Yahoo Finance Calls for major increase to Centrelink payments: ‘Unnecessary suffering’
The government is being urged to raise Centrelink payments in the May federal budget.
The government is being urged to lift JobSeeker and Youth Allowance payments to at least $76 per day in the upcoming federal budget.
The Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) made the recommendation as part of a pre-budget submission, along with more than 60 other proposals.
The JobSeeker rate is currently around $48 per day. The increase would bring JobSeeker and Youth Allowance in line with Age Pension payments, which are currently $513 per week.
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ACOSS estimated the move would cost $10.5 billion in 2023-24.
“The Labor Government came to power promising that no-one would be left behind. But right now people on income support are skipping meals, foregoing essential medicines and turning off their hot water just to keep a roof over their head,” ACOSS CEO Cassandra Goldie said.
“They cannot wait a second longer for action to alleviate this unnecessary suffering.”
The peak body also recommended scrapping the stage three tax cuts, which it notes will cost $18 billion a year and will “overwhelming benefit” the top 20 per cent of income earners who are mostly men.
Other recommendations included abolishing the private health insurance rebate and fossil fuel subsidies, restricting investment property tax breaks and reducing capital gains tax concessions.
Centrelink payments indexed next week
Aussies will see an increase to welfare payments from March 20, as part of the government’s twice-yearly indexation of payments.
Aussies receiving JobSeeker will see their payments increase from $668.40 to $693.10 a fortnight, based on a single aged over 22 with no children. That’s an increase of $24.70 a fortnight or $1.77 per day.
Aussies receiving the Age Pension, Disability Support Pension, Carer Payment and ABSTUDY payments will also see an increase.
ACOSS has recommended the government to index payments based on either inflation or wages, whichever is higher.
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