Paying Board to a Single Parent on Disability Support Pension

user379323 on 19/06/2022 - 03:04

With feeling the pinch and the increase in the cost of living, I need to increase my 21-year-old twin daughters' board. Due to their extreme differences, I think a percentage of their income is probably the fairest way, but I'm not sure. Any suggestions are gratefully received!

Twin 1: 3rd-year Uni student has $8,000 in scholarships. Has a few thousand in savings, receives $367-fortnight Abstudy and pays $ $100 per fortnight. Does very limited help around the home.

Twin 2. On a disability pension of $934 and has a few hundred dollars in her bank. Does a lot around our home, usually without being asked.

Financial

Comments

  • AustriaBargain on 19/06/2022 - 03:12
    +2

    So you are on DSP and one of your twin daughters is on DSP too? And you want both twins to pay you board?

  • screensaver on 19/06/2022 - 04:30
    +1

    both can get rent assistance, find out how much and factor that in, also is the house rented. There are other expenses such as electricity and food, so you need to look at the 3 components, rent, food and utilities.

    • askme69 on 19/06/2022 - 10:10

      The Mum would be getting rent assistance as well. So that would decrease if the others claim and Centrelink cross reference or audit, unless they use different addresses.

      • screensaver on 19/06/2022 - 10:49

        centrelink allows shared rent assistance, it may be a reduced rate for each person

  • John Kimble on 19/06/2022 - 07:57
    +3

    Just get them to start and maintain a lettuce farm?

  • cookie2 on 19/06/2022 - 08:04
    +11

    I don't think it's right to charge them a diff fee based on their circumstances tbh. If you need the extra $ then that shouldn't be relevant. Also your a household, if cleaning makes a difference to what you want to charge them, you should discuss that with the twin that doesn't clean but it sounds like the twin is doing more to better themselves (scholarship, studying etc), whereas the other has lots more time to help out etc. Their situations shouldn't decide the charge. Yours should. You get money from the gov and now you think more money from the kids to deal with money problems will fix it? I'd suggest you investigate a way to make some income yourself since the kids are young adults. Also consider that if you're relying on the kids financially, what will happen when one moves out? I'd chat with them either way.

  • djones145 on 19/06/2022 - 08:25
    +4

    two options
    get them to create a ozbargain account user379324 and user 379325 and nut it out here

    or sit down as a family and nut it out with these two young adults.

    • screensaver on 19/06/2022 - 10:57
      -3

      But that would make the trolls redundant. no posts means no trolls, right? What would they do with themselves then?

      • randomusername2017 on 19/06/2022 - 15:23

        Frequent return and earn stations more regularly…

        • screensaver on 19/06/2022 - 16:41
          -1

          at least the people there dont bully others

          • CrowReally on 19/06/2022 - 17:34
            +1

            @screensaver: its the real life bullying that gets me down, stubbed my toe on the bed the other day and then, get this, corner shop didn't have the chocolate milk i wanted

            just an endless army of bullies and trolls

          • randomusername2017 on 19/06/2022 - 17:54

            @screensaver: Sounds like an idea for a forum post.. do they have security guards at these stations to maintain order?

      • deme on 19/06/2022 - 15:30

        Hi Pam

  • elgrande on 19/06/2022 - 08:50

    I thought I was the only one who had to pay their parents rent. Then again, I was 15.

    • brad1-8tsi on 19/06/2022 - 15:32

      I paid 20% of my after-tax pay when I was 17.
      Mum and Dad were really "annoyed" with me for leaving school before finishing the HSC so that was their way of saying "You want to be an adult? Start paying."

      Given how much I ate, I think it was good deal.

  • PensionerXXL on 19/06/2022 - 08:55
    +2

    this sounds like a crazy pyramid scheme, odd usually the govt is at the top
    jokes aside, can I ask how a 21-year-old gets a disability pension?

    also one thing to consider, you made the choice to have the kids right, it's kinda on you to do right by them, not visa versa
    does not sound like you have given them a great start to life - typically parents go without so their kids can have.

    • Quantumcat on 19/06/2022 - 09:12

      If they weren't living at home OP could move to a cheaper area / smaller home

      • PensionerXXL on 19/06/2022 - 09:27
        +1

        right while the kid on the pension goes off into the world to continue the cycle?

    • wei13 on 19/06/2022 - 13:28
      +3

      You are making a hek of a lot of inferences and guesses about someone's 21 years of parenting, from a short post over a single matter of contributing to board.

      I would say 'do right by them' could include teaching adult children how to budget and contribute to living costs.

    • Britmavis on 20/06/2022 - 12:33
      +1

      Because not all disabled people are young or old I've been getting DSP since I was 21… Now 27 for a condition I've had since birth…

      She could have had if since she was a baby she could have gotten it as a teen or like me as an adult when I realised that my body wasn't going to let me to work a full time job

      • cookie2 on 20/06/2022 - 21:17

        My body also struggles to work a full time job. I think many do. I've moved from job to job, had high paid and unpaid leave periods, been made redundant as an excuse and have finally recently gotten myself into a role that provides more work flexibility inc wfh on some days. In saying this, there needs to be more focus and policy on workplace adjustment to get more people with disabilities working. Not everyone can but there are a number that can and this should be facilitated more to support people into work (meaningful and comfortable work). For individuals and society itself.

  • Quantumcat on 19/06/2022 - 09:18
    +9

    If you want to do things the fairest way possible, and also help your daughters learn how to adult, you should show them the bills that come in (rates, electricity, internet, water) and ask them to split them with you. Either 1/3 each or 50% you and 25% each them if you don't think they could afford a third. If they complain then remind them that when they are no longer living at home they will also have to pay for rent and food which you're not charging them for.

    If you just charge them an arbitrary amount or a percentage of their income that won't really teach them anything about what it's like to live as an adult. It will also seem a lot more fair as they will understand what your outgoings are rather than imagining you taking their money and spending it on fun things for yourself.

    • wizzy on 19/06/2022 - 10:52
      +4

      This seems to be the fairest solution to me. It is based on the actual cost of living and will help them learn how to budget in the long run. I would not feel right charging one twin more than the other. She has worked hard to be at uni and it would feel like I was punishing her for working hard. If the twin on a disability pension moves out of home, nobody is going to charge her less money for electricity etc. So you may not be helping her to learn how to look after herself by doing that now. You might even be hurting her by setting her up to have unrealistic expectations of the world.

      As someone else pointed out, the twin at uni is also studying, which might be why she has less time to do housework. It does not seem fair to punish her for that either.

  • Presence on 19/06/2022 - 09:41
    +2

    If you annoy #1 too much she will move out once uni is done and then you'll be even worse off!

  • altomic on 19/06/2022 - 09:55
    +2

    should've had triplets
    profit

  • Some Human on 19/06/2022 - 11:00
    +5

    I don't think it's fair to charge different amounts.
    It's almost like punishing the uni student for being more successful.

    • brendanm on 19/06/2022 - 12:02
      -1

      Isn't equity what people want these days?

      • mapax on 19/06/2022 - 13:45
        +1

        Only when it suits their narrative.

  • avoidfullprice on 19/06/2022 - 11:47
    +1

    Support @quantumcat’s suggestion in laying the bills and discuss over it.

    However the way i read OP is there is already judgement with the twins. That one who is “able” doesnt do much around the house while the “disable” does more. That sentiment, i feel, is going to lead an unhealthy discussion. You probably want #1 to contribute more.

    Seriously, no one here on the forum knows the true extent of their circumstances. Best lay out the financial pinches on the table and say look, amongst you two i need say 20% of the bills covered. You both work hard, im proud of you two, but reality sucks and i need help. How can we tackle this together?

  • deme on 19/06/2022 - 15:31
    -1

    Get a job

  • Britmavis on 20/06/2022 - 12:29

    I wouldn't base it on what they do get them to apply for rent assistance… And pay $100-150 each for rent…the only time you should base it on what your child does or if one person works and the other is DSP

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