What is the Household Stimulus Package?
On 3 February 2009, the Australian Government announced the Household Stimulus Package as part of the Government's Nation Building Economic Stimulus Plan to provide widespread assistance to low and middle-income households.
The bonus payments available for families are:
- Single Income Family Bonus
- Back to School Bonus
Other bonus payments available include:
- Farmers Hardship Bonus
- Training and Learning Bonus
- The Education Entry Payment Supplement
- Tax Bonus for Working Australians
What are the Household Stimulus Package payments for families?
Single Income Family Bonus
The Single Income Family Bonus is a one-off bonus payment of $900 per family to provide additional assistance to families with one main income earner. This payment is non-taxable and is not considered income for social security purposes.
You can get the Single Income Family Bonus if you were eligible for Family Tax Benefit Part B on 3 February 2009.
What if I receive my Family Tax Benefit as a lump sum at the end of the financial year?
If you claim your Family Tax Benefit Part B as a lump sum at the end of the financial year, the bonus payment will be made at the same time as your Family Tax Benefit Part B payment.
Back to School Bonus
The Back to School Bonus is a one-off bonus payment of $950 per eligible child to assist families with the costs of school for their children. This payment is non-taxable and is not considered income for social security purposes.
You may receive the payment if, on 3 February 2009, you were eligible to receive:
- Family Tax Benefit Part A for a child who was aged 4-18 years (inclusive) on 3 February 2009, or
- Carer Payment or Disability Support Pension and were aged less than 19 years old on 3 February 2009.
Can I still claim the Education Tax Refund if I receive a bonus payment?
The Back to School Bonus is designed to help meet education costs for the 2009 academic year and is in addition to and separate from the Education Tax Refund.
For more information on the Education Tax Refund, please visit the Education Tax Refund website.
Will I get a bonus payment if I share the care of my child?
If you share the care of your child or children and have at least 35 per cent care you may be entitled to a portion of the payment. The payment will be shared based on the Family Tax Benefit percentage of each child.
When will I get the bonus?
The bonus payments were automatically paid in March 2009 if you were receiving fortnightly Family Tax Benefit payments at the time. You can check if you have been paid the payment using the view your payment history service. If you have not yet received your payment and believe you are eligible, please contact us.
What are the other Household Stimulus Package payments?
Farmers Hardship Bonus
The Farmers Hardship Bonus is a one-off bonus payment of $950 to support farmers and small businesses that have been affected by drought. This payment is non-taxable and is not considered income for social security purposes.
For more information about the Farmers Hardship Bonus visit the Centrelink website.
Training and Learning Bonus
The Training and Learning Bonus is a one-off bonus payment of $950 to support students with the costs of education and training. This payment is non-taxable and is not considered income for social security purposes.
The Training and Learning Bonus is payable for 19-24 year old dependent full time students for whom you are receiving FTB part A.
For more information on the Training and Learning Bonus visit the Centrelink website.
Education Entry Payment Supplement
The Education Entry Payment Supplement is a one-off bonus payment to assist people returning to study or training. This payment is non-taxable and is not considered income for social security purposes.
For more information on the Education Entry Payment Supplement visit the Centrelink website.
Tax Bonus for Working Australians
The Tax Bonus for Working Australians is a one-off bonus payment of up to $900 paid to every eligible Australian worker earning $100,000 or less. This payment is non-taxable and is not considered income for social security purposes.
For more information on the Tax Bonus for Working Australians visit the Australian Taxation Office website.
Hoax email warning
There have been a number of reports about hoax emails in relation to the Household Stimulus Package. Centrelink and the Australian Federal Police are investigating.
If you receive an email claiming to be from Centrelink that suggests you need to provide bank details to receive a bonus payment, do not respond.
Centrelink already has the information it needs to process bonus payments to eligible customers and will never ask people to provide personal information via email.
If you receive an email about the bonus payments that you believe to be a hoax you can call Centrelink on 1800 050 004.