CMODHCC

The Federal Government says Opposition treasury spokesman Joe Hockey has been caught out wrongly claiming the mining tax is paying for the schoolkids bonus.

The Coalition wants to ditch the schoolkids bonus lump sum payment.

Mr Hockey told Insiders the bonus is paid for by a tax that would not exist under a Coalition government.

"It's funded by the mining tax and there is no mining tax," he said.

But Families Minister Jenny Macklin says Mr Hockey has been caught out because the mining revenue will not directly pay for the schoolkids bonus, instead it is funded out of general revenue.