Giving families the help they need

Friday, 8 July 2011

With the financial year and parliamentary session at a close, I’d like to update you on the reforms Labor is delivering for Western Australian families. Many of our reforms took effect on 1 July – here is a brief outline of just some of these changes.

Flexible Childcare Rebates

Labor has delivered on its commitment to increase the flexibility of Child Care Rebate payments. Now, rather than being paid on a three-monthly basis, you can opt to receive payments fortnightly or weekly. You can find out more about these changes here.

Assistance for School Uniforms

We have also extended the Education Tax Refund to cover school uniforms. Eligible families are now able to claim up to 50 per cent of the cost of uniforms, bringing the total refund to up to $397 per child each year for primary school kids or $794 per child each year for those in secondary school. Further details are available here.

Helping Kids with Disabilities

Families with a child with disability will be able to access up to $12,000 in early intervention funding for their child through the Better Start for Children with Disability initiative. Click here for more details.

Increased Family Tax Benefit

Increased rates of Family Tax Benefit (FTB) Part A will also apply from 1 July, raising the maximum annual amount by $113.15 a year to just over $4292 a year for each child under 13.

Additionally, from January 1, 2012, the maximum annual rate for 16 to 19 year olds who are in full-time secondary study will increase from $2,099 to $6,307. That’s an extra $4,200 each year for eligible families.

Better Opportunities for Age Pensioners

Age Pensioners are now able to earn up to $250 per fortnight without it being assessed as income. That means you can choose to engage in meaningful work, and keep more of your pension.

Increasing Mortgage Competition

Federal Labor’s ban on mortgage exit fees for new loans is now also in place. This means that banks will not be able to charge you if you find a better deal with another mortgage lender. Although this won’t apply to existing mortgages before 1 July, it will put pressure on banks to provide you with a better deal.

Paid Parental Leave

Finally, it’s worth celebrating the six month anniversary of Federal Labor’s historic Paid Parental Leave scheme. The scheme has already helped 65,000 families across Australia balance their work and family lives. Click here if you want more information on the scheme.

Under Labor’s management, our economy has remained strong, and we are continuing to make the right decisions for Western Australian families. We’re committed to creating 500,000 new jobs in the next two years, and we are still on track to return the Budget to surplus by 2013.

As a Government, we are focused on relieving the financial pressures on families. That’s why when acting on climate change and putting a price on pollution we will also ensure there is assistance for the majority of Australian households for any costs passed on. I look forward to communicating further with you about these reforms when the details are announced next week.

Best wishes

Louise