2024-09-20
The Greens say Labor claiming a win on a tiny JobSeeker indexation and a paltry increase to Commonwealth Rent Assistance (CRA) is an insult to the millions of Australians the government is keeping in poverty and housing insecurity.
Today, the combined “increases” from indexation and tinkering to the CRA come into effect. The indexation to JobSeeker amounts to $1.09 a day; for the CRA it’s only a $1.64 rise.
Comments attributable to Greens spokesperson on Social Services, Senator Penny Allman-Payne:
“It shows the disdain Labor has for people on income support that they are calling a paltry increase to Commonwealth Rent Assistance and automatic JobSeeker indexation help.
“The automatic increase from indexation amounts to just $1.09 a day. This is an automated fig leaf for a Labor government that is leaving people in poverty.
“The changes coming into effect today don’t bring JobSeeker anywhere close to the poverty line, let alone enough to live on.
“$1.64 a day increase to rent assistance means next to nothing when average national rents have increased by over $115 a week since this Labor government was elected
“A marginally increased rate of JobSeeker for 4,700 people with an assessed partial capacity of under 14 hours shows how broken this system is. It’s crumbs instead of the real heavy lifting of fixing the Disability Support Pension.
“If Labor is serious about keeping any of their promises instead of paying lip service, the government must raise income support above the poverty line.”