New Crackdown Will See Parents Pretending To Be Single Parents Facing Jail Time

People�pretending to be single parents�may face jail time�as part of a government crackdown into welfare cheats.

Starting�September next year, parents who have separated will have to find a third party to confirm their reports that their relationship is over,�and witnesses caught making a false declaration could be jailed for up to a year.

This comes after thousands of parents have been caught�pretending to be single for higher welfare payments.

News Corp reported that the Department of Human Services estimates that up to 15,000 people in romantic relationships were incorrectly receiving single-parent payments.

At present, Centrelink recognises marriages, same-sex and de facto relationships and customers with multiple partners. However, it will only pay the single-parent payment where there has been a “physical as well as an emotional separation”.

Single parents are entitled to a base payment of $264.50 a fortnight, which is significantly higher than parents in recognised relationships.

The difference in payments adds up to about�$6800 or more annually.

News Corp added that the government estimates that 7400 parents receiving single-parent benefits will see their benefit reduced, and�a further 7400 more will have their payments axed under the new crackdown.

One woman was already put behind bars and serving two years in prison for falsely claiming around $90,000 in single-parent payments.

Source:�Au.news.yahoo.com

Clare Whitfield Chief Editor

Clare Whitfield is the Editor of Stay at Home Mum and a recognised voice in practical home management for Australian families. Based in the northern suburbs of Sydney, she balances editorial leadership with life as a stay at home mum to two school age children. Her background in home economics and more than a decade of experience in recipe development, family budgeting, and household systems inform her work.

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