Centrelink annoys me! My partner works, & I'm a stay at home Mum, full time, of both my son AND my stepdaughter. My stepdaughters biological Mother only has my stepdaughter every second weekend & a few nights during the week, but all day, everyday, during the day, my stepdaughter is with me. I raise her. Her Mother picks her up on the nights she has her, at five PM & she is back with me by eight AM the next morning, yet I don't get a pension for having full time care of my stepdaughter, because her mother still has her overnight sometimes, & apparently that's what entitles her to the payment I feel I should receive. I feel that is unfair, it doesn't make sense. All her mother does is put her to bed some nights during the week & every other weekend, how does that make her entitled to a payment when I'm doing SO much more than just putting her to bed a few nights a week?! I'm getting up early every morning, making her breakfast, bathing her, kissing her boo boo's, making her lunch, cleaning her face, getting her drinks, making her tea, EVERYTHING! Everything her MUM should be doing, yet I'm picking up the pieces her Mother leaves behind & playing the role of being the sole Mum in her life! I know it's nothing I can change, but it's just so unfair!
5 Replies
What pension is she getting? I'm amazed she could be getting a sole parent payment for 2 nights a fortnight. Are you sure you have your facts straight? Try and remember you would not get that payment anyway (even if she lost it) as you are in a relationship. I would assume it's a very tiny amount, try not to get too worked up about it. It's such a pathetic amount to live off of that I'd rather be you!
Sorry, I didn't clarify. She's not getting a sole payment. She's getting a partnered parenting payment & so am I, but I don't understand why she's getting anything when I deserve it. Overnight sometimes does not class as raising your child, if you're not there during the day when she needs you most. That's what I do for her daughter, yet she gets half the entitlement for a few overnight stays.
My understanding is she wouldn't be getting the full amount. If centrelink told you the amount she is getting they were out of line! Concentrate on being grateful for your situation and how sad it is she doesn't and can't raise her daughter. I'd still rather be you than her :)
this probably won't help but on the off chance it may help... ill put it out there,
i personally don't feel anyone deserves money for raising a child.
the only reason i say that is a change of perspective can help sometimes.
and the only person you can control is you. so just let it go, you probably wouldn't receive the payment if she didn't. and payments are benefits not entitlements. no one deserves them, we are benefitted by them.
hope I said that in a nice way, I was just trying to offer a different perspective that helps me not to get worked up over things i can't control or that aren't necessary fair but just are.
xo
Download centrelink form fa012 - change of child care arrangments.
It very clearly states that they will take hours into account instead of nights if there are enough to warrant it.
If you haven't filled this form out, download and do it.
I don't think you will get extra parenting payments though. It goes by income. But you might, I'm not 100% sure.
What you might get is a smidge higher family tax benefit a & b if you're not already.
The parent who has the child the majority of the time (either working out hours OR nights) gets the parenting payment for that child, only one parent can claim it.
If they do offer a higher amount they will review the parenting payment and the parent who needs the payment the most will receive it.
Just been through it all. Hope it helps.