Single and disability pension recipients are set to receive an extra $37.50 per fortnight from March 20. The welfare payments are being boosted to match inflation as part of bi-yearly indexation, bringing their fortnightly rate to $1,064.
Carers will also receive an additional $37.50 per fortnight, while pensioner couples will receive an extra $56.40 which brings their fortnightly payment to $1,604.
Payments for single parents are set to rise by $33.90 which brings the fortnightly total to $967.90, while JobSeeker and ABSTUDY recipients will increase by $24.70 which brings the fortnightly total to $701.90 for recipients over the age of 22.
Commonwealth Rent Assistance is also set for a meager increase of $5.60 for singles, $6.58 for recipients with two children, and $7.42 for families with three or more children.
Help for families is desperate-where is it or is it coming?
What a disgrace. Pensioners will need alot more than those increases. Should be for a couple at least 100 dollars a fortnight as the rate of food as gone up from paying for eg weekly 150 dollars now paying 230. 80 dollars more weekly . Come on you greedy government some of us pensioners have been working and paying tax since we were 15 years old. We deserve more.
It would be nice if we did get that extra money. But every time we do get a pay rise in the pension the place where I reside puts up there daily fees & the chemists put up the price of medication & we end up no better off.