A prospective client called recently, asking did I know anything about Centrelink rules and what the impacts could be on her situation.
Turns out I know quite a bit about Centrelink’s rules. I’ve been creating Centrelink effective strategies for more than 20 years now.
What the client was proposing would have left them at risk of having their Disability Support Pension stopped, or significantly reduced at best…meaning there’d be nothing to live on if she were to work with the recommendations of friends and family.
Instead we discussed alternative strategies, ones with less impact…actually no impact…on her only means of financial support. And her dream of buying a home will come true in only a few more weeks. Now that’s exciting!
Once an accountant thought tax rules and Centrelink rules were interchangeable…they aren’t! They saved their client tens of thousands of dollars in tax and caused untold damage to unsuspecting family members (total loss of financial support, followed by the family being evicted) who agreed to the proposal to save the nephew tax…all because they didn’t understand Centrelink rules. I was called upon to find a way to undo the damage! Thankfully it was possible with some strategic planning and the help of Centrelink staff.
Need a Centrelink strategy?
Be sure your professional knows the rules of Centrelink’s game, otherwise you could get much more than you bargained for!
Talk soon Gayle
