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Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Mum's $15,000 Centrelink warning after payment was denied: ‘Common mistake'
An Australian mum of two is urging parents to apply for Centrelink's paid parental leave early in case they run into difficulties. She said one 'common mistake' meant she nearly missed out on $15,000 worth of payments. Newcastle mum Lexi was initially denied a claim for paid parental leave when she applied following the birth of her son. The 26-year-old told Yahoo Finance she and her husband had been "counting on" the money and were 'gutted' to find out they weren't eligible. It wasn't until she spoke to a friend a few weeks later that she realised she had mistakenly ticked a box to apply for both paid parental leave and the family tax benefit. Due to a mix-up, she was denied both payments when she should have still been eligible for paid parental leave. RELATED Little-known Centrelink benefit gets Aussie single mum $800 cash boost Centrelink cash boost over 400,000 Aussies have weeks left to confirm $1,831 Centrelink payment change coming within weeks: 'You'll get more' 'I received communication through the myGov app portal to say the claim had been denied and that was it,' she said. '[It] said your claim has been denied because your husband earns too much money. That was all I received.' Lexi said she contacted Centrelink and was told to apply again and this time only apply for paid parental leave. Luckily, her application was approved the second time around.'By the time that all happened and by the time I got approved, my son was about five months at that point,' she said. 'I did get back pay from a certain date of my application. So I still ended up with 18 weeks.' Lexi said she could have missed out on $15,000 worth of paid parental leave payments had she not gone back to Centrelink and queried her claim. While she and her husband had budgeted to live off one income, she said receiving the parental leave payments still made a "big difference" for their finances. "We were able to put some more money on our home loan and we were able to take a bit of a breath and incorporate some of our very little luxuries back again," she said. While this situation happened in 2022, Lexi said she later claimed paid parental leave again following the birth of her daughter last year and was 'extra cautious' to make sure she did everything correctly. Lexi recently shared a video about her experience online, which has amassed tens of thousands of views, with many people saying similar things had happened to them. The Newcastle mum said she'd encourage people to start on their applications early to make sure they had time to fix any mistakes. Services Australia allows most people to submit a pre-birth claim up to three months before their baby is due. This can be done online and you'll need a Centrelink online account linked to myGov. 'Then if there is a problem with your application, you've got time to fix and adjust it,' Lexi told Yahoo Finance. 'If you are denied the first time, make an appointment at your local Centrelink, which is what I did. 'I made the appointment to make sure that I did everything correctly with my application, and while it did take a little bit more of my time, it meant that everything was correct.' Services Australia general manager Hank Jongen said there were payments and services available to help people taking time off work and while they were raising their kids. 'You don't need to submit a separate claim for Parental Leave Pay and Family Tax Benefit if you want to claim both,' Jongen told Yahoo Finance. 'The payments have separate eligibility criteria, in particular, different income tests, so what you are eligible for depends on your circumstances. You may be eligible for one, both or neither.' Services Australia has information about eligibility here, but Jongen said it was important people don't self-assess. 'When you are completing your claim online, you can select what payments you want us to assess you for, and we'll check your eligibility,' Jongen said. 'We'll let you know the outcome of your claim by sending you a letter to your myGov inbox. 'If you don't agree with the outcome of your claim, you can ask us for an explanation or to review our decision.' Parental Leave Pay is available to eligible working parents to take time off to care for a newborn or recently adopted child. It is currently $916 a week for 22 weeks and is based on the minimum wage. It will be increased to 24 weeks from July 1, 2025 and 26 weeks from July 1, 2026. From July 1, 2025, it will also include superannuation. You have to meet an income test, a work test and residence rules to be eligible. Family Tax Benefit is a two-part payment for low and middle-income families to help with the day-to-day costs of raising children. The amount you get depends on your situation, including how many kids you have and the level of care. Your payment is worked out based on the Family Tax Benefit rate and income test for the current financial in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
$265 Medicare cash boost waiting to be claimed by nearly one million Aussies
Hundreds of thousands of Aussies are being urged to check if they are eligible for a cash boost from the government. There is more than $260 million in Medicare refunds sitting untouched and waiting to be claimed. The average payout is about $265 per person, but Services Australia said there were a few people who were owed more than $10,000 in cash. The oversight is due to people's bank details not being up to date with Medicare, which could happen if you've changed banks or closed an account. There are about 960,000 people who are owed cash, including $81 million owed in New South Wales, $64 million in Victoria, $51 million in Queensland, $30 million in Western Australia and $19 million in South Australia. RELATED Little-known Centrelink benefit gets Aussie single mum $800 cash boost $1,831 Centrelink payment change coming within weeks: 'You'll get more' ATO warning ahead of $1,288 cost-of-living cash boost: 'Shooting yourself in the foot' Services Australia community information officer Justin Bott has urged people to check whether they are owed money. 'I really encourage everybody to just check, look at their Medicare online account though myGov or the myGov app and make sure those bank details are there,' he told 9News. 'It will only take a couple of minutes.' You'll need to sign into myGov, select the 'Task and notifications' menu, select 'Update your bank details', enter your bank details and then select 'Save bank details'. Once you've updated your bank details, the update will automatically register with Medicare. If you are owed money, it will show up in your account within three days. 'It might not be you, but maybe it's your child, your grandchild that has that money owing,' Bott said. 'Get them to check as well because what a great present to find that money being paid to them.' While you are checking for lost cash, it can also be worth seeing if you have any unclaimed money from the state or federal government. That could include uncashed cheques, refunds, dividends, bill overpayments, superannuation or other money owed to you. It could have gotten lost if you've moved address, changed your name, lost important documents or forgotten about the money. Here's a list of where to check if you have unclaimed money across the country. Federal: search 'ASIC unclaimed money' ACT: Public Trustee and Guardian NSW: Revenue NSW NT: Northern Territory Treasury Qld: Public Trustee of Queensland SA: South Australian Department of Treasury and Finance TAS: Tasmanian Department of Treasury and Finance VIC: State Revenue Office of Victoria WA: WA Department of Treasury
The Advertiser
27-05-2025
- Climate
- The Advertiser
Flood insurance claims top 4900 as grants expanded
WHAT IS THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE? * Almost 800 properties have been deemed unfit for living, with the number expected to rise * Five people have died: one at Rosewood near Port Macquarie, one in Dorrigo west of Coffs Harbour, one at Nana Glen north of Coffs Harbour, one at Moto north of Taree, and one in Cooplacurripa near Taree * As of Tuesday evening, about 700 homes and businesses remained without power on the mid-north coast * Livestock has been swept away in floodwaters HOW MANY INSURANCE CLAIMS HAVE BEEN LODGED? * Insurers have received some 4930 claims from the floods, an increase of about 800 since Monday * Homes make up a significant majority of the claims (3954) * The Mid-Coast local government area, taking in Taree and Wingham, has lodged the most number of claims (1223) * Central Coast (677), Lake Macquarie (630) and Newcastle (601) regions follow suit WHAT SUPPORT IS AVAILABLE? * Flood-affected communities across 19 local government areas can apply for grants, loans or payments through myGov * A one-time payment of $1000 per adult and $400 per child was made available on Tuesday for those suffering major damage to their home or serious injury or loss of a loved one due to the floods * The Australian Tax Office might defer tax lodgements or debt payments to people affected by floods * The big four banks are providing disaster assistance for flood-affected individuals. Source: SES, Essential Energy & Insurance Council Australia Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636 WHAT IS THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE? * Almost 800 properties have been deemed unfit for living, with the number expected to rise * Five people have died: one at Rosewood near Port Macquarie, one in Dorrigo west of Coffs Harbour, one at Nana Glen north of Coffs Harbour, one at Moto north of Taree, and one in Cooplacurripa near Taree * As of Tuesday evening, about 700 homes and businesses remained without power on the mid-north coast * Livestock has been swept away in floodwaters HOW MANY INSURANCE CLAIMS HAVE BEEN LODGED? * Insurers have received some 4930 claims from the floods, an increase of about 800 since Monday * Homes make up a significant majority of the claims (3954) * The Mid-Coast local government area, taking in Taree and Wingham, has lodged the most number of claims (1223) * Central Coast (677), Lake Macquarie (630) and Newcastle (601) regions follow suit WHAT SUPPORT IS AVAILABLE? * Flood-affected communities across 19 local government areas can apply for grants, loans or payments through myGov * A one-time payment of $1000 per adult and $400 per child was made available on Tuesday for those suffering major damage to their home or serious injury or loss of a loved one due to the floods * The Australian Tax Office might defer tax lodgements or debt payments to people affected by floods * The big four banks are providing disaster assistance for flood-affected individuals. Source: SES, Essential Energy & Insurance Council Australia Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636 WHAT IS THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE? * Almost 800 properties have been deemed unfit for living, with the number expected to rise * Five people have died: one at Rosewood near Port Macquarie, one in Dorrigo west of Coffs Harbour, one at Nana Glen north of Coffs Harbour, one at Moto north of Taree, and one in Cooplacurripa near Taree * As of Tuesday evening, about 700 homes and businesses remained without power on the mid-north coast * Livestock has been swept away in floodwaters HOW MANY INSURANCE CLAIMS HAVE BEEN LODGED? * Insurers have received some 4930 claims from the floods, an increase of about 800 since Monday * Homes make up a significant majority of the claims (3954) * The Mid-Coast local government area, taking in Taree and Wingham, has lodged the most number of claims (1223) * Central Coast (677), Lake Macquarie (630) and Newcastle (601) regions follow suit WHAT SUPPORT IS AVAILABLE? * Flood-affected communities across 19 local government areas can apply for grants, loans or payments through myGov * A one-time payment of $1000 per adult and $400 per child was made available on Tuesday for those suffering major damage to their home or serious injury or loss of a loved one due to the floods * The Australian Tax Office might defer tax lodgements or debt payments to people affected by floods * The big four banks are providing disaster assistance for flood-affected individuals. Source: SES, Essential Energy & Insurance Council Australia Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636 WHAT IS THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE? * Almost 800 properties have been deemed unfit for living, with the number expected to rise * Five people have died: one at Rosewood near Port Macquarie, one in Dorrigo west of Coffs Harbour, one at Nana Glen north of Coffs Harbour, one at Moto north of Taree, and one in Cooplacurripa near Taree * As of Tuesday evening, about 700 homes and businesses remained without power on the mid-north coast * Livestock has been swept away in floodwaters HOW MANY INSURANCE CLAIMS HAVE BEEN LODGED? * Insurers have received some 4930 claims from the floods, an increase of about 800 since Monday * Homes make up a significant majority of the claims (3954) * The Mid-Coast local government area, taking in Taree and Wingham, has lodged the most number of claims (1223) * Central Coast (677), Lake Macquarie (630) and Newcastle (601) regions follow suit WHAT SUPPORT IS AVAILABLE? * Flood-affected communities across 19 local government areas can apply for grants, loans or payments through myGov * A one-time payment of $1000 per adult and $400 per child was made available on Tuesday for those suffering major damage to their home or serious injury or loss of a loved one due to the floods * The Australian Tax Office might defer tax lodgements or debt payments to people affected by floods * The big four banks are providing disaster assistance for flood-affected individuals. Source: SES, Essential Energy & Insurance Council Australia Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636
West Australian
27-05-2025
- Climate
- West Australian
Flood insurance claims top 4900 as grants expanded
WHAT IS THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE? * Almost 800 properties have been deemed unfit for living, with the number expected to rise * Five people have died: one at Rosewood near Port Macquarie, one in Dorrigo west of Coffs Harbour, one at Nana Glen north of Coffs Harbour, one at Moto north of Taree, and one in Cooplacurripa near Taree * As of Tuesday evening, about 700 homes and businesses remained without power on the mid-north coast * Livestock has been swept away in floodwaters HOW MANY INSURANCE CLAIMS HAVE BEEN LODGED? * Insurers have received some 4930 claims from the floods, an increase of about 800 since Monday * Homes make up a significant majority of the claims (3954) * The Mid-Coast local government area, taking in Taree and Wingham, has lodged the most number of claims (1223) * Central Coast (677), Lake Macquarie (630) and Newcastle (601) regions follow suit WHAT SUPPORT IS AVAILABLE? * Flood-affected communities across 19 local government areas can apply for grants, loans or payments through myGov * A one-time payment of $1000 per adult and $400 per child was made available on Tuesday for those suffering major damage to their home or serious injury or loss of a loved one due to the floods * The Australian Tax Office might defer tax lodgements or debt payments to people affected by floods * The big four banks are providing disaster assistance for flood-affected individuals. Source: SES, Essential Energy & Insurance Council Australia Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636
Perth Now
27-05-2025
- Climate
- Perth Now
Flood insurance claims top 4900 as grants expanded
WHAT IS THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE? * Almost 800 properties have been deemed unfit for living, with the number expected to rise * Five people have died: one at Rosewood near Port Macquarie, one in Dorrigo west of Coffs Harbour, one at Nana Glen north of Coffs Harbour, one at Moto north of Taree, and one in Cooplacurripa near Taree * As of Tuesday evening, about 700 homes and businesses remained without power on the mid-north coast * Livestock has been swept away in floodwaters HOW MANY INSURANCE CLAIMS HAVE BEEN LODGED? * Insurers have received some 4930 claims from the floods, an increase of about 800 since Monday * Homes make up a significant majority of the claims (3954) * The Mid-Coast local government area, taking in Taree and Wingham, has lodged the most number of claims (1223) * Central Coast (677), Lake Macquarie (630) and Newcastle (601) regions follow suit WHAT SUPPORT IS AVAILABLE? * Flood-affected communities across 19 local government areas can apply for grants, loans or payments through myGov * A one-time payment of $1000 per adult and $400 per child was made available on Tuesday for those suffering major damage to their home or serious injury or loss of a loved one due to the floods * The Australian Tax Office might defer tax lodgements or debt payments to people affected by floods * The big four banks are providing disaster assistance for flood-affected individuals. Source: SES, Essential Energy & Insurance Council Australia Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636
