ginger Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 Hey guys I don't post on here very often but I normally get good answers when I do. It does go on abit I know but I am in a dilemma. Me and my family are here on a 457 visa, been here getting on for 8 months now and finally starting to settle, the kids love it I love it and my wife well....she puts up with it. We are missing family but we moved here for the kids and for the better lifestyle down to the fact I (thought) a bigger income here would leave us some spare cash. We have received LAFHA (living away from home allowance) and this is allowing us to save for visits home (every 3 years may I add) and also helping us keep out home in the UK. It looks as though the government are scrapping this for people in my situation soon which leaves me well......erm $200 a week lighter. This means saving to either return home for good or just for hols is going to be out of the question. I earn $80k a year plus the LAFHA so we do ok but the we will struggle if the above is brought in by the government. My question is how do people do it? I have 3 kids 8, 6 & 3 and I thought $80k a year would be fine but it isn't. My wife was only a care assistant in the UK with no quals so she cannot do that job here. If she were to work in some other minimum wage job the childcare and afterschool clubs would cripple us so what do I do? if I have very little expenditure here I may aswell be in the UK near the ones we miss so much. Any advise would be great Thanks and regards ginger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest haunted1234 Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 we will lose $800 a month if they scrap it...apparently though they've threatened it before and it never happened, so hopefully it will remain....although hubby's employer has stated they will make his money up if it does get scrapped. Hubby earns just short of $100000 that includes the LAFHA. Unfortunately on a 457 you dont seem to have many rights, but surely they would be in breach of contract...if it's written in your contract that is?? Not sure how it works here legally.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ginger Posted April 20, 2012 Author Share Posted April 20, 2012 I don't have this written in to my contract, TBH we didn't know it extisted until we'd been here a couple of months. Guess I'll have to cross my fingers and hope it keeps being delayed. ginger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marta Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 I have a friend down here in Point Cook who is just in the process of leaving Australia due to the new or upcoming LAHFA regulations. They have one child, she doesn't work and he earns more than 100k and they seem to be struggling even with LAHFA. So this friend told his employer about the LAHFA cuts and asked if the company would be willing to increase his income. The boss said no and wished him all the best for his future.:eek:That's a clear statement. My partner and I are also on a 457. He earns 80k and I have been job hunting intensively for about 10 months without much luck and we never applied for LAHFA because my partner's position is 'actually' ongoing and the employer only allows LAHFA for people who are on a fixed term contract. The problem is a) my partner's job needs to confirmed after a four year probationnary period to move over to the ongoing position, and b) right now we are on a 457 so have all the disadvantages which are included in that kind of visa. How unfair is that please? Anyway. I have to say that I am almost happy that we never could apply for LAHFA as I am sure we would be very angry about it being cut off. We don't struggle on 80k but we don't live a luxurious life either. No car, no alcohol, no fun. So I can imagine it must be quite hard to survive as a family of five on that kind of income especially as childcare and schooling is ridiculously expensive for families on 457. I am so sorry for you guys and hope all turns out well for you and your family. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest haunted1234 Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 we didnt apply for LAFHA it was included as part of his contract....theyve invested alot of money in him, so hope it doesnt end before it's begun! fingers crossed! Also, it's not definately being scrapped yet anyway, so will hope and pray our UK house sale goes through before then...then if worse comes to worse we wont be any worse off ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ginger Posted April 20, 2012 Author Share Posted April 20, 2012 Hi Marta, no car? jeez you must struggle to get around we have a car just a basic one but there is no way we could go without it not in Oz and no alcohol.....they are the little luxuries I think you deserve or need in some cases haha. I came here cos back in the UK I had taken a paycut and we were struggling to have the small things in life that even people on benefits could achieve. Like I say in my original thread if these things need to go for us to get by I think the UK will defo be calling my name. ginger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ginger Posted April 20, 2012 Author Share Posted April 20, 2012 we didnt apply for LAFHA it was included as part of his contract....theyve invested alot of money in him, so hope it doesnt end before it's begun! fingers crossed! Also, it's not definately being scrapped yet anyway, so will hope and pray our UK house sale goes through before then...then if worse comes to worse we wont be any worse off ) Good luck with the house sale though we are trying to keep our house just incase we want to go back home Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kissofthegypsy Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 I was earning 200 when I lost mine through Permanent Residency (and rightly so), its a perk and as the OP is using it genuinely then it does suck for the government to be looking to rescind it. However, I think it may also be to do with the people who use it for a wrong purpose. i.e. if you have no intention of going back or dont have a house over in the UK, then you shouldnt be granted it (plus half of the employers dont understand it and cant be arsed with the paperwork). For now, if you can, wait until they completely abolish it as until then, its still around. Gonna suck though, sorry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JK2510 Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 Hi ginger,I'm a community care assistant,have worked in hospitals and in the community for many years...at least 10yrs....I havent got any certs...they because of my experience and references to back it up...I am now doing a cert 3 course,distance learning which is fully funded....so perhaps your wife can work here doing a similar job to what she did in the uk..sorry but it does not directly answer your question but adds on another possibility. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ginger Posted April 20, 2012 Author Share Posted April 20, 2012 Yeah we are kind of using it genuinely as 8 months in I can't say where our future lies. Thanks JK2510 that's good to know, my wife very nearly got a nightshift job as a care assistant but it only paid $100 for a 10 hour shift so after fuel it just wasn't worth it. The employer wasn't too bothered about qualifications etc... so hopefully something may crop up but for now I guess she can avoid working as we do ok. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lambethlad Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 Hey guys I don't post on here very often but I normally get good answers when I do. It does go on abit I know but I am in a dilemma. Me and my family are here on a 457 visa, been here getting on for 8 months now and finally starting to settle, the kids love it I love it and my wife well....she puts up with it. We are missing family but we moved here for the kids and for the better lifestyle down to the fact I (thought) a bigger income here would leave us some spare cash. We have received LAFHA (living away from home allowance) and this is allowing us to save for visits home (every 3 years may I add) and also helping us keep out home in the UK. It looks as though the government are scrapping this for people in my situation soon which leaves me well......erm $200 a week lighter. This means saving to either return home for good or just for hols is going to be out of the question. I earn $80k a year plus the LAFHA so we do ok but the we will struggle if the above is brought in by the government. My question is how do people do it? I have 3 kids 8, 6 & 3 and I thought $80k a year would be fine but it isn't. My wife was only a care assistant in the UK with no quals so she cannot do that job here. If she were to work in some other minimum wage job the childcare and afterschool clubs would cripple us so what do I do? if I have very little expenditure here I may aswell be in the UK near the ones we miss so much. Any advise would be great Thanks and regards ginger Your wife could do the Disability Care Certificate IV to become qualified. My wife is half way through this course at the moment. It is short a course that would qualify her to work in Aged or Disability Care. The pay is good and big wage rises have been promised over the next few years. If she wanted to do weekend work the rate is about $50 an hour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ginger Posted April 20, 2012 Author Share Posted April 20, 2012 Thanks Lambethlad I will get her to look into it.....$50 an hour is a fantastic rate she used to get 5.79GBP in the UK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JK2510 Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 $10 per hr for a 10 hr shift....daylight robbery I'd say...i would say at least double that per hr.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ginger Posted April 20, 2012 Author Share Posted April 20, 2012 Yeah it was classed as a 'dormant' shift so it didn't have to be paid at a better rate. The day shift money was good but that would mean paying for childcare which wouldn't have really been worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VERYSTORMY Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 It is almost certainly going to go but the indication is that it will be phased out over several years so I wouldn't panic yet. Personally, I agree with it going and we were on 457 visas as why should the tax payer subsidize companies. It there responsibility to pay the living wage. I know that seems hard, but can you imagine if you as a citizen found out that your taxes were being used to subsidize companies bringing in people when a lot of Australians are looking for work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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