And we would love to help her out Skater, but are just now facing a huge capital gains tax bill ourselves so cash is short.
I wasn't talking about a large cash donation. More along the lines of a room, food, the use of a car to get to interviews & maybe a few $$ when needed. No lifestyle stuff, (coffees, movies, meals out, clothes, makeup). Nothing else, which I am sure any parent could do.
I maintain a cash buffer. Which is something that seems to be missing in her case.
Me too, but remember the general community isn't as educated as we are here.
Its not a personal attack on you/her. Its a general comment - why should the govt have to pay out welfare money to her? Shes not in "hard times" or been made redundant, she doesnt have a disability or mental illness, shes leaving her job voluntarily and moving back to Australia. And she has assets with most likely equity that could pay for months (or years) of living expenses.
Is that not what you invest for, so that if you hit a bad spell you have something you can leverage or sell to pay to live? You cant just take take take from the govt in negative gearing benefits ongoing, then expect the govt to fund your living expenses because you decide to move back to Australia of your own accord and dont have any savings.
Instead, you take any work you can while you look for a teaching job, rather than just expect to be given Newstart and rent assistance.
I agree, there are way too many people that just sit around because the 'right' job isn't forthcoming. If you are in trouble, you take anything you can. We've been in some hard places over the years & between us, hubby & I have done all sorts of things to put food on the table.
The old "but I paid tax I deserve some of it back when I need it" line doesnt go far with me. We all benefit from tax paid in far more ways than just by having a centrelink payment when we cant find work. 35% of my tax went to welfare last FY, I dont say "well centrelink owe me money now please".
Living and working overseas is a great experience, but if a working adult fails to save any money to fund a relocation across the world, I fail to see why the taxpayer needs to fund any person in her scenario.
Again, I agree. I think if you are going overseas to live for a while it is completely foolhardy to not have some money put aside for when you come back.
There are probably about 10 others in Australia as clever as skater. No-one else would even ask.
I'm not that clever! I remember a thread years ago now, that discussed this exact scenario. It was before 9/11, because we had closed our Business by then. And it wasn't in regards to the dole, but a family allowance. I was running the Business with the help of our Children, 6 days per week, while Hubby was working in Hornsby 6 days per week (we were in Wollongong), and on Sundays, he looked after the Business while I worked in a call centre.
And while we were doing all that work, our income was still way under the dole at the time, because it was all being funnelled unto the Business that was running at a massive loss. We endured living like this for around 18 months, living upstairs in a nasty filthy office space, where I refused to even enter the kitchen, it was so bad. I used to cook our meals downstairs in the pie warmer. It's funny how creative you can be when you have to.
As soon as our lease was up on the building, we were able to close up shop & move away.
Hustle like an immigrant and do what you have to do.
LOL! Yes, we've done that so many times, I've lost count. So many dodgy jobs, but it kept us fed.
Anyway, back to the problem at hand.
I'm not so heartless to say that she shouldn't be given a helping hand. BUT.....welfare should be there to help anybody out in times of financial duress. It is not there as a lifestyle choice.
I believe that, depending on the real situation, because we really don't know how much money this girl has, that it is possible that she should be able to access, at least, say, eight weeks of benefits, when she gets back here. In those 8 weeks, it gives an agent a couple of weeks to launch a property on the market, as well as six weeks to settle.
If she gets back here penniless, should she be expected to survive with NOTHING in the time it takes to sell a property? Even if you 'hustle like an immigrant', not everyone would have the skills or the confidence to do that successfully, so she may not make any money in that time. So....I see it as a safety net to get her through.
HOWEVER, I also find it really hard to imagine that anyone with three IP's in Sydney, or even Newcastle could have assets under the threshold, since everything has doubled in price, there has to be a tonne of equity in there.