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Household Stimulus Package

Important Information

In most cases, to receive a bonus you must have been eligible for a qualifying Centrelink payment on 3 February 2009. If you are eligible for a bonus, it will be automatically paid into your bank account.

You do not need to contact Centrelink.

More information about payment of the bonuses is available in the Payment of the Household Stimulus Package section of this page.


On this page

On 3 February 2009, the Australian Government announced the Household Stimulus Package to provide widespread assistance to low and middle-income households. The Household Stimulus Package includes one-off bonus payments for some Centrelink customers, including families, students and farmers. Bonus payments are non-taxable and are not considered income for social security purposes.

Eligibility at a glance

Note: Eligibility for all bonus payments is based on your entitlement on 3 February 2009*.

Payment Who will get it? How much? When will it be paid?
Single Income Family Bonus Recipients of Family Tax Benefit Part B $900 per family If you get your FTB payment fortnightly:
  • 11 to 20 March 2009
If you get your FTB payment annually:
  • after you lodge your FTB claim and 2008-09 tax return
Back to School Bonus Recipients of Family Tax Benefit Part A with a child aged 4-18 years old (inclusive) $950 per eligible child If you get your FTB payment fortnightly:
  • 11 to 20 March 2009
If you get your FTB payment annually:
  • after you lodge your FTB claim and 2008-09 tax return
Recipients of Carer Payment or Disability Support Pension who on 3 February 2009 were aged less than 19 years old $950 11 to 20 March 2009
Farmer’s Hardship Payment Recipients of:
  • Exceptional Circumstances Relief Payment - farmers and small businesses
  • Transitional Income Support
  • Interim Income Support - farmers and small business, or
  • Farm Help Income Support
 $950 24 March to 6 April 2009
Training and Learning Bonus
One off Training and Learning bonus Recipients of:
  • Youth Allowance (Students and Australian Apprentices)
  • Austudy
  • ABSTUDY Living Allowance (if aged 16 and over or independent)
  • Sickness Allowance
  • Special Benefit (who were under age pension age on 14 October 2008)
 $950 24 March to 6 April 2009
One off Training and Learning bonus - Family Tax Benefit Recipients of Family Tax Benefit Part A with a child aged 21-24 years (inclusive) who is a full-time student $950 If you get your FTB payment fortnightly
  • 25 March to 3 April 2009
If you get your FTB payment annually:
  • after you lodge your FTB claim and 2008-09 tax return
Education Entry Payment (EdEP) Temporary Supplement Customers who would normally qualify for EdEP, plus Youth Allowance customers who commence study.

The requirement for customers to be receiving a payment for 12 months before being eligible for EdEP has also been reduced to 4 weeks		 $950 - in addition to the existing EdEP of $208 The supplement will start being paid from 24 March 2009 and will be backdated to include people eligible from 1 January 2009

* Adminstrative Scheme

Some people will be paid a $950 bonus under a special administrative scheme. You may be paid under this scheme if you:

  • start full-time study after 3 February 2009 and receive:
    • Youth Allowance (students and Australian Apprentices)
    • Austudy, or
    • ABSTUDY Living Allowance (if aged 16 and over or independent)
  • were eligible for Family Tax Benefit Part A on 3 February 2009, for a full-time student who was aged 19-20 years (inclusive) on 3 Febuary 2009
  • were eligible for FTB A with a full-time student aged 19-24 (between 1 January and 30 June 2009 inclusive) and your 19-24 year old was undertaking full time study in the first semester of 2009, and your 19-24 year old was not eligible to receive or attract a Back to School Bonus or a Training and Learning Bonus through the initial Household Stimulus Package payments (paid in March/April 2009).

More detail about the administrative scheme will be added to this website soon.

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Payments in detail

Further details about each of the Household Stimulus Package payments are provided on the following pages:

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Payment of the Household Stimulus Package

If you are eligible for a bonus payment, it will be automatically paid into your bank account on the same day you normally receive your Centrelink payment. You do not need to contact Centrelink.

The Back to School Bonus and Single Income Family Bonus will be paid from 11 to 20 March 2009. There is no need to contact Centrelink prior to 23 March 2009.

The Training and Learning Bonus and Farmer's Hardship Payment will be paid from 24 March to 6 April 2009. There is no need to contact Centrelink prior to 7 April 2009.

To find out about eligibility for these bonus payments view the Eligibility at a glance section on this page.

Note: The Tax Bonus for Working Australians is being delivered by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). Please refer to ATO website or contact the ATO on 1300 686 636 for further details.

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Factsheets

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Hoax email warning

Centrelink has received reports of hoax emails in relation to the Household Stimulus Package. Centrelink and the Australian Federal Police are investigating.

If you receive an email claiming to be from Centrelink that suggests you need to provide bank details to receive a bonus payment, do not respond.

Centrelink already has the information it needs to process bonus payments to eligible customers and will never ask people to provide personal information via email.

If you receive an email about the bonus payments that you believe to be a hoax you can call Centrelink on 1800 050 004.

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More information

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