The Treasurer was faced with the harsh reality families are dealing with during a panel on Monday night, with a single mum relying on the parenting payment flagging an issue with a budget measure.
Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth says the government’s boost to the single-parent payment threshold will ensure parents have the “safety net” they need.
Jessica Blowers on Monday told the Treasurer on ABC’s Q&A program she will struggle to pay her rent when she is forced off the Single Parent Payment for a month when her daughter turns eight-years-old in August and is then moved onto JobSeeker.
The Albanese government announced in last week’s budget it would increase the age cut off for the Single Parenting Payment from 8 to 14, with an increase of $176.90 per fortnight to $922.10, but it does not kick in until September.
This would leave Ms Blowers with a one month gap where the struggling mother-of-one would be placed on the lower JobSeeker rate and fearing she will be unable to pay rent, which has also increased from $910 to $960 every two weeks.
Single mum Jessica Blowers has confronted Treasurer Jim Chalmers on the Q&A program where she revealed her fear of not being able to pay rent due to a flaw in a budget measure. Picture: ABC
“That’s a whole month I won’t be able to pay my rent because the payment of JobSeeker won’t be enough to cover it. I would like to know what measures the government has in place to bridge the gap,” she asked Mr Chalmers.
The Treasurer, who is on a national tour this week to sell the budget’s cost of living measures to families, said the government made the move as it recognised the ongoing pressure many single parents were facing after Labor previously slashed the welfare.
“What we tried to do is bring that change in as soon as possible. We think September is the soonest we can do it,” he said in response to Ms Blowers.
“I understand that means a few week for you going from the current payment onto JobSeeker and back on to single parenting payment, I’d like to avoid that if we could.”
Mr Chalmers on Monday night tried to reassure the young mum the government was doing its best to support those struggling, but he flagged September was the earliest date for the new changes to Single Parenting Payment to kick in. Picture: ABC
She flagged her “entire pension” went to paying the rent as she lived off Family Tax Benefit A and B per fortnight.
Her biggest issue is the rent rise, which meant she would not be able to pay for a roof over her young daughter’s head.
Ms Blowers also flagged she had been trying to apply for jobs, but was told by the employer more than 100 had applied in some instances.
“What can I do? What is my choice? I’m doing my best to get a job so I can keep a house over my daughter’s head,” she said, as she almost broke down into tears.
“For four weeks I don’t know what that looks like for me and others in my position. I want my government to have a strategy in place for that gap to be bridged. This is your policy… it needs to be thought all the way through.”
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Mr Chalmers said the government was providing other measures, such as $500 energy relief and Commonwealth Rent Assistance for New South Wales residents.
The host flagged the rent relief also did not kick in until September.
“So much of what we tried to do on Tuesday night is to provide extra help for people in your situation. I do genuinely understand you would rather that help sooner. September from our point of view was the earliest we can do,” the Treasurer repeated.
“The parenting payment single is an important change but not the only one you will benefit from, energy bill relief, Commonwealth Rent Assistance, cheaper medicines as well. We will be there for you and do what we can to help you.”
Labor is creating a ‘working poor’ Australia: Peter Dutton
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton on Paul Murray Live continued to reiterate the budget offered little for Middle Class Australians struggling with the rising cost of living.
“It didn’t take the Australian public too long to work out, once they cut through all the spin and Jim Chalmers charm offensive, there’s not much there for them,” he told Sky News Australia host Paul Murray on Monday night.
“For millions of Australians, I really worry that Labor is creating a working poor.
“They’re saying to many Australians, ‘we don’t have any support for you’.”
“Interest rates are staying up higher for longer, and the fact that people are paying more and more and more for their electricity and gas bills.
“That’s all Labor’s making yet they don’t have any solutions for families.”