Albanese government plans to give very small raise to over 55s, potentially excluding young people. Source: Nick-D, Wikimedia Commons
The Albanese government will reportedly give a very small raise to jobseeker payments for Australians aged over 55, leaving behind struggling young people.
The government’s “modest raise” to jobseeker (currently $50 per day) for those over 55 would leave more than 680,000 others on jobseeker or youth allowance behind.
This decision has sparked anger in many, including both young and older people trying to survive on jobseeker, as well as social service organisations.
Kristin O’Connell, a spokesperson for Antipoverty Centre, said, “Restricting an increase in JobSeeker to people of a certain age is really an attempt to divide us and to encourage people to think that there are ‘deserving’ and ‘undeserving’ welfare recipients.”
“This is really making people who may receive a small increase feel awful about the fact that may come, while others are getting no additional help at all.
“It’s really unfair.”
Cassandra Goldie, CEO of the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) said the government’s decision would leave “around four in five people struggling to survive on the woefully inadequate JobSeeker and related payments would be left behind.”
“We estimate that at least two thirds of people who are long-term unemployed would not benefit from last night’s speculation about an increase only being proposed for those over 55,” Dr Goldie said.
Dr Goldie and ACOSS is calling for all social payments to be increased to $76 per day.
“Until JobSeeker, Youth Allowance and related payments are substantially increased for all, we will continue to see people going without food and essential medication as well as being unable to afford to keep a roof over their head,” Dr Goldie said.
