by JENNY MACKLIN
This morning, the Treasurer and I walked to school. We hadn’t done it for a while, not since our own kids were little.
Before the bell rang, we had coffee and a chat with local parents Elizabeth and Anthony about what they do to make sure their kids are at school and ready to learn.
I think we could have spent the whole day just running through the checklist.
I know exactly what it’s like. My kids are grown up now, but I remember very clearly all the items we had to buy before they started school. Books, pens, pencils, rulers and folders – the list goes on and on. And it gets harder as they get older, and start needing things like computers that seem to cost more than a small car.
That’s before you even get to the uniform shop. And there are the costs that pop up throughout the year, like excursions, music lessons and school camps. Not to mention new school shoes.
I know that the Education Tax Refund has helped a lot of families with these sorts of expenses. Each year at tax time, families could get a bit back for what they’ve spent on school costs.
But I also know that the Education Tax Refund wasn’t helping some families as much as it could have. In fact, about one million families weren’t claiming their money back, or weren’t claiming their full entitlement.
For a lot of people, it was just too expensive to pay up front for all the school costs, and then wait months to get some money back.
The other headache for parents was remembering to keep track of all those receipts so that you can claim at tax time. I know parents have enough going on without having to worry about that.
That’s why we’re changing the system and introducing the upfront, guaranteed Schoolkids Bonus.
From today, families will start receiving this extra help as part of the transition from the ETR to the Schoolkid Bonus.
For eligible families with primary school children, you’ll be receiving $409 per child and for families with secondary school children you’ll be receiving $818 per child. Then from next year, we’ll pay the Schoolkids Bonus in two separate installments – before the start of Term 1 and Term 3 – so the money is in your pocket when you need it.
This will be worth about $410 a year for each child in primary school, and $820 a year for each child in high school.
In all, the Schoolkids Bonus will help 1.3 million families to pay for school expenses.
The Schoolkids Bonus means families don’t have to fill out the extra forms, they don’t have to collect all the receipts, and for most families, it means more money in their pocket.
It’s some extra help to makes life a bit easier.
And for Elizabeth and Anthony, it made the walk to school a little lighter this morning.
Jenny Macklin is the Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, and Minister for Disability Reform.
Did you keep all your receipts each year so that you could claim the old education tax refund? Will this new policy make it easier for you? Do you think this is good Government spending or would you rather see the money go towards other things?
Top Comments
Nope didnt get it due to the fact that we had not caculated our estimations correctly, so although we are infact entitled, the family assistance office is not very clued up as to how I am meant to get it. One said just imput your correct estimation and you should get it automatically, this didnt work, rang them back, they say I may be entitled but they are not sure because I was not entitled to it officially/unofficially on the 8th May I may not get it, but will find out when I lodge my tax return, ive just tried to ring the helpline for help to be informed after several minutes of auto talk that the helpline is not open past 5pm ....Grrreat!!! And in our defence my husband changed jobs halfway through the financial yr and was told to put new income figure down by centrelink.
I was so angry yesterday that I put fingers to keyboard to let Jenny Macklin know that I'm not pleased at all with all of these means tested hand-outs to "Aussie battler" families. This is yet another tax / benefit / rebate / handout that my family pays ridiculous taxes for and is not eligible for. I agree in helping out those who need it, but so called 'high income earners' are constantly handing out their hard earned cash to others and get zip. We're considered 'rich' according to Julia's govt, but by the time we've paid nearly 50% of wages in tax, paid our mortgage (only 25% of income), bills and expenses for family with 3 small people, we're left with very little. Why should we be penalised for working our bums off and not even afford school items such as a new computer for our school aged kid??? Dumb-founded!
Can I like this 100 times?