Post by imajica on Jan 28, 2020 7:52:30 GMT 7
This is insane, cruel treatment to already on the brink of poverty, when will Australians regain some sense of 'a fair go'
Scott Morrison’s welfare shake-up to deliver $2bn saving
Scott Morrison will move to cut overpayments to more than a million welfare recipients under new laws expected to deliver a $2bn budget saving.
Social Services Minister Anne Ruston will on Tuesday argue the “confusing” payments system for welfare recipients will be revamped under legislation to be introduced in the first sitting fortnight of the year.
The proposal is aimed at payments involving 1.2 million welfare recipients who receive benefits on top of the income they earn through employed work by changing the way they report their gross earnings to Centrelink.
The revamp would save $2.1bn over four years by correcting government overpayments occurring under the current system which forces welfare recipients to calculate their employment earnings based on the number of shifts they work and their hourly rate.
The savings move comes as the government’s surplus faces pressure from the impact of the summer bushfire crisis, which has caused extensive property damage, hit the tourism industry and jeopardised the future of small businesses that have lost much of their Christmas trade.
“We want to make sure that Australians who need financial support are able to get the support that they are eligible for — no less and no more,” Senator Ruston said. “The current system of calculating earnings can be confusing and lead to misreporting, especially when accounting for overtime or penalty rates. These changes will make accurate reporting much easier for people getting a social security payment.”
As part of the proposal, the use of online payroll data will be used so welfare recipients have their employment and income details pre-filled like in online tax returns. The pre-filled information can be changed online or on a mobile phone app.
A Newstart recipient with no children can earn up to $104 a week and receive the full welfare payment. Income over this amount, up to $1075 a fortnight, reduces the payment by 40 cents per dollar earned.
The full Austudy, ABSTUDY and Youth Allowance payments are given to recipients earning up to $437 a fortnight.
The full pension is paid to eligible people who earn up to $188.60 a fortnight.
Josh Frydenberg declared last week the government’s promised May surplus was in doubt because of the unknown economic impact of the bushfires.
When asked if a budget surplus was unlikely, the Treasurer said: “I’m not in a position to give a firm answer to that question because the full economic impact (of the bushfires) is still uncertain”.
The Prime Minister this month declared bushfire recovery was more important than the surplus when he unveiled $2bn of spending to assist with the rebuild of communities.
“The surplus is no focus for me,” Mr Morrison said. “What matters to me is the human cost and meeting whatever cost we need to meet.
“What I envisage is guaranteeing to the Australian people at this time of crisis that we will meet every cost that needs to be met, make every investment to assist this crisis and the recovery needs that follow. That is clearly the priority now.”
In the Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook, unveiled last month, future surpluses were downgraded by $21.6bn over the next four years and wound back by $2.1bn this financial year to $5bn. Forecasts for wages and economic growth were downgraded while unemployment was revised up from 5 per cent to 5.25 per cent for 2019-20 and 2020-21.
The Australian reported last October that the Coalition reform agenda to rein in the nation’s social services system had delivered a 10.1 per cent reduction in the future life cost of welfare, driving it down to $5.7 trillion.
The proportion of Australians receiving working-age income support payments has fallen to its lowest level in 30 years, at 14.3 per cent. The overall number of Newstart Allowance recipients fell to 686,328 as more Australians move into the workforce.
www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/scott-morrisons-welfare-shakeup-to-deliver-2bn-saving/news-story/245c36e9b2cfe0fecb11a92e19b60e7d
Scott Morrison’s welfare shake-up to deliver $2bn saving
Scott Morrison will move to cut overpayments to more than a million welfare recipients under new laws expected to deliver a $2bn budget saving.
Social Services Minister Anne Ruston will on Tuesday argue the “confusing” payments system for welfare recipients will be revamped under legislation to be introduced in the first sitting fortnight of the year.
The proposal is aimed at payments involving 1.2 million welfare recipients who receive benefits on top of the income they earn through employed work by changing the way they report their gross earnings to Centrelink.
The revamp would save $2.1bn over four years by correcting government overpayments occurring under the current system which forces welfare recipients to calculate their employment earnings based on the number of shifts they work and their hourly rate.
The savings move comes as the government’s surplus faces pressure from the impact of the summer bushfire crisis, which has caused extensive property damage, hit the tourism industry and jeopardised the future of small businesses that have lost much of their Christmas trade.
“We want to make sure that Australians who need financial support are able to get the support that they are eligible for — no less and no more,” Senator Ruston said. “The current system of calculating earnings can be confusing and lead to misreporting, especially when accounting for overtime or penalty rates. These changes will make accurate reporting much easier for people getting a social security payment.”
As part of the proposal, the use of online payroll data will be used so welfare recipients have their employment and income details pre-filled like in online tax returns. The pre-filled information can be changed online or on a mobile phone app.
A Newstart recipient with no children can earn up to $104 a week and receive the full welfare payment. Income over this amount, up to $1075 a fortnight, reduces the payment by 40 cents per dollar earned.
The full Austudy, ABSTUDY and Youth Allowance payments are given to recipients earning up to $437 a fortnight.
The full pension is paid to eligible people who earn up to $188.60 a fortnight.
Josh Frydenberg declared last week the government’s promised May surplus was in doubt because of the unknown economic impact of the bushfires.
When asked if a budget surplus was unlikely, the Treasurer said: “I’m not in a position to give a firm answer to that question because the full economic impact (of the bushfires) is still uncertain”.
The Prime Minister this month declared bushfire recovery was more important than the surplus when he unveiled $2bn of spending to assist with the rebuild of communities.
“The surplus is no focus for me,” Mr Morrison said. “What matters to me is the human cost and meeting whatever cost we need to meet.
“What I envisage is guaranteeing to the Australian people at this time of crisis that we will meet every cost that needs to be met, make every investment to assist this crisis and the recovery needs that follow. That is clearly the priority now.”
In the Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook, unveiled last month, future surpluses were downgraded by $21.6bn over the next four years and wound back by $2.1bn this financial year to $5bn. Forecasts for wages and economic growth were downgraded while unemployment was revised up from 5 per cent to 5.25 per cent for 2019-20 and 2020-21.
The Australian reported last October that the Coalition reform agenda to rein in the nation’s social services system had delivered a 10.1 per cent reduction in the future life cost of welfare, driving it down to $5.7 trillion.
The proportion of Australians receiving working-age income support payments has fallen to its lowest level in 30 years, at 14.3 per cent. The overall number of Newstart Allowance recipients fell to 686,328 as more Australians move into the workforce.
www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/scott-morrisons-welfare-shakeup-to-deliver-2bn-saving/news-story/245c36e9b2cfe0fecb11a92e19b60e7d
