Aussie dead receive tax bonuses

CANBERRA: Thousands of dead Australians landed windfall cash payments to help stimulate the recession-hit economy, while thousands of others living overseas also received money, the government said yesterday.

The money was paid out as part of a stimulus package worth A$52 billion ($41 billion) since September as the country slid into recession and the government forecast unemployment would double to one million by late next year.

Most Australian taxpayers received a bonus of up to 900 Australian dollars ($700) in the past two months.