Households receive $1 billion in assistance

More than $1 billion in household assistance payments has been delivered to about 5 million Australian families and pensioners since the roll out began almost a month ago.

The Gillard Government is delivering household assistance to help people on low and middle incomes make ends meet.

The latest round of household assistance payments – advances of up to $190 for eligible students – will be rolled out from today, ahead of the carbon price introduction on 1 July.

Many students who rely on Youth Allowance can expect to be well ahead, given that the carbon price is expected to have an impact of $117 per year on their living costs.

More than 315,000 students on Youth Allowance, Austudy or ABSTUDY will share in $52 million in payments over the coming fortnight, with the payments to be paid straight into their bank accounts.

Students are also set to benefit from tax cuts starting on 1 July.

• All workers earning less than $80,000 a year will get a tax cut.
• A young person in part-time work earning $20,000 will get a tax cut of up to $600; and
• Students earning $18,200 or less will get to keep all of the money they earn through work and won’t need to fill out a tax return, because the tax-free threshold will triple to $18,200.

And from March 2013, the Government will deliver a new Supplementary Allowance to people on payments such as Youth Allowance and Newstart to spread the benefits of the boom. This will mean an annual increase of $210 for singles and $350 for couples.

Later this week more than 200,000 veterans and war widows will receive a household assistance advance payment of up to $250 for singles or $380 for couples combined.

And on 25 June, 281,000 self-funded retirees who hold a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card and receive the Seniors Supplement, will also receive an advance payment of $250 for singles or $380 for couples combined.

This advance will be paid along with their quarterly Seniors Supplement, which assists with paying regular bills such as power, rates, phone and car registration.

For more information on household assistance people can visit www.australia.gov.au/householdassistance or call 13 24 68.

State breakdowns of household assistance for students: