Tertiary and Continuing Just got my first Centrelink payment

Remove this Banner Ad

rick James

rick James

Cancelled
Suspended
Veteran 10k Posts
Dec 8, 2004
22,762
156
AFL Club
Melbourne
Other Teams
Post Count: heaps
This shit ****ing rules - they just sent me like $450 for doing NOTHING. I just go to school and they send me cash. And when I'm on holidays, they still send me cash.

This country ****ing RULES.

I have a plan to like, save some of the money throughout the school year, then buy a plane ticket to Thailand or Bali or something at the end of each school year. I reckon I could live off roughly $450 a fortnight for 5 months in Thailand/Vietnam/Cambodia/Laos yeah?

Oh, thanks to all you suckers out there working for the man. Much appreciated.
 
hahah.
did you move out which enabled you to claim the full $450 or did you earn the $20,000* in 18 months which made you independent?

*may not be 20k, just guessing..it's definitely around that mark.. 18 - 20 k
 
  • Thread starter
  • Banned
  • #3
sherrin_footy said:
hahah.
did you move out which enabled you to claim the full $450 or did you earn the $20,000* in 18 months which made you independent?

*may not be 20k, just guessing..it's definitely around that mark.. 18 - 20 k
Click to expand...

Yeah I'm independent. Would have got on this bandwagon earlier if I knew how easy it was. I make only about 25-30% of what I used to take home after tax (being young and single generally means you pay an assload of tax) but I do almost nothing. It's awesome.
 

Log in to remove this ad.

Centrelink are still vultures though.
They'll tell you one thing, think you are doing the right thing, 6 months later they will re-evaluate or some crap then get you to repay them.
But maybe that was just me lol

You also need to tell Centrelink when you go overseas, otherwise when customs/airport scan ur passport, the fact you are overseas is reported to Centrelink.
True story, I went to Thailand and sussed it out beforehand, you can go overseas for like 6 weeks before they cut ur payment.
 
  • Thread starter
  • Banned
  • #5
dogz said:
Centrelink are still vultures though.
They'll tell you one thing, think you are doing the right thing, 6 months later they will re-evaluate or some crap then get you to repay them.
But maybe that was just me lol

You also need to tell Centrelink when you go overseas, otherwise when customs/airport scan ur passport, the fact you are overseas is reported to Centrelink.
True story, I went to Thailand and sussed it out beforehand, you can go overseas for like 6 weeks before they cut ur payment.
Click to expand...

Ah good point, those damn e-passports! Well still, I can take a 6 week jaunt overseas on the taxpayer.
 
So you can be independant and live at home and get the 460 a fortnight?

I'm eligible for youth allowance after earning over the independant threshold, and do get it, but absolutely no chance I could live off that money out of home. I work and see it as a bonus, you can earn like 800 gross and still get 100 odd from centrelink in the fortnight. And with a casual job it is obviously handy around exams when you can take time off work and still have something coming in.
 
Selective Retention said:
So you can be independant and live at home and get the 460 a fortnight?

I'm eligible for youth allowance after earning over the independant threshold, and do get it, but absolutely no chance I could live off that money out of home. I work and see it as a bonus, you can earn like 800 gross and still get 100 odd from centrelink in the fortnight. And with a casual job it is obviously handy around exams when you can take time off work and still have something coming in.
Click to expand...

just curious. What work were you doing to get you to the threshold and how long did it take?
 
The threshold is based on first year apprentices wage. Work 20 hours a week in retail/hospitality as a casual and you will get there easy in a year. I think there is an additional qualification for independance in that you have to be out of high school for either 12 or 18 months, I can't remember now.
 
Selective Retention said:
So you can be independant and live at home and get the 460 a fortnight?

I'm eligible for youth allowance after earning over the independant threshold, and do get it, but absolutely no chance I could live off that money out of home. I work and see it as a bonus, you can earn like 800 gross and still get 100 odd from centrelink in the fortnight. And with a casual job it is obviously handy around exams when you can take time off work and still have something coming in.
Click to expand...

I don't think so, I asked them about this independant rate a few weeks back.. I am 24, previously had work full time hours for 4 years and now doing full time UNI.. but got told that since i still live at home, I am still classified as independant but on living at home rates.. which is $237 a fortnight. Which is quiet hard to live on whilst studying.

If any one else is still living at home an is independant and getting the full payment, please let me know.. need more money!!
 
I'm back at home, 26, and receiving nearly $400 on full rates of Austudy - gotta be over 25 though.
 
Funkyzeit mit Matt said:
I was doing 2 full time courses last year, was earning 35 k per year for the previous 2 years, and for some reason was not eligible at all for centrelink after I quit my job last year.
Click to expand...

you can't have over a certain amount in liquid assets. If you do, you can't receive it.

not SURE what the amount is..but iirc it's around 6,000.

Kind of defies logic for people who are on youth allowance, whilst living at home and classed as independent.

to be classed as independent whilst living at home you have to earn roughly 20k and have left school for atleast 18 months.

So you earn the 20k, but to get the youth allowance payments you have to of pissed your money down the drain..or get behind some sort of fraud and put it into your parents account or something.
 
sherrin_footy said:
you can't have over a certain amount in liquid assets. If you do, you can't receive it.

not SURE what the amount is..but iirc it's around 6,000.

Kind of defies logic for people who are on youth allowance, whilst living at home and classed as independent.

to be classed as independent whilst living at home you have to earn roughly 20k and have left school for atleast 18 months.

So you earn the 20k, but to get the youth allowance payments you have to of pissed your money down the drain..or get behind some sort of fraud and put it into your parents account or something.
Click to expand...

Thanks for clarifying.

And you're right; the logic is absolutely ****ed.
 

(Log in to remove this ad.)

Ytoojae said:
Key words - quit your job.

That is the answer.
Click to expand...

the ideal situation would be..
earn the 20k. be classed as independent.

buy something (eg a car) off your parents and give them 17k.

'they' invest their 17k somewhere..or whatever YOU want to do with it.

You apply for youth allowance, and receive it as you have met the criteria.

Find a job that pays cash in hand, so you can still have an income whilst receiving youth allowance.
If you earn something like $230 in a fortnight, they reduce your youth allowance by about half.
Once again, not completely sure on the figure, but i think it is roughly right.
 
Have decided its easier to just work 20 hours a fortnight and make around $900.

Kind of a pain that I'm only making just over double my Centrelink money, but working 40 hours a fortnight as opposed to zero.

But career wise its going to look a lot better with working history throughout uni - plus it will give me enough income to get my own place and go on the odd holiday.
 
LOL that didn't take long :p

I'd still take the time to report your income to centrelink. You can earn $240 a fortnight before they take anything out of your payment, and after that they take 60 cents a dollar from memory.

Eg if you earn 800 gross in a fortnight

it becomes 800 - 240 = 560 assessable

Then 560 * 0.60 = 336 that they take from your payment

so if you are on the full youth allowance rate with rent assistance ~460

fortnight centrelink payment = 460 - 336 = $124 from centrelink on top of your earnings
 
the_fresh said:
How on earth do you get $400 on Austudy?
I'm a full time student, living out of home, 30 and get $377 aplus $74 for my rent.
Click to expand...

Well I get the base $377, no rent assistance cause I'm back with my folks. But my... well, it's kind of personal, but needless to say, there is something about me that makes me more valuable to the taxpayer than you are.

I get cheap medicine and home loans too, that might clear it up if you're switched on.
 
Just to clarify

I am 21 and at uni full-time, still living at home because I have chronic injuries and can't work, I didn't gain independence due to this injury.

Pretty much I am eligible for nothing?
 
It is based on your parents income in that case. If both work you would have no chance of being eligible for it as the income cap is quite small. In fact if even one of your parents have full time employment you'd struggle I think.
 
I had trouble with Centrelink when I finished highschool and was trying to find a job and decide what career I wanted.

Both my parents worked but my dad is a relief teacher so it was kind of rare that he would actually be working BUT centrelink claimed that if his income for the year before tax was around 92k, if he worked everyday of the school term like a regular teacher. (Hourly rate for relief's is much higher) and therefore there was no need for me to need monetry assistance.

Wish they took a look at our bills in that time period... OVERDUE!!!!

But hey, at least it works for some people :)
 

Remove this Banner Ad

Tertiary and Continuing Just got my first Centrelink payment

Remove this Banner Ad

Back
Top