More cash for millions of Australians from today as welfare payments rise
More than five million people will have more cash in their pockets from today as welfare payments receive an indexation boost.
Age and disability pensions, rent assistance, carer payments, and JobSeeker payments all increase from today.
Age pensioners will see an increase of $28.10 a fortnight for singles and $42.40 a fortnight for couples.
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Welfare payments will receive an indexation boost from today. Getty Images/iStockphoto
The same increase will apply to the disability support pension and carer payment, taking the total per fortnight, including energy supplement, to $1114.40 for singles and $862.60 for each member of a couple.
Maximum rates of Commonwealth rent assistance will also be increased by 10 per cent from today, with indexation applied on top.
Single recipients, with no children, renting on their own, and receiving the maximum rate will get an additional $23 per fortnight in rent assistance.
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For families with one or two children, their payment will increase by $27.02 per fortnight.
Single JobSeeker recipients with an assessed partial capacity to work of zero to 14 hours per week will move to the higher rate of JobSeeker, receiving $849.50 a fortnight (including the energy supplement and pharmaceutical allowance).
For these recipients moving from the lower to higher rate, this will be an increase of $71.20 a fortnight.
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Parenting payment single recipients are also benefiting from indexation, with their fortnightly payments increasing by $19.80 to $1026.30 a fortnight (including supplements).
"This indexation will deliver timely boosts to people receiving allowance payments and pensions, ensuring that these vulnerable cohorts have more money in their pockets for everyday expenses," Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth said.
A full breakdown of the payment changes can be found here.
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