Hi sisterhood, this is a centrelink question. I have 2 kids under 3. Im on single pension but recently met someone. Things are starting to progress and get serious, I'll need to let centrelink know im now partnered. I don't want to expect him to support myself and my children, so if I have to, I'll have to work nights or something. But im just wondering, he isn't their father, he earns about $80,000 a year, before over time etc. Would I be entitled to anything? I've tried serveral times to go back to work but I can't afford the child care fees and don't have any family to help, so if I go back to work, it would be night times and weekends. Thanks!
7 Replies
You would be entitled to something, but not a lot. Maybe $300 a fortnight? Going to guess that's a big drop in income for you. Honestly, if he isn't helping you out financially at all and you're not living together, I would wait until he actually is, before telling centrelink. He isn't their father, so you're right in not wanting him to support you just yet. Might be far too early in the relationship. How long have you been together?
If you don't want him to help out financially don't move in together. If he isn't prepared to help out financially don't move in together. It just isn't practical and something always happens where one of you finds yourself out of work for one reason or another and you have to be prepared to support each other and the kids financially because Centrelink won't treat you like two singles.
If you want to know what you would be entitled to there is an online calculator. Are you prepared and is he prepared to have that much care of your children so you can go back to work at night?? Be realistic and honest about what can happen. Discuss finances and a realistic way to pay the bills before you move in.
Relationships are relationships wether you live together or not.
I agree, it's ok not to expect him to support you or to put yourself in that situation where you rely on him. But don't move in until you are both ready to share finances and support each other.
Centrelink told me that you can be in a relationship, but they classify you as single unless you are living together, or he is financially supporting you.
If you're not living together then they don't classify you as partnered. Contact Centrelink for better info but I would suggest not moving in with him unless he's willing and you're comfortable with him supporting you and your children. You'll likely still qualify for some FTB and child support if you do move in but that will be it.
I'm in this situation. I love my new partner of 14 months and he is not the father of my children. If he was to move in i would lose a lot of centrelink and he would foot most of the bill for all of us as i only work in casual employment. I'm also going back to uni so I won't be working as much.
My solution to this? We continue living separately until I'm finished school, earning enough money in a stable job to not rely too heavily on centrelink payments.
Yes, it's going to be years away until we live together. But you can't have it both ways.
Even if u don't want him to support you, it is fair that he contributes the amount that you will lose in pension payments, or pays rent/food/bills for himself which should make up the shortfall. Why should u be worse off and spend time away from him and your kids working while he has 80k to spend on himself? He won't be supporting you but will just be contributing his share of living costs. The reason why Centrelink cut your payments is because they rightly assume that when you decide to live together that all expenses are shared and that your need for payments is less because he is paying his fair share. You shouldn't move in together if you will be worse off financially. It's great to want to be independent but not practical or fair to you or your kids