New Payments for Families with School Kids Start Today

1.3 million families from across Australia will today begin receiving the Gillard Government’s Schoolkids Bonus in their bank accounts to help with school costs.

The Acting Prime Minister, Wayne Swan and the Minister for Families, Jenny Macklin, joined the Member for Canberra, Gai Brodtmann at Hughes Primary School this morning to speak to local families and children about the payments going out to families.

All families receiving their Family Tax Benefit Part A fortnightly will receive $409 for each child in primary school and $818 for each child in high school between now and the end of June. This is the full amount of the Education Tax Refund for 2011-12.

This payment will be paid straight into families’ bank accounts as part of the transition from the Education Tax Refund to the new Schoolkids Bonus.

14,000 ACT families are set to benefit from the payment, along with more than 400,000 New South Wales families, 308,000 Victorian families, 280,000 Queensland families, almost 120,000 Western Australian families and 96,000 South Australian families.

It will help families pay for uniforms, books, school excursions, stationery, and other costs like music lessons and sports registration fees.

We know that many families weren’t getting their full entitlement under the Education Tax Refund.

Under the old system, 80 per cent of families weren’t claiming what they’re entitled to – they either claimed less than the full amount, or claimed nothing at all.

The new Schoolkids Bonus will give families all their money when they need it, before schools starts.

Replacing the old system with the Schoolkids Bonus means one million families across Australia will receive more cash – a typical family will get more than $720 extra each year.[i]

Here in Canberra 90 per cent of eligible families will get more money than ever before.

We understand that low and middle income families are finding it tough to make ends meet. This payment and the new Schoolkids Bonus will give parents extra help to balance the family budget.

For more information visit www.humanservices.gov.au/schoolkidsbonus or call 132 468.