Clean Energy Future

From today, more than 1.6 million Australian families will receive additional money in their bank accounts to help them make ends meet.

Before the carbon price starts on 1 July, a total of about $325 million in household assistance will go out to low and middle income families across Australia.

Families on Family Tax Benefit Part A will start receiving Clean Energy Advance payments of up to $110 for each child, and families receiving Family Tax Benefit Part B will receive up to $69. This payment will be paid straight into families’ bank accounts over the coming weeks.

Before the end of June, pensioners, students and other eligible payment recipients will also receive increases in their support payments. In July, Australian workers will also benefit from new tax cuts.

From next year, families will also receive an additional boost to help them balance their budgets:

• A new Schoolkids Bonus for more than 1.3 million families – $410 a year for each child in primary school and $820 a year for each child in secondary school to help with education costs.
• A boost to Family Tax Benefit Part A for all 1.5 million eligible families – an increase of $600 a year for families on the lowest incomes with two or more children and $300 a year for one child families.

For more information, call 13 24 68 or visit www.australia.gov.au/householdassistance.