Stimulus payments in the mail

The Federal government’s stimulus cheques will start flowing today.

The Treasurer, Wayne Swan, says families receiving Family Tax Benefit Part A will soon receive bonuses of up to $950, as part of  the government’s nation building package.

More than 1.2 million families will benefit.

The payment will come in the form of a back to school bonus of $950 for each eligible school age child.

Mr Swan said many parents would “certainly welcome” the payment.

“This will assist something like 2.8 million school age children with the costs of the 2009 academic year,” Mr Swan told parliament at question time.

He said, too, that more than 1 million families, who rely on one main income earner, would also begin to receive the single income family bonus of $900.

“All families eligible for Family Tax Benefit Part B, when we announced the Nation Building and Jobs Plan, will receive this bonus,” Swan said.

“The remaining Centrelink bonuses to eligible farmers and students….will be paid on March 24,” he added.

“And, of course, we have a tax bonus for 8.7 million working Australians, which will begin to be paid on March 24,” Swan added.

“These bonuses are a key part of our efforts to support jobs by strengthening demand in the economy so that companies can afford to keep on and employ workers because there is sufficient demand in the economy,” Swan said.

But he said the stimulus payments are not a substitute for the direct government investments which would kick in later this year.