I am trying to find out if there is any financial support that I can get from centerlink as I am unemployeed. I tried to check this online but I could not understand if I am elligible or not. I am a permanent resident (29 yes female) and my husband is a citizen. He has a full time job (earning $60,000 per annum).
Wut? People with mental illness that prevents them from working are entitled to the disability pension. Ex-ADF personnel are entitled to all benefits available to the general public, plus they have a small number of additional entitlements as well as the support of charities such as Legacy and the RSL that benefit from tax concessions.
I am not aware of any ADF people treated contemptuously.
Are you aware of how much it time, effort and money it costs to have a mental illness diagnosed? There is a reason mentally ill people make up the majority of the homeless.
Are you aware of the rate of disability pension, how levels of mental disability are determined and how they affect payment rates?
Are you aware of the percentage of homeless peoples that are ex-servicemen? Or the percentage of returned servicemen who now have a mental illness?
Certainly you would receive less than $60 000 or even $30 000/annum… imagine living on it your entire life.
Now: imagine a couple who earns $60 000 collectively, one member doesn't work at all, but they've decided to come onto a bargain forum we all love, essentially asking for advice on how best to take advantage of the welfare system…
GROAN>>>>>>> in fact you've just opened another can of worms. Disability pension and the abuse of it!! Looks like the debate never ends. I can name at least 3 guys in their 50s who stopped working due to some 'disability' when they were quite fit indeed to redeploy in a desk job. But they managed to stay on for years and even tho the new laws came in recently about having to find work, doesn't affect these people anymore since they had a jolly good run all those years getting money for not working. As for mental illness, I believe it is truly a disability which warrants benefits, no one likes to be certified mentally disabled. And then again there are the drug addicts who became mentally disabled by choice and are claiming benefits!
I think it's an interesting thought that one could choose to become a drug addict… lifestyle choices eh ;)
It is extremely difficult to qualify for Disability pension now, especially for psych reasons, compared to say 15 years ago. Around 1% of any population is schizophenic, then add in the chronic melancholics, agoraphobes, OCDers, anorexics and so on.
@Thaal Sinestro: thankfully sufferers of OCD only do not qualify for benefits or half the female population would be entitled. I get the feeling this comment will be faded out by the moderator.
@woolfenstein:
Some people choose to become drug users, knowing full well addiction is a major risk.
And yet drug abuse doesn't get you on a disability pension either so I'm not sure where you're going with this?
GROAN>>>>>> You yourself have just opened another can of worms. You need to seriously take a look at the bigger picture. Do you have any idea how hard it is for unemployed people 50YO + to find a general desk job, let alone any job?
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-10-28/australians-on-newstar…
And you don't become mentally disabled by choice, you need to look at the factors of why people resorted to using drugs and how they became mentally disabled in the process. Policy and also in part, the public are to blame.
Correct me if im wrong, but if you're overseas, everyone gets pension, but you can only get pension to a certain %. So something like after 26 weeks overseas your pension drops to, number of yours of tax paid/35 x100%. That said, if youve paid over 35 years then you receive the full amount. Assuming you reture at 60 (65 now?) you wouldve had to at least start paying tax at 25, thats almost a whole working lifetimr of paid tax, contributions to society etc etc… which is not unreAsonable.
some countries have agreements which australia, so that aussie pensioners get full pension, but that would mean that their pensioners spend foreign money in Aus.
?????? what you wrote is harder to comprehend than Einstein's Theory of Relativity……
apologies, typing on mobile.
can't seem to edit comment? -
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but if you're overseas, you will still get pension, but you can only get pension to a certain %. So something like after 26 weeks overseas your pension drops to - (number of years of tax paid)/35 x 100%. That said, if you've paid over 35 years of tax then you receive the full amount. Assuming you retire at 60 (65 now?) you would've had to start paying tax at 25, that's almost a whole working lifetime of paid tax, contributions to society, etc etc… which is not unreasonable.
Some countries have agreements with Australia, such that Aussie pensioners get full pension whilst overseas in that particular country; perhaps then, those countries' pensioners then spend foreign money in Australia."
I remember reading something like this for my grandparents.
@bs0: yes, I reckon with the way Australia is going, low interest rates yielding nothing for the pensioners to live by their savings, many are flocking overseas to enjoy their twilight years in a cheaper country. Presumably too, if they are on Centrelink pension, it means they aren't too well off. Since Abbot's tightening of pension rules and if it passes through the senate, I'd say those who do receive the pension are those who need it therefore they must be trying to make ends meet day to day. Note: My assumption, and this may be wrong! Somehow I get the feeling there are a lot more very wealthy 'pensioners' (on Centrelink pensions) than we imagine.
No, hopefully you are not, I think most of us are in similar situation, I don't think you in your situation should and even could be eligible for any support!
Your income is more than 60% of Australians, the average income was around 45k if I remember. Your income is more than many relatives and friends that never complain and happily pay tax to help some really in need.
So even if you get divorced still your husband is responsible to support you. What you need is a loan for your luxuries and applying for a normal job, not for CEO position!
more like (2011) - ~ 52k, for males ~62k, females ~40k.
Though averages vary state by state, age etc.
hey, I think I read last week that average income in AU is now $74,000. Scary how it got to be so high for an average income. Does not make anyone on the lower tiers feel good at all.
http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/[email protected]/mf/6302.0/
that^ is the latest from ABS (i think).
seems to be; ~75k for full timer's, ~58k overall.
Though, this is weekly for Nov 2014, may be different when the annual report is out.
I don't know why. But have the feeling median is more indicative. If that even means what I think it means which I hope it does.
Please OP. From experience one person can easily live on your disposable income divided by 3. It is even cheaper as a couple without kids. If your circumstance is not exceptional, you have enough, why do you want more than you need?
I guess casual jobs paying minimum wage isn't worth your dignity or time.
I am a non-resident, non-citizen you get no support from me. I fully support what most people here are saying, financial support should only be given to the truly needy.
My partner and I are on less than your husband's wage, pay our mortgage, car loan and bills & food and do not qualify for anything other than Family Tax Benefit because we have 1 child, so unfortunately there is no support payment for you when your partner makes 60K
Just want to say I wish you all the best, we are all human whatever country we came from. Every one deserve to live a good life.
Philosophically, yes every one is human and deserves to live a good life.
However, compare the kids of the 1000 poorest families in the world with those of the 1000 richest. The qualification of "humans", "every one", "deserve" and "good" fail to matter any more.
The poorest people in the world would envy the average Australian cow. As distasteful as it may sound, the true reality is that nobody deserves anything. Some are lucky and some are not. We should try to help them as much as we can but we have our own motivations to look after but helping only makes the unfortunate feel better for a short while and the "helper", a little longer.
However, compare the kids of the 1000 poorest families in the world with those of the 1000 richest. The qualification of "humans", "every one", "deserve" and "good" fail to matter any more.
what about if these 1000 richest people give away some of their worth to these 1000 poor people and help them to go through life?. This will help to reduce the poverty. I know its not simple as its look but this my believe about humanity.
Some are lucky and some are not.
I see it as a test from god (yeah I believe in god) that to see how people with money will deal with it. and how the poor people will be patience about it.
whoever do the right things will be reward it either in current life or after life.
We should try to help them as much as we can but we have our own motivations to look after but helping only makes the unfortunate feel better for a short while and the "helper", a little longer.
kind of agree
seek.com.au …. trust me its way better
Full of fake jobs by recruiter
OP, you and your husband is not eligible for ANY Centrelink benefits as your income is $60,000.
agree. our government think that kind of income level is sufficient.
if you feel not, maybe something wrong with your lifestyle, maybe you have one too many car? or buying $1m house?
Absolutely right, I know so many people who complain about not being to afford things while throwing money away on nonsense they cant afford.
I would love it if my household income was $60,000.
Seeing as you're not working, why don't you just go down to Centrelink and ask there?
haha best advice here
I have sympathy for you because I was once in a similar situation, however seeking government financial assistance should be considered your absolute last desperate option. I do not know your background or work skills you may have, but when I arrived from central Europe to be with my partner (now husband) in Australia, I desperately wanted to work. My background has been military since high school and when I left the military, I was a Sergeant OR5 (equivalent to your Staff Sergeant in the Australian army).
The jobs I had applied for consisted mainly of supervising/managerial positions because that was what I had the skills and experience for. After many.. many rejection letters, my confidence was in tatters. While my partner was working and supporting us, I felt useless because I couldn't contribute.
A friend of ours suggested I apply for a basic job, get local work experience and work my way up. I did exactly this and applied for a supermarket stocker, stocking the shelves. I pretty much got it straight away. Its basic but it pays and I get local employment experience. It is the local experience that is the most important, because it leads to other opportunities…which after 5 months, I applied for a got a job as team leader in a large department store.
You are young, start basic, get local experience and opportunities will open up for you, I wish you the best of luck.
to balance things out, i dont have sympathy for the OP.
Just to clarify as i havent seen it mentioned above, partners of Australian citizens are actually exempt from 102 week new arrival waiting period, so OP would have qualified for Newstart allowance in that regard, pending passing other income and assets tests and waiting periods of course.
However as correctly mentioned above, her partners wage is high enough to make her not qualify for Newstart.
Obvious troll is obvious.
Get a job
I think OP have said she try for last 20 months trying to find a job.
Wouldn't have brought the Indigenous Australians into this.
Do not judge OP for her query. Australia being overly generous in the past with welfare benefits and the whole world knows about this. People moving here get wind about what they can possibly claim and so they will exhaust all avenues. In fact they are told even before they arrive what is available, so how can they not inquire? You need to look at those boat people who spring a leak in their vessels, they have mobile phones on them with Maritime hotline and Centrelink numbers preprogrammed into memory. What does that tell you? We have only our government to blame if immigrants and visitors think it's so easy to obtain benefits.
We have only our government to blame if immigrants and visitors think it's so easy to obtain benefits.
I remember listening to a segment on the radio when the whole boat people thing was popular, a fair number of callers basically said the Government was cruel to not allow boat people in with open arms,support them and their settlement in Australia. I don't think its entirely the Governments fault, as you will always get people fighting for the sake of fighting or really really really support human rights without thinking about other factors. I bet you if you ask if it would be ok for those boat people to live in their homes for a couple of months, they would change attitude and brush them off.
^ this
Okay, look most people do not "support human rights without thinking about other factors".
I don't think anybody simply wants to open the borders and let in everyone. The controversy is due to how long it takes to process these people while they are sitting in detention with no rights.
Money that is wasted on dole bludgers should be used to strengthen border patrol, hunt down people smugglers and quickly determine if these people are genuine asylum seekers or not - and if that can't be determined, send them back.
What angers me more, is the number of confirmed morons who went to help IS kill people, got annoyed with lack of luxuries and having to do chores, and then managed to get back into Australia.
My dad's a non resident, and couldn't find any job.
Now he's a janitor, working for pitiance, with literally one day of rest per year.
He starts at 4.30 and is done by 7. Every day, except for Christmas, literally.
This is Australia.
OP, you don't deserve anything.
Your dad is a fighter…good on him…these are the real people in the workforce that deserves a resident status…
Not directed directly at the person asking the question on this forum but rather the responses. I took this as… Is someone trying to spark controversy or are they serious? If you are a married couple with an income of $60000 you are doing pretty well, don't you think? No discussion, other than you do not qualify for any government assistance because of this. I wondered why any one thought she would.
Assistance is just that. You want more money than a job is the answer or make do with what you live on. Why do you need any assistance? Unemployed means no income. You have someone earning money in your family. You are living on an income that is a lot better than the average, where 1 or 2 people in the family work. Please remember when you get assistance it's with the expectation you will try to get a job to get off it. Any half decent job for whatever legal pay.
If you have children, you may qualify for assistance of some sort for YOUR CHILDREN but with this income you may not. Have you tried cleaning jobs. More than often they require a hard worker who wants to work. You can start your own business. You can create the job. Just an idea.
You have the notion of assistance wrong i am sorry. If you want to work, good on you but other people have trouble finding employment with no income at all. This is when assistance is needed but not in place of a job.
member since 24/5 and first post. nice
When my family first came to Australia my parents were making $20,000 per annum combined and there are 6 of us in the family. OP, I believe $60,000 is more than sufficient for the two of you.
Well said. Please look down not always look up and giving not always wanting
curious when did your family first come to Australia… $20,000 could have been decent 40 years ago…
It was within the last 10 years. I found out it is actually okay to eat expired food :)
it's fine, i do it everyday lol
Just do what I did. Go to a Centrelink office and get a ticket for a 'general query'.
When my number got called they asked how they could help, I said "Hi, I've always wondered if i'm eligible for anything." She said there's an easy way to work this out, how much do you earn? I said $70k plus, she laughed and said not much. I laughed too, thanked her for her time and continued on my merry way.
OP joined yesterday just to post this..
because OP too busy trying to find a job for 20 months - sad OP must have missed alot of good bargain.
Hi Manjunathapk, first off, let me apologize for all the useless and ignorant racist or bigoted comments that stirred up resentful and unwarranted feelings for all concerned. Not all Aussies are morons, but as we have freedom of speech and other such wonderful benefits of living in this great land, we do need to accept the stupid comments will come wherever we are.
Without going into detail, the current Australian Law, my citizenship status and or that of my parents, my wife and employment status qualify me to comment with out fear of stupid replies knocking me down. The only answer that should of been given, even though so many were actually very detailed and helpful, is simply go down and ask at Centrelink.
Everybody is different, their exact situation is different, and a blanket rule nor answer can be applied here.
If you are entitled, they will advise you, whether that is money, access to guidance, training or self help and ideas to improve your families situation. Please do not give up, employment will come, and some of the job hunting advise here has been great.
Hint though, take hubby with you with your immigration and PR status papers. If not entitled to anything, at least you know exactly where you stand, and have had a half day out adventure in Australia's largest waiting room, with lots of brochures to read, PC's to search for stuff on, big screen TV, drinking water and clean toilets where you can watch some really strange antics by the public, if you like people watching.
Again, simply the best and only answer, the first and last reply should of read….go and ask Centrelink directly.
To the uneducated, the rude, the racist, bigoted and or stupid with unwarranted comments, don't shoot the messenger, or those asking questions, ok. If they are doing everything they are required to legally by Immigration and Centrelink Law, and that is the LAW of the land that we ALL abide by, then if you do not agree to anyone's entitlements, go change the law.
Just to let you know, new immigrants by marriage and some other circumstances are required to have the funds for two years to support themselves as they are not entitled to very much for the set waiting period. So not everyone nor every new comer is bludging off YOUR tax dollars.
C'mon guys, it is all in the facts. Get the emotions out of the way and deal only in facts, then there would be a lot less stress and false info and rubbish being made into comments. Happy helpful comments only please to make us smile more.
I am sorry in advance to those with now hurt feelings. I only disagree with your judgement, not your right to your own opinion. Perhaps when we all live in glass houses and never get a broken window, we shall all be in a better place.
Racist? How?
Calling people racist and/or bigoted is the SJW's battlecry.
It's how a SJW can see who else is a SJW on forums in order to upvote their circlejerk comments.
"If you don't like that the wife of a a 60k+ income earner should get a slice of the tax payer funded benefits, then you are a bigot. Oh, she's not an Australian citizen? Then you are a racist in addition to being a bigot. You know what, because she's a woman then you are a misogynistic patriarchal racist bigot."
What's sjw?
And being Australian has nothing to do with race, thus my confusion.
PS to the mods, should subjects like this actually be on the site? Invites trouble me thinks, and that is not a bargain.
Why would anyone with household income of $60000 need welfare assistance? I think OP is being greedy and trying to abuse the system.
Regardless of whether she was a citizen or PR, as long as she has paid her taxes before then I don't see why she shouldn't be entitled to welfare payments as long as she really needs it.
+1 it is not the fact that OP is a PR, so get over calling everyone racist. I would feel exactly the same way if it were a 3rd generation Australian born asking.
For perspective minimum wage in Australia is $33 326.80 approximately BEFORE tax.
I love it how Ozbargain is now the first point of support and advice rather than calling up the helpdesk to make a general enquiry. You know companies pay millions to set up these call centres exactly for this need. This goes for any banking, government, technical, etc related support.
haha she's asking whether she's eligible, we all commenting on whether she deserves.
It's normal for people to judge / jump to conclusions. It's human nature. We make judgements on the limited amount of information we have. Otherwise we wouldn't be able to make any decisions in life (as we never have "the full picture").
Just go ask Centrelink OP.
Fact: if you have an income of $60000 be happy. Many people struggle to find work but the fact you have this income means even if you do not work, you are a lot better off than a lot of people.
Centrelink will laugh at you( just being honest and realistic) if you are thinking they will give you resources to help you get a job. You have the right to make as much money as you like. I think people are trying to explain that centrelink is not there for someone like you on the basis of your spouses income. It is as simple as that. Be glad you don't need centrelink. Educate me if that is not true.
From what i here calling centrelink now that it is linked with lots of other departments such as medicare and child support isn't that straight forward. I wouldn't be asking advice about it here but that's another story!
The fact is, while everybody is being beautifully helpful, even if you were AUssie born and raised YOU ARE NOT ELIGIBLE AS YOUR HOUSEHOLD INCOME IS TOO HIGH.
If you got even a cent I would be absolutely disgusted. Not because of where you are or aren't from but because I know a lot of people who don't get a cent when they lose their jobs because their partner earns too much - often sub 60k.
OP you just come across like some one from the sub-continent !! Get real and get ANY job that comes your way.
Try volunteering i.e, working your butts off without getting paid to get some local experience if you are looking for job without local education/training.
(1) Australia is becoming a land of bludgers. I understand that some people are in hard personal situations and circumstances, but for most, they bludge! Dole is theire "damn right" livelihood! Dole discourages hard work, encourages deficit planning and economic pitfalls and teases the will of tax payers.
(2) No job is too hard or demeaning. If you can't get your preferred job, then work at a factory, or as a cleaner, gardener, helper, waiter, truckee, deliverer, courier, or anything really, until you get what you are seeking. There are so many websites and community centers. I would hate any of my tax contribution go these young dole receivers.
(3) Also, I see so many cultures where the women "do not" work. They are content, supported by their families via their cultural structures, to "not" (or "cannot" work due to children, etc etc). So these excuse makers stay home, most of whom don't ever directly contribute to the community or taxes, and come the time when government tightens the dole eligibility, they whinge, cry, whine a protest. No remorse of cheating the government and tax-payers openly.
(4) For example, walk through Footscray or parts of Coburg on a business day, between 11 am to 4 pm, to see what I mean. The gathering of numerous groups of nothing to do capable people… all living off the dole… robbing people by day, burglary by night. On drugs or goon, then off to sleep before you go rob someone.
(4) The assimilation of certain unskilled non-working people and refugee groups into our economy has also got something to do with this free-dole-by-my-right thought process. Too sensitive to talk about it here.
(5) Resident or not, doesn't matter.
Tax Payer! That matters.
(6) I strongly agree that dole recipients have got an easy way right now… one should whip them back to work. Direct the money to handicapped, children foundations, education, TAFE and creation of jobs.
I couldn't agree more.
I've seen so many immigrants going straight to Centrelink asking for benefits few hours after granted PR. Some of them are highly educated and more than capable of getting a decent job.
OP said that she spent 20 months looking for a job without success. I'd say there is a big question mark here. I would have had a bit of sympathy for her if the period was 2 or 3 months, but 20! Seriously? Wouldn't you change your expectation, strategy and anything else that could possibly land you a job? Unless she lives in a rural area where it is impossible to find a job, there are always options for people willing to work.
Few years ago, when I was about to completed my postgraduate degree, a series of natural diaster happened to the town that I lived at. Most companies and businesses decided to move to a different city, where it was safer. I tried to apply for all sort of jobs, in and out of my field, supermarket, post office, delivering newspaper, etc. I couldn't find a permanent job in 4 months but I worked enough to feed myself. I didn't say no to any job. People asked me to do a 2-hour job, I said yes.
OP, sometimes you need to be lucky to get a job that you want, but if you don't get one that you want right now, it's okay to get some other jobs to get through the day and potentially bring opportunities that you wouldn't imagine. Go for anything!
never thought that 1 question (that can be answered in 1 sentence) would result in such a big debate. Good i did not mention the reasons and my circumstances, I am sure some people would have posted rude comments
thanks all and lets end this here
how is it that there are people in the community getting unemployment benefits live in a another country have never worked in Australian or paid tax and yet get the full pension. While other Australians whose with a mental illness or returned ADF personal
are treated with contempt and have to fight to get a pittance.