expert Opinion Panel
Jason Bryce – Business & Finance Specialist

Seven big changes to family and child care benefits

What they mean for your family budget

By Jason Bryce | 25 March 2017

“It is not a choice for many of us to be on welfare”

…we do it, not because we want to, but because circumstances put us there

After four years of political manoeuvring, an amazing, heartfelt impassioned speech by single mother and independent senator Jacqui Lambie signalled the passage, finally, of the government’s Omnibus Savings Bill.

“It is not a choice for many of us to be on welfare,” said Jacquie, “it is shameful and embarrassing and it is bloody tough but we do it, not because we want to, but because circumstances put us there.

“For you (the government) to take more money off those those people,” said Jacqui fighting back tears, “you have no idea how bloody tough it is.”

“Every little cent counts to those people (single parents) and what you are doing is shameful.”

“And if you realised the damage you are continually doing to that part of society you would stop doing it.”

“I just wish you would reconsider.”

Jacqui Lambie

But there was no reconsidering and the Omnibus Savings Bill passed the senate with the support of other cross bench senators including the Nick Xenophon Team.

Dr Cassandra Goldie, the chief executive of the Australian Council for Social Services said she is appalled that “the Turnbull government rammed through social security cuts that are specifically aimed at hitting people on low-incomes.”

“Overnight the lives of 1.5 million households have been altered for the worse.”

In short the major FTB, Parenting Payment, Youth Allowance and Child Care changes are:

1) Family Tax Benefits are being frozen at the current rate for two years.

2) A new one week waiting period for Parenting Payments and Youth Allowance is being introduced.

3) The financial hardship exemption from waiting periods is being abolished. There is still an exemption for domestic violence cases.

4) Parenting Payment and Newstart income free limits are also frozen. This means people who are working (probably part time) and still getting some benefits will see those benefits fall in value over the next few years.

5) Child Care Benefit and Child Care Rebate will be rolled into one child care payment and the subsidy increased to 85 per cent of the full cost of child care.

6) Removal of the $7,500 annual cap on child care payments. There is now no cap for almost all families. This is a big victory for thousands of working families.

7) The base level of subsidised child care is 12 hours per week with no activity test.

Terese Edwards from the NCSMC

“Frightening and ridiculous” is how Terese Edwards from the National Council of Single Mothers and their Children describes the family benefit changes.

“The freeze on Family Tax Benefits is a ridiculous decision,” said Terese, “Already 40 per cent of single parent families are living in poverty.”

“And the one week wait for payments is a frightening precedent for Australia.

“One week can be the difference between retaining a tenancy or sliding into homelessness.”

“Mums on Parenting Payment or Newstart who get a job are also badly affected” said Terese.

“Finding a job and keeping work should mean a financial gain for people on benefits!

“Working mums on parenting payment with three children retain just $118 per week before they start losing payments,” said Terese. “Mums on Newstart keep $52, so its obviously inadequate and makes a mockery of the statement ‘the best way out of poverty is to get a job!'”

But it’s not all bad news.

Single mother Samantha Page is the chief executive of Early Childhood Australia, a lobby group concerned about child care and pre-school education.

Sam Page, CEO of ECA

“Seventy five per cent of families will be better off, most of the time, under this childcare package.

“There’s no doubt that the new subsidy for low and middle income families is a better deal,” said Sam, “It’s a higher level of subsidy and the $7,500 cap has been removed.”

“But I’m disappointed the government didn’t adopt the 15 hours of care a week as a base entitlement for all children.”

Almost all single mothers will qualify for subsidised care of up to 12 hours per week per child even if they aren’t working.

After three years of campaigning and protesting, at least the changes are now known, and they are greatly watered down from the previous proposals. Terese has been leading this battle for single mums since the budget of 2014 and points to the victories, the proposed cuts that have been abandoned by the government in this new law like:

1) No cuts to Family Tax Benefit Part B for single parents with children 13 to 16 years.

2) Stopped the scrapping of FTB Part B for sole parents with children over 15 years.

3) Retained end-of-year FTB supplements

4) Retained Pensioner Education Supplement and Education Entry payment for single mothers.

Now this battle is over, the first thing Terese did this morning was to sit down and write a quick note to Jacquie Lambie. In part it reads:

Dear Senator,

We remain grateful every time a mum speaks up and our gratitude extends to you. Our society is enriched when all voices are heard. I firmly believe in truth telling and that it will conquer the myths, the spin and the denial.

With much respect,

Cheers T

Jason Bryce
Business & Finance Journalist

Keep the Australian single parent articles coming – please click “Like” below

Further Australian Single Parent reading

Are you living in poverty and don’t even know it? Jason Bryce | 18 October 2016 Single parents just get on with the job of feeding the kids and looking after business. But did you know that you may actually be living in poverty, and you don’t even know it more…

Centrelink debt – 5 ways to avoid being branded a welfare cheat Jason Bryce | 3 February 2017 Single parents targeted by Centrelinks robo-debt – here are five ways to avoid being branded a welfare cheat… more…

Have your say on this story – how do you feel about the Omnibus Bill changes? Comment below!

Stay in the Aussie Single Parent Loop!

Don’t miss another Australian single parent news item, freebie, research / media call-out or offer!

Why not join our 30,000+ fan Australian Single Parent Facebook page,
Twitter page or Australian Single Parent Mailing List?

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. Read Jason Bryce’s full profile here

Read more SingleMum.com.au exclusive Centrelink articles

Read more SingleMum.com.au exclusive Child Support articles

Disclaimer: The views of authors on our website are not necessarily representative of those views of our website. Articles contain only general information, correct at the date of publication. For advice regarding your own personal circumstances, always seek individual advice from a qualified professional. This article may not be reprinted, reproduced, or retransmitted in whole or in part without the express written consent of SingleMum.com.au. Please read the complete Singlemum.com.au Disclaimer here

The post Seven big changes to family and child care benefits appeared first on Singlemum.

Expert Opinion Panel
Jason Bryce – Business & Finance Specialist

Family Tax Benefit supplements saved

…but what now for child care benefits?

By Jason Bryce | 14 February 2017

This is a victory

…for the true believers

“This morning, I’m damn good!” exclaimed Terese Edwards from the National Council of Single Mothers and their Children when we asked her the standard “How ya going?” this morning.

Nick Xenephon had just been on ABC Radio to announce that his three senators will block the Turnbull government’s watered down Omnibus Bill completely. The bill would axe Family Tax Benefit end of year supplements completely to pay for increased funding for child care benefits. And also new spending required by the National Disability Insurance Scheme, the treasurer Scott Morrison belatedly added yesterday.

Mr Xenephon labelled the bill “dumb policy and even dumber politics.”

Last night Tasmanian senator Jacquie Lambie told the ABC’s QandA program that: “I can tell you what they can go and do with their omnibus, they can stick it where it fits.”

This was a philosophical fight said Terese.

Nick Xenophon – “dumb policy
and even dumber politics””

“These Family Tax Benefit arrangements date back to Bob Hawke’s pledge to end child poverty in Australia [made in 1987].

“They had enjoyed bi-partisan support ever since so it was just really smelly that a government should now try to end that.”

Single mothers groups, the welfare lobby, Labor and The Greens had all stood rock solid in opposition to FTB cuts since 2014. A first Omnibus Bill passed the parliament last year that stripped away Schoolkids Bonus and FTB Part B from partnered families with teenagers and delivered $3 billion in budget savings to the government. This second bill promised to cut even harder.

The campaign to defeat these cuts to Family Tax Benefits has lasted three years and has seen off four separate pieces of legislation said Terese.

“The first two bills had a huge sting in the tail for single mothers, especially families with teenagers.”

“The third bill tied the cuts to increased funding for childcare,” said Terese, “And again the biggest losers would have been families with teenagers who don’t benefit from child care reforms.”

Terese Edwards from the NCSMC

“Number four watered down the cuts and grandfathered existing recipients and added some money to FTB part A but still hit teenagers.”

“Senators told me they were bombarded with calls and emails from mothers telling their stories of how their family would suffer if this went through,” said terese.

“And these are people with limited phone credit and internet data, so people really put in for this campaign.”

Th biggest win for families is the retention of the end of year supplements. That is up to $726 per child in FTB Part A and $356 per family in FTB Part B.

“Struggling families factor in the supplements to their budgets,” said Terese,

“It may be the only time they have money for car registration, repairs, appliances or school expenses.”

But what about the much needed child care reforms?

The government wants to take the $7,500 annual cap off child care benefits and combine the child care rebate and benefit into one streamlined payment to parents. That plan was also contained in this Omnibus Bill.

Sam Page, the chief executive of Early Childhood Australia and a single mum with three kids, told SingleMum.com.au that she hopes the child care elements of the proposed new law may still go ahead.

“We don’t understand why the government put the child care package into the Omnibus Bill and linked it to savings in other areas.”

But there is hope for the child care reforms said Sam.

Sam Page, CEO of ECA hopes the child care elements of the proposed new law may still go ahead

“I have just been reminded this morning that the child care package is still listed as a separate bill in its own right, so I don’t know why it was connected to those other changes.”

“My understanding is there is support [in parliament] for the childcare package and the objections to the bill are with the other components of it, particularly the welfare changes.

“We have argued that the childcare package should be considered on its own merits,” said Sam.

“It pays for itself through increased workforce participation so it really deserves to be treated on its own and we have said that from the beginning.”

So what does Sam make of this defeat of the Omnibus Bill?

“The government’s political strategy has been perplexing, the investment we make in early childhood learning should be seen as an investment in the education of our children.”

“The benefits our children get out of early learning should be considered in their own right, not as a welfare spend.”

Jason Bryce
Business & Finance Journalist

Further Australian Single Parent reading

Centrelink Family Tax Benefits update Jason Bryce | 9 February 2017 A concerted and determined three year campaign from single mums, the welfare lobby, the Greens, unions and Labor has saved the heart of Family Tax Benefits… more…

Centrelink debt – 5 ways to avoid being branded a welfare cheat Jason Bryce | 3 February 2017 Single parents targeted by Centrelinks robo-debt – here are five ways to avoid being branded a welfare cheat… more…

Have your say on this story – how do you feel about the defeat of the Omnibus Bill? Would child care changes affect you? Comment below!

Stay in the Aussie Single Parent Loop!

Don’t miss another Australian single parent news item, freebie, research / media call-out or offer!

Why not join our 30,000+ fan Australian Single Parent Facebook page,
Twitter page or Australian Single Parent Mailing List?

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. Read Jason Bryce’s full profile here

Read more SingleMum.com.au exclusive Centrelink articles

Read more SingleMum.com.au exclusive Child Support articles

Disclaimer: The views of authors on our website are not necessarily representative of those views of our website. Articles contain only general information, correct at the date of publication. For advice regarding your own personal circumstances, always seek individual advice from a qualified professional. This article may not be reprinted, reproduced, or retransmitted in whole or in part without the express written consent of SingleMum.com.au. Please read the complete Singlemum.com.au Disclaimer here

The post Centrelink Family Tax Benefit supplements saved appeared first on Singlemum.

Centrelink Family Tax Benefits updated

What the Omnibus Bill means for you

By Jason Bryce | 09 February 2017

A concerted and determined three year campaign from single mums…

…has saved the heart of Family Tax Benefits

A concerted and determined three year campaign from single mums, the welfare lobby, the Greens, unions and Labor has saved the heart of Family Tax Benefits.

Today the Senate is expected to pass the government’s Omnibus Bill that contains reforms and increases in child care payments in return for some cuts to Family Tax Benefits. But the heart, the major elements of what used to be called Child Endowment (and paid to all mothers) has been saved.

Parents with teenagers will be particularly pleased by the outcome of this major government back-down, because the both FTBs are now confirmed until age 19. And families of teens won’t generally benefit from the child care reforms that target working parents of younger children.

The National Council of Single Mothers and their Children is still opposed to the Omnibus Bill’s cuts to Family Tax Benefit end-of-year supplements and other tweaks but, importantly, the government has backed down on the hardest cuts.

The Family Tax Benefit Part B cut for families with teenagers is now off the table in a major win for single mums. The FTB end of year supplement will go, costing families about $350.

Family Tax Benefit Part A will go UP by $20 per child per fortnight to partially compensate for the loss of end-or-year supplements. You will lose at least $726 per child per year but gain about $520.

And Family Tax Benefits (both of them) will continue to be paid until your child turns 19. This is a major relief for parents of teenagers – 1.2 million families will breathe a sigh of relief.

Family Tax Benefits will continue to be paid until your child turns 19

New parents will win with Paid Parental Leave to be extended by a fortnight to 20 weeks. “Double dipping” PPL and employer paid parental leave has been replaced with a top-up of employer entitlements with Centrelink money.

The worst of the cuts to the poorest families are now gone but the sweetener in this bill – the childcare package remains intact.

Labor remains opposed to the cuts as do the Greens but much of the cross-bench in the Senate seem to be supportive. That includes Pauline Hanson’s One Nation party, Victorian independent Derryn Hinch and the newly independent senator Cory Bernardi. The passage of the bill now largely relies on the Nick Xenophon Team.

That’s assuming Labor don’t change their mind and vote it through. This is a possibility because this bill is a collection of savings measures that Labor has previously agreed to.

Actually Labor had costed in benefit cuts of six billion, but with these government backdowns the savings in this bill have been pared back to $5.5 billion over the next four years.

Labor’s Jenny Macklin said 300,000 families will lose the end of year FTB Part A supplement and not be eligible for the fortnightly increase. Jenny said FTB Part A families will be around $200 per year per child worse off. Family Tax Benefit Part B families will be around $350 per year worse off as a family. So Labor remains opposed to the bill said Jenny Macklin yesterday.

Along with the cuts, this bill brings some relief to the child care crisis with a new means tested, almost uncapped, single payment to parents of up to 85 per cent of daily fees, replacing the complicated and limited Child Care Benefit and the Child Care Rebate.

This bill brings some relief to the child care crisis

Labor’s $7,500 cap on child care rebate, that often leaves families in this part of the year trying to find the money for the full child care daily rate, is gone.

The government said a working family earning $60,000 a year will pay around $15 per day for child care.

A single mum with two kids under six, earning $50,000 per year, will be $2,470 per year better off, if the kids are in care for three days per week.

Last night, the NCSMC’s chief executive Terese Edwards was still on the phone, urging the Nick Xenephon team’s three senators to reject the Ominbus Bill despite the major backdowns from the government.

The Greens are opposed the Omnibus Bill which contains “hidden nasties” according to greens senator Rachel Siewert. Nasties like making young people wait four weeks before receiving Youth Allowance and limiting the old age pension for people travelling overseas.

But this is a good news story. Terese from the NCSMC says single mothers everywhere and their allies have made this government back down on some savage cuts to benefits for Australia’s poorest families.

Family Tax Benefits are a foundation payment of the welfare system, keeping Australian families in food and shelter for generations. So important are Family Tax Benefits that former prime minister John Howard still insists they are not welfare at all, but a tax entitlement of all Australian families.

The principle that in Australia we assist the parents of our children lives on, thanks to this three year fight.

STOP PRESS*** 12/02/2017 Breaking: Singlemum.com.au has been told by Tim Watts MP (the Victorian Labor MP for Gellibrand) that the Omnibus Bill is now not expected to pass parliament before the budget (in May). Labor and the Greens remain opposed to the bill and will push for a Senate inquiry into the FTB changes and the linked child care reforms. That could push the cuts to FTB end of year supplements back to 2018***

Jason Bryce
Business & Finance Journalist

Further Australian Single Parent reading

Centrelink debt – 5 ways to avoid being branded a welfare cheat Jason Bryce | 3 February 2017 Single parents targeted by Centrelinks robo-debt – here are five ways to avoid being branded a welfare cheat… more…

Which banks will help me leave my abusive husband? Jason Bryce | 26 November 2017 In a big step forward for women (and men) who are escaping abusive relationships, some banks have now committed to helping victims untangle their finances and free themselves from their abuser more…

Have your say on this story – how do you feel about the looming parliament changes to the Family Tax Benefit? Comment below!

Stay in the Aussie Single Parent Loop!

Don’t miss another Australian single parent news item, freebie, research / media call-out or offer!

Why not join our 30,000+ fan Australian Single Parent Facebook page,
Twitter page or Australian Single Parent Mailing List?

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. Read Jason Bryce’s full profile here

Read more SingleMum.com.au exclusive Centrelink articles

Read more SingleMum.com.au exclusive Child Support articles

Disclaimer: The views of authors on our website are not necessarily representative of those views of our website. Articles contain only general information, correct at the date of publication. For advice regarding your own personal circumstances, always seek individual advice from a qualified professional. This article may not be reprinted, reproduced, or retransmitted in whole or in part without the express written consent of SingleMum.com.au. Please read the complete Singlemum.com.au Disclaimer here

The post Centrelink Family Tax Benefits updated appeared first on Singlemum.

Expert Opinion Panel
Jason Bryce – Business & Finance Specialist

Single mothers targeted by Centrelink’s robo-debt campaign

5 ways to avoid being branded a Centrelink welfare cheat

By Jason Bryce | 03 February 2017

Have you checked your My Gov inbox lately? Single mothers are being targeted by Centrelink

Have you checked your My Gov inbox lately? Single mothers are being targeted for scrutiny by Centrelink’s robo-debt campaign. You won’t like hearing it and the government doesn’t boast about it, but most Aussies who get branded as “welfare cheats” are single mothers.

Maybe you just aren’t the most organised person. Maybe you haven’t done your tax return. Maybe you just made a mistake or forgot to update your details or missed a reporting date. Whatever. You think Centrelink’s computer cares about your overworked life? Sympathy doesn’t compute in the new world of robo-debts, so take charge read our 5 ways to ensure you aren’t branded a welfare cheat…

1. 1. Immediately tell Centrelink your income has changed, the same day it changes

Don’t miss a report. And tell them the exact date you start a new job. And finish a job. The exact date.

If you are registered for Newstart, or Parenting Payment Single and are working, even if you don’t get any Newstart or PPS, still keep reporting every fortnight. Don’t stop reporting until you are settled into a permanent position and leave the system. And now Family Tax Benefit end of year supplements are gone for people earning over $80,000, some mums will have not have balancing payments if their income has increased through the year. If your income from work has increased, you might be a welfare cheat

1. 1. Check your MyGov inbox

Even if it’s years since you received any Parenting Payment, Newstart or Family Tax Benefits, they might just now be matching your payments with information from the tax office. Many people now caught up in the ‘robo-debt’ debacle didn’t respond to a previous letter sent to their MyGov inbox. They quickly have been labelled welfare cheats.

1. 1. Respond to letters

If you don’t respond to a letter asking for more information, the next letter will detail an overpayment and the amount you owe. They may start reducing your benefits to repay the debt. The onus of proof is on you to disprove the debt because you have been branded a welfare cheat.

1. 1. Be careful who you tell about your new boyfriend.

You found a great new guy? Or girl even? That’s fantastic. But you want to take it slowly right? Maybe not move in right away? But their car is in the driveway every night. You are a couple on Facebook. And that is the new test of whether you are a couple. If you live together, identify online and in public as a couple, you need to get off Parenting Payment Single as soon as possible and onto the partnered rate.

A case in the Administrative Appeals Tribunal in 2015 has set legal precedent for all single mums. Your Facebook announcements can be used in evidence against you. Tania Sharp and her ‘house-mate’ Darren O’Brien, announced on Facebook their mutual joy at finally falling pregnant after months of trying. Four months later Centrelink cut off Tania’s Parenting Payment Single, presumably after a report from a ‘friend.’ Tania then tried to argue that the conception was a result of a “one-night stand” but the Tribunal found she was a member of a couple based on Facebook evidence.

Centrelink only check social media if they have a report from one of your ‘friends’ or your ex-partner. It’s so easy to make an anonymous report to Centrelink and suddenly you are a welfare cheat.

But there is another side of the coin. You MAY be able to live with your ex-partner or another person and still receive Parenting Payment Single. Sometimes couples just have to remain in the same house long after the close intimate relationship has ended, because its so expensive to maintain separate addresses.

Sometimes two single parents can share a house to cut down on costs. Centrelink may ask you some extra questions but if you genuinely are not a couple you should be ok. Long gone are the days when they will randomly come to your home and check the sock drawer. You are not a welfare cheat.

For more need-to-know information on what the government have in store for single parents, read our latest article Centrelink 2017 cuts single parents should know about, and if you enjoyed reading this article, please give it a like or share below.

Jason Bryce
Business & Finance Journalist

Further Australian Single Parent reading

Centrelink 2017 cuts single parents should know about
Jason Bryce | 12 January 2017

By now, you will have read that there are plenty of Centrelink changes that will mean a lot less money for you and your family in 2017. What you may not realise is that single parents more…

Centrelink Family Payment Cuts Are Back
Jason Bryce | 6 November 2016

You thought the 2014 FTB cuts were dead but they’re back. Like the zombies of Hollywood, these are the big Abbott government family payment cuts that squarely target single mums. They were never implemented, but they just won’t die more…

Have your say on this story – how do you feel about Centrelink’s latest debt campaign? Comment below!

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Twitter page or Australian Single Parent Mailing List?

Join now by clicking on an icon below!

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. Read Jason Bryce’s full profile here

Read more SingleMum.com.au exclusive Centrelink articles

Read more SingleMum.com.au exclusive Child Support articles

Disclaimer: The views of authors on our website are not necessarily representative of those views of our website. Articles contain only general information, correct at the date of publication. For advice regarding your own personal circumstances, always seek individual advice from a qualified professional. This article may not be reprinted, reproduced, or retransmitted in whole or in part without the express written consent of SingleMum.com.au. Please read the complete Singlemum.com.au Disclaimer here

The post Centrelink debt – 5 ways to avoid being branded a welfare cheat appeared first on Singlemum.

Expert Opinion Panel
Jason Bryce – Business & Finance Specialist

Centrelink 2017 cuts single parents should know about

Another year of tightening the belt for single mums

By Jason Bryce | 12 January 2017

…there are plenty of Centrelink changes that will mean

a lot less money for your family in 2017

By now, you will have read that there are plenty of Centrelink changes that will mean a lot less money for you and your family in 2017. What you may not realise is that single parents, so far, have been shielded from some of the biggest cuts. Shielded by Labor, Greens and cross-bench senators who are now under intense pressure to yield to a government trying to rein in government debt (and pay for their promised company tax cuts).

However, that could all change very quickly because the government has six billion dollars worth of payment cuts, some directly targeting single parent families, that they are desperately trying to get through the parliament as soon as possible. Treasurer Scott Morrison has spent a good part of early January flying around the country talking to senators about supporting savings measures that will hit your family hard.

But first, here are the cuts that have already been enacted that will hit single mums

1. No more Schoolkids Bonus

The very popular $4.5 billion Schoolkids Bonus (SKB) scheme is gone forever. All families with income under $100,000 used to get $215 for each primary school aged child in January and again in July for a total of $430. Each high school aged child used to receive $428 in January and July for a total of $856 per year. Now you will need to pay for all your back-to-school costs without that assistance.


2. Income caps are frozen for four years

Parents who work could see their Centrelink payments reduce progressively or cut out completely over the next four years because most family and parenting payment income limits have been frozen until 2020.

3. Energy supplement axed for new applicants

The Energy supplement has been axed for new applicants from March 2017. So if you are thinking about applying for Parenting Payment or another Centrelink benefit, do it now. This cut means a loss of up to $7.28 per child per fortnight in Family Tax Benefit Part A payments. Plus up to $2.80 per family per fortnight in FTB Part B payments. New Parenting Payment recipients will lose an additional $12.00 or more per fortnight, compared to what existing parents will continue to receive.

4. Family Tax Benefit Supplements are changing

Families with household incomes over $80,000 will lose their FTB Part A end-of-year supplement completely. That is a loss of up to $726 per child.

5. The Single Income Family Supplement axed

The Single Income Family Bonus has been axed for new applicants only. Existing recipients will keep their Single Income Family Supplement. This $300 payment is for families with one main income earner who earns more than $68,000.

6. Fringe Benefits are now counted as income

Any fringe benefits you get from your employer, like a car, phone or help with rent or mortgage repayments will now be 100 per cent counted as income for Centrelink purposes. This new rule does not apply to employees working for charities and health services.

7. Parental Leave Pay is now income

Working mums with babies born after 1 October 2016 who get Parental Leave Pay could see other Centrelink payments go down because PLP (and Dad and Partner Pay) now counts as income for Centrelink purposes.

Treasurer Scott Morrison

In addition to those cuts, Treasurer Scott Morrison wants to:

1. Abolish all Family Tax Benefit end of year supplements for everyone. That’s $726 per child in FTB Part A supplements and $354 per family in FTB Part B supplement.

2. Axe Pensioner Education Supplement. Single parents who study can receive up to $62.40 per fortnight to help with education costs. That is on the chopping block now.

3. Axe Family Tax Benefit Part B when your youngest child turns 13. FTB Part B helps low, single income families only. This cut has already been applied to partnered single income families.

One way or another, pretty much all single mums will have to support their families with less money than they had in 2016. All we can say is good luck, you are not alone, we are all feeling the pressure.

Jason Bryce
Business & Finance Journalist

Further Australian Single Parent reading

Which banks will help me leave my abusive husband? Jason Bryce | 26 November 2017 In a big step forward for women (and men) who are escaping abusive relationships, some banks have now committed to helping victims untangle their finances and free themselves from their abuser more…

Centrelink Family Payment Cuts Are Back Jason Bryce | 6 November 2016 You thought the 2014 FTB cuts were dead but they’re back. Like the zombies of Hollywood, these are the big Abbott government family payment cuts that squarely target single mums. They were never implemented, but they just won’t die more…

Have your say on this story – how do you feel about all the recent Centrelink cuts – and threatened ones? Comment below!

Stay in the Aussie Single Parent Loop!

Don’t miss another Australian single parent news item, freebie, research / media call-out or offer!

Why not join our 30,000+ fan Australian Single Parent Facebook page,
Twitter page or Australian Single Parent Mailing List?

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. Read Jason Bryce’s full profile here

Read more SingleMum.com.au exclusive Centrelink articles

Read more SingleMum.com.au exclusive Child Support articles

Disclaimer: The views of authors on our website are not necessarily representative of those views of our website. Articles contain only general information, correct at the date of publication. For advice regarding your own personal circumstances, always seek individual advice from a qualified professional. This article may not be reprinted, reproduced, or retransmitted in whole or in part without the express written consent of SingleMum.com.au. Please read the complete Singlemum.com.au Disclaimer here

The post Centrelink 2017 cuts single parents should know about appeared first on Singlemum.

Expert Opinion Panel
Jason Bryce – Business & Finance Specialist

Centrelink Family Payment Cuts Are Back

They’re back…the Family Payment cuts that won’t die…

By Jason Bryce | 06 November 2016

What exactly are these zombie family payment cuts

you have heard about?

You thought the 2014 FTB cuts were dead but they’re back. Like the zombies of Hollywood, these are the big Abbott government family payment cuts that squarely target single mums. They were never implemented, but they just won’t die.

Many cuts have been implemented, including the Family Tax Benefit freeze at the current rate for the next two of years. FTB end-of-year supplements are also being phased down for families with incomes over $80,000, the energy supplement is gone for new recipients, the large family supplement is gone and some other cuts have already become law.

However now there could more, and much deeper FTB carnage facing single mums.

Right now, we are waiting to see if the cross bench senators, including the Nick Xenophon Team will support the cuts. Pauline Hanson’s One Nation team has shown their true colours and will vote to make poor single parents poorer. But they could lose one senator over an unrelated alleged assault charge.

Single mums worriedly wait and watch the Parliament House Senate

Perhaps you are thinking something like: “Single mums have been watching the senate for the last three years!” Or maybe you are thinking: This is starting to sound like a bad movie in which poor, struggling families face a contant threat from marauding zombie politicians?

Your income once again depends on the Senate because these cutbacks are coming back to haunt single mums. You can’t run, you can’t hide, these FTB cuts are very hard to kill.

Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott and his treasurer Joe Hockey may now be long gone from the front bench of government but many of their budget 2014 bills are still stuck in Parliament. Not killed but not passed. They are undead. Many of the problems and instability that killed the Abbott/Hockey government date from the Budget of May 2014.

The House of Representatives has passed these 2014 budget cuts, but the previous senate blocked them from becoming law. For two years the legislation has sat, waiting for an opportunity to strike back.

Pauline Hanson is all for the Centrelink cuts

That opportunity may be now, because amid senate and budget chaos the Turnbull government is talking about reviving the zombie FTB cuts. And with support from Pauline Hanson and Nick Xenophon, they could become law.

Which families face Family Tax Benefit cuts?

Short answer – most of them. Long answer is that the current proposal will hit single parent families with teenagers the hardest but will also leave other families with younger children significantly poorer each fortnight as well.

Single income families with incomes under $80,000 are hardest hit

“The current bill has a similar impact on single income families with children over 13 years compared with the 2014-15 budget measures,” said Terese Edwards from the National Council for Single Mothers and their Children. “Single income families with children aged 6-12 years will also be worse off.”

Single mothers with children under one year old are the only parents to get an increase. They will get an extra $1,000 in FTB Part B. There is also an increase of $5 in FTB Part A but that gain will be overshadowed by the impact of other cuts.

What are the FTB cuts?

In 2014, then treasurer Joe Hockey proposed big cuts to Family Tax Benefits, especially FTB Part B. Many of these cuts were not passed in 2014, and have come back to haunt us now:

1. Cut the top rate for FTB Part B for all families when youngest child turns 13 from $2737.50 per year to $1000.10 per year.
2. Cut FTB Part B completely when the youngest child turns 16, not 18.
3. Phase out end-of-year FTB supplements for all families, not just those in the income bracket over $80,000.

There is also an increase in payments

1. Increase FTB Part A by $5 per week per child.

How will these cuts impact single mums?

“I won’t be able to continue with the children’s swimming lessons,” one single mum told a survey by the National Council for Single Mothers and their Children, “I won’t be able to afford car insurance.”

Many children have learned to hide that they need money for school excursions

Perhaps the last word should belong to this single mum

“So we are losing more money? I certainly hope they are joking? I can’t remember the last time I bought underwear for myself, a cake from a cake shop, a meal out somewhere.

“My son has school camp in November but I’m already behind in school fees and $250 behind in rent. This is an absolute joke! Get the politicians to live on our salary for one week.”

Jason Bryce
Business & Finance Journalist

Further Australian Single Parent reading

Are you living in poverty and don’t even know it? Jason Bryce | 18 October 2016 Single parents just get on with the job of feeding the kids and looking after business. But did you know that you may actually be living in poverty, and you don’t even know it more…

Mothers warned not to tell the truth in Family Court Maurice Kriss | 9 October 2016 One of the most mind bending decisions for a family lawyer is how to advise a mother whose child has suffered child abuse by a father or partner more…

Win 1 of 5 DVD Nikelodeon Prize Packs! 4 November 2016 | Closes 9:00PM 17th November 2016 (AEST). Win a pack of 3 brand new Nickelodeon kids’ DVD releases! Go to the Let’s Go Mum website to enter…

Have your say on this story – how do you feel about your FTB payments being cut? Comment below!

Stay in the Aussie Single Parent Loop!

Don’t miss another Australian single parent news item, freebie, research / media call-out or offer!

Why not join our 30,000+ fan Australian Single Parent Facebook page,
Twitter page or Australian Single Parent Mailing List?

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. Read Jason Bryce’s full profile here

Read more SingleMum.com.au exclusive Centrelink articles

Read more SingleMum.com.au exclusive Child Support articles

Disclaimer: The views of authors on our website are not necessarily representative of those views of our website. Articles contain only general information, correct at the date of publication. For advice regarding your own personal circumstances, always seek individual advice from a qualified professional. This article may not be reprinted, reproduced, or retransmitted in whole or in part without the express written consent of SingleMum.com.au. Please read the complete Singlemum.com.au Disclaimer here

The post Centrelink Family Payment Cuts Are Back appeared first on Singlemum.

Expert Opinion Panel
Jason Bryce – Business & Finance Specialist

Are you living in poverty and don’t even know it?

Single parents just get on with the job of feeding the kids and looking after business. But did you know that you may actually be living in poverty, and you don’t even know it?

By Jason Bryce | 18 October 2016

You may be living below the poverty line

…and not even know it

Of course you know its not easy to be a single parent. It never has been easy, despite what you might hear on commercial radio and TV. But did you know that increasing numbers of single parent families are surviving in poverty? That’s right, over the last ten years, life has got a lot tougher for single mums and their kids.

While there has been a decline in the overall percentage of Aussie kids who live in poverty, from 17.7 per cent in 2012 to 17.4 per cent in 2014, children of single parents are doing it tougher. More than 40 per cent of children of single parents now live in poverty, up from 36.8 per cent in 2012. That compares with just 12.5 per cent of kids in two-parent families.

In this era or political correctness, when we all are supposed to be accepting of diversity, differences and unconventional families, single mums are falling behind.

How many Australians live in poverty?

Three million Australians now live below the poverty line, according to the latest ‘Poverty in Australia’ report from the Australian Council of Social Services and the Social Policy Research Centre at the University of NSW. That includes 731,000 children.

731,000 Australian children are now living below the poverty line

What is the official poverty line in 2016?

The poverty line is a commonly used term, but few people know what it is. Researchers define the poverty line as half of the Australian median income. This is a far less generous measure than what is used in many other wealthy countries, where a 60 per cent of median income rule is applied.

So that 50 per cent rule sets the poverty line in Australia for a single adult at $426.30 per week. For an adult couple with two children the poverty line is $895.22 per week.

For a single parent with two children the poverty line is $682.07. After housing costs are subtracted the poverty line for that single parent with two kids is $548.74 according to the ACOSS/SPRC poverty report.

Do you have $548 per week left over after you have paid the rent or mortgage?

Do you have $548 per week left over after you have paid the rent or mortgage?

One third of single mums are living in poverty

555,600 single parents, or 33.2 per cent of all Australian single parents, live in poverty. 40.2 per cent of children of single parents live in poverty. 51.5 per cent of parents who receive parenting payment live in poverty and 55 per cent of people on Newstart are in poverty.

Why are things getting worse for single mums? The ACOSS researchers say the evidence is in and they sheet home the blame to the removal of parenting payment from 100,000 single parent families with children over the age of eight by the Howard and Gillard governments.

Getting a job may not save you from poverty

The response of the Turnbull government to the ACOSS report on poverty is basically that parents need to get off Centrelink and into work.

Cabinet Secretary Arthur Sinodinos told the ABC that: many children are being raised in homes “where one or more parents, and maybe even grandparents, has not had a job.”

One third of all Aussies who are surviving below the poverty line are employed

However getting a job is not an automatic path out of poverty. An increasing number of employed people are also languishing in poverty. 24 per cent of part time workers live below the poverty line (up from 15 per cent in 2012) and 7.9 per cent of full time workers are in poverty (up from 4.7 per cent).

In fact one third of all Aussies who are surviving below the poverty line are employed.

The opposition said the government needs to stop cutting welfare. Labor’s Jim Chalmers said: “This is the worst possible time for the Turnbull Government to be cutting people’s family payments.”

Jason Bryce
Business & Finance Journalist

Further Single Parent reading

Young mums at the frontline of new Centrelink ‘revolution’ Jason Bryce | 22 September 2016 The Turnbull government has announced “a new approach aiming to revolutionise the welfare system.” The new approach will target three ‘at-risk’ groups – young single parents, young carers and young students. more…

Mothers warned not to tell the truth in Family Court Maurice Kriss | 9 October 2016 One of the most mind bending decisions for a family lawyer is how to advise a mother whose child has suffered child abuse by a father or partner more…

Have your say on this story – were you surprised at the poverty line amount? Comment below!

Stay in the Aussie Single Parent Loop!

Don’t miss another Australian single parent news item, freebie, research / media call-out or offer!

Why not join our 30,000+ fan Australian Single Parent Facebook page,
Twitter page or Australian Single Parent Mailing List?

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. Read Jason Bryce’s full profile here

Read more SingleMum.com.au exclusive Centrelink articles

Read more SingleMum.com.au exclusive Child Support articles

Disclaimer: The views of authors on our website are not necessarily representative of those views of our website. Articles contain only general information, correct at the date of publication. For advice regarding your own personal circumstances, always seek individual advice from a qualified professional. This article may not be reprinted, reproduced, or retransmitted in whole or in part without the express written consent of SingleMum.com.au. Please read the complete Singlemum.com.au Disclaimer here

The post Are you living in poverty and don’t even know it? appeared first on Singlemum.

Expert Opinion Panel
Jason Bryce – Business & Finance Specialist

Young mums at the frontline of new Centrelink ‘revolution’

Young single parents have been identified as a target of major new welfare reforms by the Turnbull government.

By Jason Bryce | 22 September 2016

…”aiming to revolutionise the welfare system”

will target three ‘at-risk’ groups…

The Turnbull government has announced “a new approach aiming to revolutionise the welfare system.” The new approach will target three ‘at-risk’ groups – young single parents, young carers and young students. Young single parents are ‘at-risk’ of remaining on Centrelink for many years, according to the Minister for Social Services, Christian Porter.

Minister for Social Services, Christian Porter

“Revolutionary change is required,” said Mr Porter “Young carers, young parents and young students will be the initial priority groups.”

Mr Porter said the new approach is called “The Australian Priority Investment Approach to Welfare” and is all about ‘early intervention’ to ‘create a path out of the welfare system.’

What does a path out of welfare look like? The government admits it doesn’t know and has decided to outsource that part of the plan. Mr Porter announced a $96 million “Try, Test and Learn Fund” which will ask for ideas and proposals from charities, businesses and government to build pathways out of welfare.

Mr Porter said the government will have the fund up and running by the end of 2016 and will consult widely on how it will operate.

Terese Edwards, the chief executive of the National Council of Single Mothers and their Children, is cautiously optimistic about the plan.

“We support anything that is viewed as an investment, particularly for sole parents because, gee, they’ve had a tough time of late,” Terese told ABC TV on Tuesday night.
“My concern is that there is also some mention of some budget savings,” said Terese.

Terese Edwards, CEO of the NCSMC

Mr Porter said the budget savings would come in the longer term as the targeted people moved off welfare. He said “passive welfare” is bad for parents and children

When Singlemum.com.au asked Terese about the revolution, she was a lot more direct.

“It’s such a nonsense that sole parent families don’t want to be in paid work and are accepting of hardship.

“Who chooses to live with financial stress? I don’t know any parent who resigns themselves to their children missing out.”

Terese said parents make decisions about working “in the context of access to jobs plus the safety and care of the children.”

A fact-sheet on parents was released by Mr Porter documenting some of the findings of the research that is underpinning the welfare revolution. According to the research (by big accounting firm Price Waterhouse Coopers), there are about 432,000 people receiving Parenting Payment from Centrelink. The research estimates that 48 per cent of those parents will still be receiving income support payments in ten years while 22 per cent will have moved off Centrelink.

Of those totals, there are about 4,370 parents under the age of 18 who are currently receiving Parenting Payment. Around 70 per cent of those young parents will still be on Centrelink in ten years while another 23 per cent will still be receiving Family Tax Benefit.

It is these numbers that Mr Porter’s revolution wants to change by helping young mums access education, training and employment. In a major statement of the obvious, the researchers from Price Waterhouse Coopers said: “Having a child young can disrupt education, and increase the barriers to finding and keeping a job.”

“This can lead to long-term welfare dependency.”

Terese is particularly blunt on this point.

“There are 730,000 job seekers and just 120,000 jobs now available, do the maths.”

Terese said single mums had been posting on social media about the pathway out of welfare they are looking for.

“It was jobs, jobs, jobs and more jobs,” said Terese pretty simply.

Jason Bryce
Business & Finance Journalist

Further Single Parent reading

Family Tax Benefit cuts – are you losing money?

10 government cuts that you didn’t know about

Have your say on this story – what do you think about the govt. targeting young single mums? Comment below!

Stay in the Aussie Single Parent Loop!

Don’t miss another Australian single parent news item, freebie, research / media call-out or offer!

Why not join our 29,000+ fan Australian Single Parent Facebook page,
Twitter page or Australian Single Parent Mailing List?

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. Read Jason Bryce’s full profile here

Read more SingleMum.com.au exclusive Centrelink articles

Read more SingleMum.com.au exclusive Child Support articles

Disclaimer: The views of authors on our website are not necessarily representative of those views of our website. Articles contain only general information, correct at the date of publication. For advice regarding your own personal circumstances, always seek individual advice from a qualified professional. This article may not be reprinted, reproduced, or retransmitted in whole or in part without the express written consent of SingleMum.com.au. Please read the complete Singlemum.com.au Disclaimer here

The post Young mums at the frontline of new Centrelink ‘revolution’ appeared first on Singlemum.