Duncan Garner was on TV3 this morning saying if beneficiaries are going to get Working For Families then WFF should be renamed because beneficiaries aren't working.
That's not right. Beneficiary parents already get WFF. They get it by way of Family Tax Credits which are part of WFF. The name WFF is a play on words really. It implies a tax credit system that works for families. But which also included a new tax credit for people who work - the In Work Tax Credit.
The following is from Work and Income to clarify the matter:
Working for Families Tax Credits
Working for Families Tax Credits are entitlements for families with dependent children 18 years or younger. There are four types of payment and you may qualify for one or more, depending on your personal situation.
Family Tax Credit
In-Work Tax Credit
Minimum Family Tax Credit
Parental Tax Credit
To find out if you qualify for Working for Families Tax Credits
Family Tax Credit
This provides ongoing financial support for families. You can get it while on a benefit or while you’re working (Inland Revenue pays it if you work).
The other payments have different rules and you can only get them if you’re not on a benefit.
And as far as I can ascertain these are the rates:
First child if under 16 $88
First child if 16 or over $101
Subsequent child if under 13 $61
Subsequent child if 13 to 15 $69
Subsequent child if 16 or over $91
That is why some people on the DPB with large families end up on quite substantial incomes.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
re how much WFF they can get...it is for this reason that I get so wild that these people have the audacity to say they don't have enough money to feed their kids. They do. No question. Especially those who live in a 2-3 bedroom house with another money.
Their kids go to school with crappy shoes or no shoes & no breakfast because their parents choose not to make them a priority.
Interestingly I saw that thing on Campbell Live the other night with the lady who has 8 kids - she admitted to having sky (the dish was on the roof & you could see the box in her living room) but said "it's only $15 a week" and that it has "educational programs".
well we pay about double in taxes than what she gets on her benefit and we don't have sky - an unnecessary expense.
So for someone teetering on the brink of poverty to say that a luxury expense is ok because it is only $15 says it all - these people have it all wrong. They just have NO idea.
$15 at her local toy library would translate into loads & loads & loads of educational material.
Instead of spending that she could catch the bus & take her kids to story time at the library.
And people wonder why families like us get so pissed off! We need leaders who are going to cut the crap and tell these families (& their lefty bleeding heart all about PC supporters) like it is.
Question is, who is going to have the guts to do this?
oops meant another family (2 x benefits in same house)
P.s re the $15 - also meant that for someone like this lady, $15 should be a HUGE amount of money - hell I notice $5 let alone $15!!! $15 would also pay the difference p/w in the 9 hours childcare she could get while on her benefit.
She could enroll in a course for 9 hours a week (she was saying she couldn't do it because of travel & childcare) - say do 1 day a week in computer or whatever, & use those 9 hours she can get for childcare.
$15 would cover her travel for the day & the difference between the amount due & amount covered by the subsidy for her childcare.
Kidstart/Barnardos are only about $5.50 per hour per child, the subsidy is $3.84 so that leaves her $5 out of that $15 for the bus (kids would be free as not at school). She might have to find some more money, but given she is making such a mammoth budgeting mistake with Sky, I bet I could find more mistakes in her budget too.
Hmmm maybe I should set up a budgeting service - I have the gear (do our business accounts) so could easily do it for free. And our German Shepherd would keep those less likely to be honourable at arms length :)
I can't believe they actually describe it as an entitlement on their website.
Post a Comment