The federal government has announced a permanent lift on the base rate of the JobSeeker payment by $50 a fortnight after the coronavirus supplement ends on March 31st.
From April 1st, the Jobseeker total allowance will be raised to $615.70 a fortnight — equivalent to about $3.50-a-day. Currently, the maximum JobSeeker payment for a single person with no children sits at $565.70. The boost marks the first real increase in over 20 years. It’s still piss fucking all.
Here’s a breakdown of the new welfare rate:
From April 1st:
- JobSeeker recipients will get $620.80 a fortnight
- JobSeeker recipients getting Commonwealth rent assistance will get $760.40 a fortnight
- Single parents with a child under the age of eight will receive $850.20 a fortnight
- People on JobSeeker, over the age of 60, or who care for a child over the age of 8 will receive $676.30 a fortnight, including the energy supplement
The increase in JobSeeker follows the end of the coronavirus supplement. The top-up payment decreased from $125 per week to $75 per week on January 1st and is set to disappear entirely on March 31st. The supplement added an addition $275 per week in the thick of the pandemic between April and September.
On Tuesday morning, Labor leader Anthony Albanese criticised the current JobSeeker payment, emphasising the need to raise what he deems to be an unliveable wage.
“It’s important there be a permanent increase, and that that be done as a matter of urgency to provide certainty to people,” he said. “We don’t have a chance to change the figure today, or next week, or next month,” he said.
“What we have to do is consider what our approach would be as an alternative government.”
Greens senator Rachel Siewert said stressed that a $25 per week is not enough. “It’s a complete and utter joke. it makes a mockery of the government saying that they care about those that are doing it tough in this country.”
