LABOR DENIES THOUSANDS OF FAMILIES A CHRISTMAS BONUS
The Member for Berowra, Philip Ruddock MP stated that the Federal government’s promised bonus payments to families who receive the family tax benefit is being denied to more than 150,000 Australian families.
Launched weeks ago with much media fanfare, the Prime Minister promised $1000 per child to all families who receive the Family Tax Benefit A, FTBA, with the money to be paid prior to Christmas.
‘The sad reality is that around 150,000 Australian families and hundreds of families in my own electorate have been badly misled and will not receive a single cent before Christmas,” Mr Ruddock said.
“In the rush to make an announcement, the Labor government forgot to do any work to determine who would be eligible and who may miss out on the $1000 per child bonus.
“Despite repeated claims that all families who receive FTBA will be paid the bonus before Christmas, thousands of families have missed out.
‘What the government failed to identify is that those who receive their FTBA allowance annually instead of fortnightly, will have to wait until tax time in 2009 for the bonus,” Philip Ruddock said.
“Centrelink staff are left out in the cold advising clients that by the time they process their applications the earliest any bonus payment would be received would be late February next year.
“This whole bungled scheme has mislead local families, denied the expected and budgeted for $1000 per child bonus," Philip Ruddock said.