Changes to government family benefits
Family Tax Benefit—From 1 May 2014, Family Tax Benefit Part A will expire at the end of the calendar year in which your teenage child completes school. There are still exemptions for children who can’t work or study. (The change was originally scheduled to come into effect on 1 January, 2014.)
Child Care Rebate—The Child Care Rebate (valued at 50 percent of out-of-pocket child care costs and capped at $7,500 per year per child) was previously non-indexed (meaning that the value was frozen at a set amount) for the next three years, but Parliament has approved for the rebate to be revised annually to keep up with living costs.
Paid Parental Leave—There’s a change to how Paid Parental Leave (PPL) payments will be made. From 1 July 2014, employers will no longer be required to make PPL payments on the Government’s behalf. The PPL scheme will be paid to eligible employees directly from Centrelink. Hooray for commonsense!
Want more information about changes to government benefits? This Smart Company article is a good starting point.
