Centrelink and healthcare card, waiting time

[SGHJLL]

We are waiting on centrelink to sort out our claim and after being told it would be 2-6 weeks we have now been told it will be 12 weeks, grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr :arghh:

 

We have been told we should qualify for a healthcare card but we will not have this in time to get our kids school books this week and will have to pay the $425. Has anyone else been in this situation? Can you claim the money back afterwards or defer payment for the books at all?

 

We are trying our hardest to keep our heads above water but this extension in sorting the claim has really knocked us.

[Sammy1]

We are waiting on centrelink to sort out our claim and after being told it would be 2-6 weeks we have now been told it will be 12 weeks, grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr :arghh:

 

We have been told we should qualify for a healthcare card but we will not have this in time to get our kids school books this week and will have to pay the $425. Has anyone else been in this situation? Can you claim the money back afterwards or defer payment for the books at all?

 

We are trying our hardest to keep our heads above water but this extension in sorting the claim has really knocked us.

 

 

I am a bit confused about the book part. Do you mean the school kids bonus? Is so, then that is not paid until January and it may well not be paid at all as the government is trying to scrap it.

 

A health care card does not cover school books, it is given to people on a very low income who are normally on welfare and claiming newstart or parenting payment etc.

 

A medicare card is different to a health care card.

[SGHJLL]

With a healthcare card you are eligible for EMA (if it stays)

[Sammy1]

With a healthcare card you are eligible for EMA (if it stays)

 

Ok, must be a state specific thing, to get a health care card you have to be on a benefit. Good luck.

[AJ]

But surely you didnt move relying on getting benefit?

 

A health care card does not get you anything for school books. There is a school kids bonus but you have to be getting Family Tax Benefit A to get that and it may get scrapped next month. I am not sure but I think if you qualify for Benefits they will back date it to when you first arrived if there is a delay in processing

[Sammy1]

But surely you didnt move relying on getting benefit?

 

Pretty sure there is a two year wait time to claim an income support benefit and health care card though.

They will be able to get family assistance as newly arrived family on pr.

[Que Sera Sera]

You can get family assistance and rent assistance straight away but I've never heard of anyone getting a Healthcare card, thought that was for very low incomes? just Medicare for migrants?

[AJ]

 

Pretty sure there is a two year wait time for benefits though.

Only for unemployment benefit. If you are PR depending on your income you could qualify for Family Tax Benefit

[Sammy1]

Only for unemployment benefit. If you are PR depending on your income you could qualify for Family Tax Benefit

 

Yes that is what I said in my post.

 

However, to get a health care card you have to be on a very low income and on a pension or newstart benefit etc and there is a two year waiting period for new migrants.

 

The OP is a brand new migrant.

[AJ]

Yes that is what I said in my post.

 

However, to get a health care card you have to be on a very low income and on a pension or newstart benefit etc and there is a two year waiting period for new migrants.

 

The OP is a brand new migrant.

Yes and so was I once. When you apply to centrelink if you are a new migrant you apply as newstart - I got Family Tax Benefit A and B, and at one point they sent me a healthcard but once our income went up that was cancelled.

[Sammy1]

Yes and so was I once. When you apply to centrelink if you are a new migrant you apply as newstart - I got Family Tax Benefit A and B, and at one point they sent me a healthcard but once our income went up that was cancelled.

 

 

Newstart is an unemployment benefit. I had no idea that new migrants could claim it immediately. No wonder the economy is suffering. Ah well, I did know about family assistance, but immediate newstart eligibility is new to me. Crazy to migrate and have to go straight onto an unemployment benefit.Why migrate?

[AJ]

You dont get UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFIT. When you fill in the forms it advises you if this is the first time you have claimed for Family Tax Benefit you tick the Newstart box. Then you fill in the rest for Family Tax benefit stuff.

[Que Sera Sera]

I'm confused.

[Sammy1]

You dont get UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFIT. When you fill in the forms it advises you if this is the first time you have claimed for Family Tax Benefit you tick the Newstart box. Then you fill in the rest for Family Tax benefit stuff.

 

No need to shout. I was referring to newstart unemployment benefit. You are obviously referring to something else. Message received.

[Maruska]

Sorry to jump the thread, just want to ask if 425 $ is an usual yearly expense for school books - is this for 1 child? And what grade?

[nic1171]

I've just got my centrelink stuff, got a health care card because I won't have earned much by end of financial year, will prob lose that then, think it entitles me to something like a cap of $5 for prescriptions and maybe more not sure but there was a letter stating I wasn't entitled to the school bit. The Aus government are certainly generous in what they provide to low income families, don't know what it was like in UK as only ever got family allowance

[rosiew]

Just restricting my answer to the school books part - at most schools you do not HAVE to use the school book supplier. You can fill the list yourself over the summer at bookshops, ebay, second hand book sales etc. The stationery can also be accumulated as you go. Or you can walk into the retail outlet of the school book supplier and fill the list while you wait. You should call the school or ask a parent.

[Petals]

You can get a health care card if on a low income, however you have have it renewed all the time and this requires you to front up to Centrelink with all your bank accounts and pay slips to see that you have not earned more than the level at which it kicks in. Its no that high either. Once children get up in high school and have a part time job, its a good idea to let them get their own medicare card as they can then obtain a health care card.

 

Health care cards do not give cheap transport and other benefits they are only for health. To get other benefits you need to have a centrelink pension card and that goes to people who are retired, on disability etc.