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Selecting the right payment choice for your situation will help reduce the risk of an overpayment.
You may choose to get all, part or none of your payment fortnightly. We’ll then pay any other FTB you’re entitled to when we balance your payments. We do this after the end of the financial year.
We’ll recommend a payment choice when you claim. We’ll base it on your family’s circumstances.
If you or your partner care for a child from a past relationship, you must take reasonable steps to get child support. You must do this to get more than the base rate of FTB Part A. This is regardless of your payment choice for FTB Part A. We call this the Maintenance Action Test.
What the FTB Part A payment choices are
There are 3 payment choices for FTB Part A.
All your FTB Part A fortnightly
This is best if you can give us an accurate family income estimate.
The base rate of your FTB Part A fortnightly
This may be best if both apply:
- you find it difficult to give us an accurate family income estimate
- your family’s income is likely to be under $111,398.
For example, this could be if your pay changes each week.
We’ll pay you the base rate of your FTB Part A fortnightly. Then we’ll pay you any other FTB Part A you’re entitled to when we balance your payments. We do this after the end of the financial year.
All of your FTB Part A after the end of the financial year
You can choose not to get any FTB Part A throughout the year. This is what we call a zero rate. Instead, we’ll pay your FTB Part A after the end of the financial year when we balance your payments.
This may be best if both of the following apply:
- you can’t estimate your annual income accurately
- your income is high, but is likely to be under the income limit.
What the FTB Part B payment choices are
There are 2 payment choices for FTB Part B.
All of your FTB Part B fortnightly
This may be best if either:
- you’re a single parent
- you or your partner don’t expect to earn income this financial year.
All of your FTB Part B after the end of the financial year
You can choose not to get any FTB Part B throughout the year. This is what we call a zero rate. Instead, we’ll pay your FTB Part B after the end of the financial year when we balance your payments.
This may be best if you’re a couple and either:
- one of you is temporarily not working because you’re caring for a child
- the lower income earner isn’t confident about estimating their income accurately.
How your payment choice affects other payments
Your payment choice may affect how you get the following payments:
- Newborn Upfront Payment and Newborn Supplement
- Rent Assistance
- Energy Supplement
- Economic Support Payment.
It can also affect your Extended Medicare Safety Net threshold and your eligibility for the Child Dental Benefits Schedule.
Newborn Upfront Payment and Newborn Supplement
You can only get these payments if you get FTB Part A. The way you get your FTB Part A may affect how you get these payments.
Read more about payment options for Newborn Upfront Payment and Newborn Supplement.
Rent Assistance
You must be getting more than the base rate of FTB Part A to get Rent Assistance paid with it. You may be able to choose how you get Rent Assistance. How you get it depends on how you get your FTB Part A.
If you get all your FTB Part A fortnightly, you’ll also get Rent Assistance fortnightly.
You can choose to get Rent Assistance either fortnightly or after the end of the financial year in some circumstances. These are if you’re eligible for more than the base rate of FTB Part A and either:
- you’ve chosen to get only the base rate fortnightly with the rest paid after the end of the financial year
- you’ve chosen to get all of your FTB Part A after the end of the financial year.
Energy Supplement
If you’re eligible for this supplement, we’ll pay it for both FTB Part A and FTB Part B. If you’re eligible, how you choose to get FTB may affect how you get Energy Supplement.
If you get your FTB fortnightly, we can pay Energy Supplement either:
- fortnightly
- quarterly in October, January, April and July.
If you choose to get either:
- the base rate of FTB Part A fortnightly, we’ll pay your Energy Supplement fortnightly
- FTB Part A or Part B after the end of the financial year, we’ll pay your Energy Supplement then.
If you get FTB as a lump sum, you’ll get your Energy Supplement at the same time.
Read more about Energy Supplement payment options for Family Tax Benefit.
How we adjust your FTB Part A and Part B payments
If you choose to get your FTB fortnightly, we may adjust your ongoing payments. We do this to avoid or reduce the risk of an overpayment.
How to change your payment choice
If your Centrelink online account is linked to myGov you can change your payment choice at any time.
To do this:
- Sign in to myGov.
- Select Family assistance.
- Select Payment choices for Family Tax Benefit.
You can also use the Express Plus Centrelink mobile app. To do this, open the app and select Payment choices.
If you can’t change your payment choice online, you can use phone self service.
We’ll recommend a payment choice based on your family’s circumstances, but you can change it at any time. Your choice will stay in place until you change it again.