2016-06-13
Eyeing off the carers payment as a way to plug up the budget is another short-sighted and unfair attack on vulnerable Australians by the Coalition, Australian Greens Senator Rachel Siewert said today.
“It is disappointing to see the Government effectively laying the foundation to carve away at the Carers payments like they have the Disability Support Pension.
“We know tightening up eligibility of the DSP unfairly forced people off a payment that kept them above the poverty line onto the Newstart payment forcing many into poverty. We also know those on the DSP that had the courage to appeal the decision in many cases got put back onto the DSP.
“It is absurd that on one hand the Government is rolling out the NDIS but then on the other has made life tougher for those on the DSP and carers.
“Our carers in Australia are unsung heroes that do a momentous amount of work looking after their loved ones. It is baffling that the Coalition is happy to punish them to balance the books. It is also a false economy as carers provide billions of dollars of care that the Government would otherwise have to pay for.
“To say there is ‘clear room to move’ is an assertion that would hurt those who receive the payment to care for their loved ones. The Government can easily find savings by addressing tax breaks including negative gearing and other tax breaks that benefit the very wealthy”.