‘We pay for your laziness’ – Radio host calls out Aussie couple who live on Centrelink payments
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As the country faces economic hardship, it’s becoming common to see some families having trouble with stretching their budget and making ends meet.
And while people don’t have an issue when it comes to seeing someone rightly receiving Centrelink payments, taxpayers were left outraged by a couple on welfare who appeared on ABC’s 7.30 program last Monday night.
If you tuned in to that story, you might remember Jennifer Searson and Mark Goodrick. The couple, together with their teenage daughter, currently live in Queensland’s Sunshine Coast and rely on Centrelink payments to get by.
According to the report, Mr Goodrick receives a salary from his casual job at the local servo and earns about $1,300 a fortnight. At the same time, Ms Searson is a lab technician who holds certifications in education support and business administration. She also receives a carer’s payment of $971.50 every two weeks for their daughter, who has autism.
‘I don't actually have the energy to say, ''Hey, I'm off to work for 60 hours a week'', so we had to make a decision, but that's not supported. You’re seen as someone who's bludging or taking advantage of the system,’ Mr Goodrick said in the program.
Viewers of the program noticed that the couple spends $350 per week on groceries, with neither Mr Goodrick nor Ms Searson planning to work full-time to pay for their essentials. This sparked outrage among social media users, who said that the family are not in ‘genuine need’.
You can read more details about the couple’s story here.
And now 2GB’s morning show host Ray Hadley recently took aim at the couple, saying that it was ‘unfair’ they live off welfare payments despite having two cars and sending their daughter to a private school.
The radio broadcaster also demanded that taxpayers should get their money back.
‘Here they are claiming they live in poverty,' Mr Hadley said during his radio program.
Mr Hadley continued: ‘There'd be plenty of people listening to this program who do live in poverty, who would be living in their cars, not using two cars to drop their daughter to school then going home and sitting all day.’
The broadcaster also found it ‘offensive’ that the couple were complaining about spending $350 per week on groceries when families with more children have to spend less.
‘You don't have the energy to work 60 hours a week, so instead, we pay for it. We pay for your laziness,’ he criticised.
The radio host didn’t hold back and demanded some of his taxes back.
‘If I'm supporting those people and you're out there working your rings off, we need a reduction. We need our money back,’ he explained before adding that he does not want to help ‘that couple’.
Mr Hadley also did an interview with Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor on Wednesday morning, where he claimed he looked at one job site and found more than 230 jobs looking for cooks and chefs on the Sunshine Coast.
Neither Mr Goodrick nor Ms Searson has worked full-time since moving to Queensland. According to them, they moved so they could live a more ‘affordable life’.
The couple claimed that they were ‘hardworking’, but due to their age, many businesses are unwilling to give them a job.
Ms Searson shared that she applied to work part-time at BIG W three times this year but kept getting rejected.
But Mr Hadley suggested that she go down to the store herself and ask to speak to the manager about her desire to work.
This comes after the government announced an increase in Centrelink payments as part of the federal budget. According to reports, the base rate of JobSeeker and Youth Allowance will rise by $40 a fortnight from September.
Treasure Chalmers said: ‘We understand that there will be people who are saying $40 a fortnight is not enough, there will be some who will be saying it is too much. We think we've struck the right balance between what we can afford and taking into consideration the economic pressures in the economy.'
The eligibility for a higher rate of JobSeeker will also be lowered from 60 to 55, following a rise in the number of older people on the payment. It is understood that around 52,000 Australians aged between 55 to 59 will receive an extra $92.10 every fortnight.
Almost $5 billion will be spent over the next five years to support more than 1.1 million people on income support.
Share your experiences and your thoughts on Mark and Jennifer’s situation in the comments below!
And while people don’t have an issue when it comes to seeing someone rightly receiving Centrelink payments, taxpayers were left outraged by a couple on welfare who appeared on ABC’s 7.30 program last Monday night.
If you tuned in to that story, you might remember Jennifer Searson and Mark Goodrick. The couple, together with their teenage daughter, currently live in Queensland’s Sunshine Coast and rely on Centrelink payments to get by.
According to the report, Mr Goodrick receives a salary from his casual job at the local servo and earns about $1,300 a fortnight. At the same time, Ms Searson is a lab technician who holds certifications in education support and business administration. She also receives a carer’s payment of $971.50 every two weeks for their daughter, who has autism.
The couple faced intense backlash after their segment aired. Credit: Centrelink Australia
‘I don't actually have the energy to say, ''Hey, I'm off to work for 60 hours a week'', so we had to make a decision, but that's not supported. You’re seen as someone who's bludging or taking advantage of the system,’ Mr Goodrick said in the program.
Viewers of the program noticed that the couple spends $350 per week on groceries, with neither Mr Goodrick nor Ms Searson planning to work full-time to pay for their essentials. This sparked outrage among social media users, who said that the family are not in ‘genuine need’.
You can read more details about the couple’s story here.
And now 2GB’s morning show host Ray Hadley recently took aim at the couple, saying that it was ‘unfair’ they live off welfare payments despite having two cars and sending their daughter to a private school.
The radio broadcaster also demanded that taxpayers should get their money back.
‘Here they are claiming they live in poverty,' Mr Hadley said during his radio program.
The family lives in a modern home. Credit: ABC/Twitter
Mr Hadley continued: ‘There'd be plenty of people listening to this program who do live in poverty, who would be living in their cars, not using two cars to drop their daughter to school then going home and sitting all day.’
The broadcaster also found it ‘offensive’ that the couple were complaining about spending $350 per week on groceries when families with more children have to spend less.
‘You don't have the energy to work 60 hours a week, so instead, we pay for it. We pay for your laziness,’ he criticised.
The radio host didn’t hold back and demanded some of his taxes back.
‘If I'm supporting those people and you're out there working your rings off, we need a reduction. We need our money back,’ he explained before adding that he does not want to help ‘that couple’.
Mr Hadley also did an interview with Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor on Wednesday morning, where he claimed he looked at one job site and found more than 230 jobs looking for cooks and chefs on the Sunshine Coast.
Neither Mr Goodrick nor Ms Searson has worked full-time since moving to Queensland. According to them, they moved so they could live a more ‘affordable life’.
The couple claimed that they were ‘hardworking’, but due to their age, many businesses are unwilling to give them a job.
Ms Searson shared that she applied to work part-time at BIG W three times this year but kept getting rejected.
But Mr Hadley suggested that she go down to the store herself and ask to speak to the manager about her desire to work.
This comes after the government announced an increase in Centrelink payments as part of the federal budget. According to reports, the base rate of JobSeeker and Youth Allowance will rise by $40 a fortnight from September.
Treasure Chalmers said: ‘We understand that there will be people who are saying $40 a fortnight is not enough, there will be some who will be saying it is too much. We think we've struck the right balance between what we can afford and taking into consideration the economic pressures in the economy.'
The eligibility for a higher rate of JobSeeker will also be lowered from 60 to 55, following a rise in the number of older people on the payment. It is understood that around 52,000 Australians aged between 55 to 59 will receive an extra $92.10 every fortnight.
Almost $5 billion will be spent over the next five years to support more than 1.1 million people on income support.
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