I guess Matt and I will have to break up then.

[gemfyre]

Because I can't afford for us to live together.

I just wasted 2 hours of my life for Centerlink to tell me that I'm expected to live on nothing because I sleep in the same bed with someone who has "too much" income for me to elligible for anything. Congratulations to the government for giving some couples reason to break up.

Thank God I have some savings left. And I hope I get that zoo job and that my knee is good enough to start it right away. Or at least if I can find a mundane office job in the near future.

If I had no savings I guess I'd have to learn Jesus' trick with the loaves and fishes.

Comments

[jet-ski.livejournal.com]

That or Matt should quit his job so you can both end up on govt support payments. ;)

The current social security system actually discourages people from working in some instances, because of the severity of the cut offs.

How much does he have to earn to completely preclude you from any payments at all?

PS an office job should be easy to find! Just register with some temping agencies... I'd do it now just in case they take forever to decide on the zoo job.

[(Anonymous)]

well not quite.

If we were a regular couple, and my income was her income and the like, then it'd be 'ok'.

However we aren't, as we can't afford to be. If I quit, I'd claim health reasons and my pension would be reinstated, including rent assistance, which would be around $600-650. I could even get a low pay job and earn a bit more, maybe $150. Belinda would qualify for Newstart, which is around $350-400. These are fortnightly payments, cos that's what centerlink use.

so we'd have at best $1050 a f/n, of which $700 goes to rent... and this was the cheapest place we could get when we were applying.

As it is, I get ~$3k/mth after tax and really enjoy my job. It still doesn't leave alot of money to actually do anything with once you pay the rent, bills and food though.

Looks like I'll either have to ask for a pay rise or make sure the zoo gives Belinda the job there (and quickly). Then we'll be right.

[firvulag.livejournal.com]

I'll agree with steph with cursing lj and it's dodgy cookies.

either that or there's some kind of creature getting fat on all the lj-cookies

[(Anonymous)]

You have been selected for the government breeding program. Either make babies or starve.

[stephbg.livejournal.com]

Curse you lj and your suddenly dodgy cookies - that anonymous comment was me.

[lotus79.livejournal.com]

Agreed, it's utterly ridiculous. In fact, "ridiculous" is nowhere near a strong enough word. I suppose from their point of view he's meant to assign you half of his income in return for the "benefits" you provide. So what's that make you? I thought prostitution was meant to be illegal?

This is why I always put Luke down as a roommate, not a partner--financially he isn't, after all. Which bed I sleep in is none of their goddamn business and nothing to do with money.

Damn I am so glad to not be a Centrelink slave anymore. Rage.

[firvulag.livejournal.com]

We used to do that, and then we lived in our 3rd house together and they asked lots of questions. It was easier to tell the truth and tell them we have completely COMPLETELY seperate finances, but share the same bed on a nightly basis.

Not like if you have 2 residences you can't be doing that 6/7 nights a week without actually living at the other residence. 3 nights together at each house, so long as they're non-consecutive I believe does not constitute living there.

Not to mention that they'd have absolutely no problem with someone having a different partner every night, just so long as you don't start having some kind of relationship unless you're going to get married and breed.

[lotus79.livejournal.com]

I know, it's utterly ridiculous. (hmm, I said that already) I'm offended that they even have a right to ask about people's sex lives. WTF does that have to do with anything? Many people have relationships without sex, and sex without relationships, after all. Damn stupid criteria to base a financial assessment on.

Luke and I were honest about everything BUT the bed sharing. Each time the fact that we had been "roommates" before generated that irritating intrusive questionnaire asking about sexual habits, but I just said that we didn't have sex. If they want to catch me out they will have to creep into my bedroom at night... and I reckon privacy laws might have a thing or two to say about that!

I never had a problem with it though, cos I figure most of the poor bastards working the Centrelink counters know just how stupid the rules are. They just have to stamp the forms--mostly they're not assholes trying to catch people in beaurocratic loopholes. Of course there's always some...

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

that is retarded and depressing all at the same time, but centrelink has let me down so often that it's also somewhat unsurprising. :( :( :(

have you thought about setting up a second room (do you have one?) with a bed and say that you're not together? that might not work though now, but still, it might be worth a shot.

i'm sorry this has happened though. centrestink is such a depressing organisation. it doesn't really 'help' at all.

[glittery-girl.livejournal.com]

Aren't Centrelink awesome? I'm so glad they're in charge of payments...

Poor girl :(

[purrdence.livejournal.com]

When Drhoz got really sick with Reiter's, I was in Japan. He applied for Sickness benifets and got told that I should quit my job in Japan and I should come back to Australia to support him. Basically because he was married, Centerlink didn't want to know him.

Never mind I would have broken contract with my employer in Japan, leaving me stranded in Japan (my contract only gave me a return flight if I completed the whole contract). Never mind I was thousands of klicks away and unable to send money to him quickly. Never mind I wouldn't have had a job when I got back to Australia and would have had to go on Centerlink benifets.

[firvulag.livejournal.com]

yup, that's the level of fucked up that centerwank is capable of. They have rules, and well, they have drones that are trained to follow them to the T and screw anyone that doesn't quite fit 'the norm'

[marzipan9.livejournal.com]

you don't need to break up, you just need to move to the US, because if you're not married, the gov't doesn't count ANYTHING of the partner. :)

[shirazz.livejournal.com]

I'd say to make some quick cash come work where I do at Swan Taxis - the staff turnover is huge so they're always looking for people. I work 2 days a week & clear $320, granted it's night weekend work but it might be a good stop gap. The only thing is there's 2 flights of stairs to get into the call center. Centrelink are shit. They penalise people who are partnered with no kids.