p style=”text-align: justify”>Families with children returning to school this week have been left in the lurch by the Victorian Liberal Government.
While the Gillard Government’s new Schoolkids Bonus is boosting family budgets when back to school costs hit, the Victorian Liberals have ripped away the $300 School Start Bonus for low income families.
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Families with children returning to school this week have been left in the lurch by the Victorian Liberal Government.
While the Gillard Government’s new Schoolkids Bonus is boosting family budgets when back to school costs hit, the Victorian Liberals have ripped away the $300 School Start Bonus for low income families.
Federal Member for Ballarat, Catherine King, said about 9500 local families have received their January Schoolkids Bonus cash payment from the Gillard Government.
“Labor’s Schoolkids Bonus will help lighten the load of back-to-school costs for thousands of local families,” Ms King said.
“But at the same time, the Victorian Liberals have ripped away the $300 School Start Bonus for local families.
“Tony Abbott has also confirmed he wants to scrap Labor’s Schoolkids Bonus – which would be a double whammy for Victorian families.
“This just shows that the Liberals can’t be trusted to help families make ends meet.”
Ms King said local families would be worse off under an Abbott Liberal Government.
“A family with two children will receive $15,000 in Schoolkids Bonus payments from the Gillard Government over the course of their kids’ schooling.
“This money is to help parents buy uniforms, shoes, school books and stationery as well as meet other costs like school excursions, music lessons and sports registration fees.
“Tony Abbott and the Liberals would take this money away.”
The January instalment of the Schoolkids Bonus is worth $205 for each child in primary school and $410 for each high school student. Families will receive another payment in July – bringing the total Schoolkids Bonus to $410 and $820 a year.
Families receiving Family Tax Benefit Part A, as well as young people in school receiving Youth Allowance, and others receiving certain income support or veterans’ payments are eligible for the Schoolkids Bonus.
For the latest information about the Schoolkids Bonus and other family assistance measures, visit www.australia.gov.au/schoolkidsbonus or ‘like’ our Australian Families Facebook page.