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Bonus Payments

Bonus Payment

The Australian Government allocated $12.2 billion towards targeted bonus payments to assist households and support economic growth in 2008-09 under the Nation Building-Economic Stimulus Plan.

The payments included:

$900 Tax Bonus for Working Australians

  • The Australian Government provided eligible people with a tax bonus payment of up to $900. To be eligible for the payment you must have lodged your 2007-08 income tax returns had to be lodged by 30 June 2009, unless the Tax Office granted you a deferred lodgement date before 18 February 2009.
  • The Back to School Bonus was a one-off payment of $950 per eligible child.

$900 Single Income Family Bonus

  • The Single Income Family Bonus provided assistance to families with one main income earner. Families eligible for Family Tax Benefit Part B (FTB-B) on 3 February 2009 received this $900 bonus payment.

$950 Farmer's Hardship Payment

  • The Australian Government made a one-off payment of $950 to assist farmers and small business operators experiencing hardship due to drought conditions and receiving Exceptional Circumstances Relief Payment, Farm Help Income Support or Transitional Income Support. More than 21,000 farmers and small business operators received the Farmer’s Hardship Payment at a cost of $20.3 million.

$950 Training and Learning Bonus

  • The Australian Government's $511.2 million Training and Learning Bonus provided a bonus to eligible student social security recipients to assist with the costs of education and training.
  • This covered students undertaking approved courses that generally include secondary education courses, undergraduate courses, associate diplomas and some other diplomas, TAFE courses and some postgraduate courses.

$950 Bonus for Postgraduate Scholarship Holders

  • A $950 Training and Learning Bonus payment was available to postgraduate scholarship holders undertaking a higher education degree by research program in semester 1, 2009 and who are receiving an Australian Postgraduate (or similar) award.

$950 Back to School Bonus

  • The Australian Government invested $2.6 billion to help families with the costs of education in the 2009 academic year.

Further Information

  • For information about the Tax Bonus visit the ATO Tax Bonus page
  • For further information about the Single Income Family Bonus, Farmers Hardship Payment, Back to School Bonus, and the Training and Learning Bonus visit the Centrelink website