January Schoolkids Bonus Could Be The Last

The January payment of the Schoolkids Bonus could be the last for 1.3 million Australian families, Member for Lalor Joanne Ryan has said today.

“The payment, made in January and July of each year, provides eligible families with $410 for every primary school child and $820 for every secondary school child,” Ms Ryan said.

“As a former teacher and principal, I know how important this money is to local families to cover the costs of books, uniforms and excursions.”

Ms Ryan said despite the importance of the payment, the Abbott Government has introduced legislation to scrap the Bonus.

“This will affect close to 13,000 Wyndham families, representing over 22,000 local students,” she said.

“If Tony Abbott’s legislation passes the Senate, the January Schoolkids Bonus payment will be their last, meaning every  one of these local families will be worse off.”

Ms Ryan said that since 2012, the SchoolKids Bonus has delivered much needed relief for low and middle income families struggling to meet the costs of their children’s education.

“This is a savage cut from the Abbott Government – a Government that clearly doesn’t care about local families or local kids.”