Working for Families
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Category: General Chat
Forum Name: General Chat
Forum Description: For mums, dads, parents-to-be, grandparents, friends -- you name it! And you name the topic you want to chat about!
URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=31138
Printed Date: 01 June 2025 at 4:44am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.05 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Working for Families
Posted By: Genevieve
Subject: Working for Families
Date Posted: 25 January 2010 at 5:17am
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Hiya, im working part-time, DH works full time (self employed) and I am also a full time student.
I can get maternity leave, but I was wondering about tax credits and accommodation supplement. It seems that because I am studying, we are not entitled to any of this (just going by the websites calculator) does anyone have any experience? |
Replies:
Posted By: lilfatty
Date Posted: 25 January 2010 at 7:22am
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I work fulltime and my partner is a fulltime student, because he is not eligable for any student subsidies because of my income, while I was off work on maternity leave we could claim accomodation supplement (we cant now as I earn above the theashold because im back at work).
So it depends on your personal situation if you can or not ------------- Mummy to Issy (3) and Elias (18 months) I did it .. 41 kgs gone! From flab to fab in under a year  http://www.femininefitness.co.nz/category/blog - LFs weight blog
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Posted By: _H_
Date Posted: 25 January 2010 at 8:38am
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Hi Genevieve. because you are a fulltime student you need to go through studylink to check what you are entitled. you may be able to get some student allowance and/or accommodation supplement. your entitlment will be worked out on your joint income
ring up studylink and have a chat to them- if your like me its much easier to talk to someone them to go on the website! Oh and i used to work for studylink that how i know all this 
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Posted By: minik8e
Date Posted: 25 January 2010 at 8:40am
| Why is it that if one of you is a student, and one works full-time, are you no longer eligible for WFF? I don't get that. You still meet all the requirements for WFF. |
Posted By: Raspberryjam
Date Posted: 25 January 2010 at 9:12am
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Hi, we are in the same boat, we get nothing from anyone, not even WFF, as my husband works fulltime even though Im a stay at home mum.
If you are above the threshold you are deemed rich end of story!! I was going to uni this year (until we made another baby) and still nothing available - even childcre costs werent covered. Spoke to study link, IRD and WINZ - not a cent !! ------------- http://lilypie.com] 
http://lilypie.com] 
http://lilypie.com] 
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Posted By: Bobbie
Date Posted: 25 January 2010 at 9:13am
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I think if you're getting study help then it is hard to get the WFF. DH is off study at the moment until we can afford to pay for his papers outright because of this.
Silly though since we're basically using the WFF money to do it  -------------  
 
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Posted By: lilfatty
Date Posted: 25 January 2010 at 9:16am
We get WFF and SD studies full time .. ------------- Mummy to Issy (3) and Elias (18 months) I did it .. 41 kgs gone! From flab to fab in under a year http://www.femininefitness.co.nz/category/blog - LFs weight blog
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minik8e wrote:Posted By: Bizzy
Date Posted: 25 January 2010 at 9:25am
The thresholds are quite high though! ------------- http://www.myfitnesspal.com/weight-loss-ticker"> 
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Posted By: minik8e
Date Posted: 25 January 2010 at 9:34am
This is what I found, so I elected not to get a Student Allowance or any study help other than a student loan. We are well under the threshold too. |
Posted By: Raspberryjam
Date Posted: 25 January 2010 at 9:49am
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The threshold is $74000 ish, not that high really when you live in auckland ------------- http://lilypie.com]
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Posted By: Bizzy
Date Posted: 25 January 2010 at 9:50am
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raspberryjam i consider that quite high! ------------- http://www.myfitnesspal.com/weight-loss-ticker">
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Posted By: Raspberryjam
Date Posted: 25 January 2010 at 9:54am
Really! Ok well I dont know other people live then. It works out just over $4 k a month, thats not much is it? PS - if we didnt live in auckland it would be brilliant!! ------------- http://lilypie.com]
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Posted By: lilfatty
Date Posted: 25 January 2010 at 9:58am
I actually dont think its that high either .. considering I earn above that .. however I think they need to take into account that I support a family .. so technically im poor. ------------- Mummy to Issy (3) and Elias (18 months) I did it .. 41 kgs gone! From flab to fab in under a year http://www.femininefitness.co.nz/category/blog - LFs weight blog
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Posted By: lilfatty
Date Posted: 25 January 2010 at 9:59am
Oh so we are entitled because SD isnt eligable for any help through studylink because of my income? That makes a litte more sense. ------------- Mummy to Issy (3) and Elias (18 months) I did it .. 41 kgs gone! From flab to fab in under a year http://www.femininefitness.co.nz/category/blog - LFs weight blog
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Posted By: Bizzy
Date Posted: 25 January 2010 at 10:00am
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maybe its just high cause its not what i am used to... ------------- http://www.myfitnesspal.com/weight-loss-ticker">
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Posted By: peanut butter
Date Posted: 25 January 2010 at 10:03am
No it wouldnt  Central Otago is hideously expensive. Our house prices are high (comparable to Auckland), our fuel costs are high, our food prices are high, our power....dont even get me started....and then we have to travel to shop...or have babies.
$74000 is a reasonable income...but its still hard to support a family on one income if you have a large mortgage. We earn a little more than that with me working part time but we are paying at least half our earnings in mortgages (we have a rental property that we need to top up). We are managing...JUST. The thing I dont like about WFF is that when Tom was born, DH was earning minimum wage (we had just returned from overseas and its all he could get at the time) so we were literally on bones of our arse. We were entitled to WFF....it was great..it got us through the tough patch. However, then he got a "real" job and I contacted IRD who adjusted our amount...fair enough...but that made things harder. Then I started working part time as we really needed more money...so our WFF stopped. Fair enough....BUT......then we had to pay it all back as over the whole year we had earnt too much. I think that sucks!!! |
Posted By: Raspberryjam
Date Posted: 25 January 2010 at 10:08am
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I think when you get used to a certain income level its hard no matter how much it is when you loose one wage. We certainly arent rich or splashy with our money, And would gladly leave auckland if DH could get a job in a smaller city
It will be an income thing yes lilfatty, all thought the more kids you have the more you are entitled too 
According to the website I just checked it again, we will get a little when our new babe is born . Its also harder when you are self employed, but you can register, and you may get a smidge at the end of the year once you dh's income is assessed. ------------- http://lilypie.com]
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Posted By: FreeSpirit
Date Posted: 25 January 2010 at 10:15am
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Wow - 74000! Thanks to a recent change of circumstance, I'm on 14000 a year...
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Posted By: emz
Date Posted: 25 January 2010 at 10:16am
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Wow yes I consider that high for a one-income household too! We are on 20k less than that, and I work part-time
Isn't the 'average' wage about 40-45k or something? |
Posted By: lilfatty
Date Posted: 25 January 2010 at 10:23am
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RaspberryJam - we are only entitled to WFF this year as I took maternity leave (so was earning nothing) so my income was drastically reduced for this financial year, otherwise we would not be eligable.
Now that we have two kiddies, we will be entitled to WFF in the next financial year, however it will be a very small amount (but better than the nothing we were getting) ------------- Mummy to Issy (3) and Elias (18 months) I did it .. 41 kgs gone! From flab to fab in under a year http://www.femininefitness.co.nz/category/blog - LFs weight blog
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Posted By: Raspberryjam
Date Posted: 25 January 2010 at 10:25am
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Wouldnt think so in auckland, but I dont know.
We were well off when I was working, wish I had of known what I know now!@ but I would rather be at home with my babe, so I guess thats the compromise For anyone who gets not much I just dont know how you do it and Im glad that you can get things like WFF, and accomodation support too ------------- http://lilypie.com]
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Posted By: Raspberryjam
Date Posted: 25 January 2010 at 10:28am
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I agree lilfattie, its better than nothing , this will be the first time we can get a bit too.
And OMG congrats on you weight loss - not so lil fattie anymore!!! ------------- http://lilypie.com]
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Posted By: LittleBug
Date Posted: 25 January 2010 at 11:15am
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We live on 30k a year, that's DH's income. I honestly don't think we could survive without WFF!
On that note, I study but don't get student allowance or living loan, because if I did we wouldn't get WFF. So just fees and course costs from Studylink. ------------- Chloe (4 years) and Oliver (3 years). |
Posted By: minik8e
Date Posted: 25 January 2010 at 11:18am
| You're still allowed to get the living costs part of the loan, just not student allowance...that's what I got told anyway, because the living costs isn't counted as "income", because you have to pay it back. |
Posted By: lilfatty
Date Posted: 25 January 2010 at 11:20am
Yes that is correct, you can borrow the living costs component and it doesnt go into income as it needs to be repaid ------------- Mummy to Issy (3) and Elias (18 months) I did it .. 41 kgs gone! From flab to fab in under a year http://www.femininefitness.co.nz/category/blog - LFs weight blog
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Posted By: LittleBug
Date Posted: 25 January 2010 at 11:23am
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Really? The guy on the phone told me the wrong thing then
It would be super-helpful if I could get living loan! ------------- Chloe (4 years) and Oliver (3 years). |
Posted By: Raspberryjam
Date Posted: 25 January 2010 at 12:48pm
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Call them back little bug, I got told i could have that bit too, its $160 a week , also check out WINZ for a accomadation supplement, that dosent affect your WWF and when my DH was made redundant for 3 months last year we got $112 a week, surely they can help you as I was on more than $30 k and we still got helped and we only had one child. ------------- http://lilypie.com]
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Posted By: Bobbie
Date Posted: 25 January 2010 at 12:51pm
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Hmm well we just wanted to get a student loan to pay for the papers DH was taking. Sounds like he got told the wrong stuff too. We didn't want allowances etc.
I agree you've got to be careful about pay increases etc. We earn quite a bit below the threashhold but if DH got a payrise it's entirely possible we'd be worse off as our payments would drop below the difference in his earnings. -------------
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Posted By: Raspberryjam
Date Posted: 25 January 2010 at 1:02pm
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Bobbie it should be ok if he gets a payrise as Im sure its calculated by so many cents in the dollar, but definately call them backabout the student loan for papers etc , if I was entitled thensurely you guys would be.
Like others have said. as its a loan it dosent affect your entitlements ------------- http://lilypie.com]
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Posted By: emz
Date Posted: 25 January 2010 at 1:12pm
| As far as the increments, after about 37000 or something, for every $1000 increase, weekly payments go down by rougly $8 until you hit about $70000 (from memory). So it's still worthwhile. |
Posted By: lilfatty
Date Posted: 25 January 2010 at 1:35pm
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Bobbie - maybe its because he isnt a fulltime student?
SD can borrow course fees, course expenses (of up to $1k) and then he can get the living component because he isnt entitled to a student allowance. ------------- Mummy to Issy (3) and Elias (18 months) I did it .. 41 kgs gone! From flab to fab in under a year http://www.femininefitness.co.nz/category/blog - LFs weight blog
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Posted By: Bobbie
Date Posted: 25 January 2010 at 2:22pm
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oh yes actually I think that is why Julia. Thanks!
Sorry I wasn't clear about the payrise thing. It's not just WFF that would decrease, it's also the accommodation supplement and I think we figured out that if he got just a token payrise we'd end up worse off. -------------
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Posted By: BuzzyBee
Date Posted: 25 January 2010 at 2:38pm
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Wow my eyes oogled at 74,000, take away rent (I don't see that money directly as it goes straight from WINZ to Landlord) we live off just over 10,000 a year after tax, and that's it! (Bare in mind I am on my own with DS) ...Anyone got a spare 64,000 they'd care to share? hehe.
Auckland is ridiculous though for living costs, and the fuel seems to be going up a couple cents everytime I get petrol *hyperventilates*. We are in a tiny 2 bedroom unit $280 p/week. Most of our stuff is stacked in the garage, but its close to town and good neighbourhood. But yer once you take into account food costs, petrol, health & contents insurance, power, water etc we are scraping the barrel, literally! I will be getting a part time job once DS is entitled to 20 free hours ECE (simply can't afford the childcare costs, i'd be working at a loss) just to help with paying the bills (and for a little sanity too). ------------- Single Mum to a darling wee boy of 3 years :) |
Posted By: Raspberryjam
Date Posted: 25 January 2010 at 2:42pm
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OMG Buzzybee, you must be one hell of a domestic goddess to live on that!~! I couldnt do it ------------- http://lilypie.com]
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Posted By: BuzzyBee
Date Posted: 25 January 2010 at 2:53pm
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I rely on my parents for the odd loaf of bread, toilet roll ...bars of soap you name it. Luckily i live only a 2 min walk around the corner, so we can walk there too ha!
WINZ are weird with how they work out your entitlements tho, and the father not paying maintenance would probably have some effect on dpb too...not overly sure, never choose to query. I'm grateful I get anything at the end of the day, it means I've been able to be a SAHM even if its meant making a few sacrifices
Money is the root of all evil, and it bugs me every day but we're still happy & healthy and that's the main thing! ETA: I just realised I put loave instead of loaf of bread ....must be this heat! ------------- Single Mum to a darling wee boy of 3 years :) |
Posted By: Raspberryjam
Date Posted: 25 January 2010 at 3:07pm
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What part of auckland are you in?
------------- http://lilypie.com]
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Posted By: lilfatty
Date Posted: 25 January 2010 at 3:10pm
The very outskirts .. cant you tell by the rent amount. ------------- Mummy to Issy (3) and Elias (18 months) I did it .. 41 kgs gone! From flab to fab in under a year http://www.femininefitness.co.nz/category/blog - LFs weight blog
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Posted By: BuzzyBee
Date Posted: 25 January 2010 at 3:22pm
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Are we meaning my rent, or lilfatty's?
I'm in Papakura/South Auckland. ------------- Single Mum to a darling wee boy of 3 years :) |
Posted By: Raspberryjam
Date Posted: 25 January 2010 at 3:24pm
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Your place buzzybee. I like pap, I used to work at the amcal and owned my first house in grove road ------------- http://lilypie.com]
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Posted By: BuzzyBee
Date Posted: 25 January 2010 at 4:26pm
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Ah good old Grove Road, it's not what it used to be! Tagging over all the fences, power poles ...peoples garages, and even a couple houses have been bombed! Lots of burglaries etc down those ways now, and i *think* there was a murder in recent years?
Haha I make it sound like the ghetto, but that side of Papakura (lower red hill, and roads off Clevedon road) are all getting pretty rough- such a shame that there are idiots out there who don't think twice before they go and ruin other peoples property! A real shame ------------- Single Mum to a darling wee boy of 3 years :) |
Posted By: _H_
Date Posted: 25 January 2010 at 8:08pm
is Working for Families based on what you earned for the last year? when i have baby (have to get UTD first!) we will lose over half our income 
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Posted By: Raspberryjam
Date Posted: 25 January 2010 at 8:15pm
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The year you are in (thank god!) ------------- http://lilypie.com]
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Posted By: cuppatea
Date Posted: 25 January 2010 at 9:17pm
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No the year you are in. So if you have baby in 2010 then you estimate your earnings till march 2011 and they can pay you weekly, fortnightly or a lump sum at the end of the year. Just make sure you over estimate or you will have to pay them back. ------------- 
 
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Posted By: Genevieve
Date Posted: 26 January 2010 at 9:16am
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pheww... I am going to ring around and see what help I will get! This thread has been so interesting!
I earn nothing as a student, and minimal with my part time job, DH is on about 1200 per week and I bring in an extra 250 to that..... However, we live apart during the year, while I study in Dunedin and he works. This baby is going to be very tricky to organise! |