Single mum cries out for help amidst budget changes: ‘What am I going to do?’
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During ABC’s Q&A program on Monday, a mother who is currently unemployed and relying on Centrelink benefits expressed her concerns regarding the upcoming changes in the Federal Budget promises for parents.
Jessica Blowers explained that she would no longer be eligible for the Single Parent Payment once her daughter turns eight in August. This will make it difficult for her to manage her finances, especially with an impending rent increase.
Currently, single parents can claim the Parenting Payment of $949.30 every fortnight until their youngest child turns eight. However, as part of the Federal Budget, the age limit for the payment will increase to when the youngest child is 14 in September.
Unfortunately, Ms Blowers falls into a gap where she will lose the payment for a month since her daughter's 8th birthday is four weeks before the new rules come into effect.
Ms Blowers will also be facing a rent increase during this period from $900 to $960 every fortnight. During the Q&A program, she expressed her concern and asked the Treasurer about her options.
She said, 'What am I going to do? What is my choice, other than I am doing my best to get a job so that I can keep a house over my daughter's head.'
Ms Blowers raised concerns about the challenging job market where she faces stiff competition, with more than 100 other candidates applying for the same positions. She expressed uncertainty about how she could effectively compete against such a large pool of applicants for a single job.
She also requested information on the government's plans to address the gap that she and other parents in similar situations will encounter. Ms Blowers explained that due to high rent costs, she has limited options and nowhere else affordable to relocate within her city.
In response, Treasurer Jim Chalmers empathised with Ms Blowers and acknowledged that individuals like her were the driving force behind the decision to extend the age limit from eight to 14. He explained that the government recognised the immense pressure faced by single parents.
However, the Treasurer emphasised that implementing the new system earlier than September 20 was not feasible. 'We think September is the soonest that we can do it,' he explained.
He shared that the government had made efforts to introduce the changes as soon as possible and acknowledged the inconvenience caused by the transition period from the current payment to JobSeeker and then back to the single parenting payment.
'I would love to avoid that if we could, but what we're trying to do is provide this extra assistance that you need and deserve. If we could avoid those couple of weeks, we would, but September is the best we can do,' he went on to say.
Dr Chalmers assured Ms Blowers that the government aimed to provide the additional assistance she needed and deserved, even though it meant a temporary adjustment period.
You can watch the full episode of ABC’s Q&A program here in the video below, and the conversation with Ms Blowers starts at the 9:00 time mark:
Credit: abcqanda.
During an appearance on Paul Murray Live, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton expressed concerns that the Federal Budget did not offer enough support for middle-class Australians struggling with the increasing cost of living.
He reiterated the sentiment that the budget offered little for these individuals, stating: 'It didn't take the Australian public too long to work out, once they cut through all the spin and Jim Chalmers charm offensive, there's not much there for them.'
Mr Dutton further expressed worries that the Labor Party's policies could create a working poor in Australia, leaving millions of Australians without any support. He said: 'For millions of Australians, I really worry that Labor is creating a working poor. They're saying to many Australians, “We don't have any support for you.”'
He also emphasised that families were facing higher electricity and gas bills, and interest rates would remain high for longer and that these were all issues that Labor had failed to provide solutions to.
'Interest rates are staying up higher for longer, and the fact that people are paying more and more and more for their electricity and gas bills. That's all Labor's making, yet they don't have any solutions for families,' he stated.
Hearing about these everyday struggles is a harsh reminder of the reality faced by many of us. It's important that our government offers practical solutions to help bridge such gaps and provide the vital support that vulnerable families need.
Let's hope that stories like Ms Blowers’ will prompt authorities to reconsider their policies and act swiftly to alleviate the burden on those who need it most.
What are your thoughts on this story? Let us know in the comments.
Jessica Blowers explained that she would no longer be eligible for the Single Parent Payment once her daughter turns eight in August. This will make it difficult for her to manage her finances, especially with an impending rent increase.
Currently, single parents can claim the Parenting Payment of $949.30 every fortnight until their youngest child turns eight. However, as part of the Federal Budget, the age limit for the payment will increase to when the youngest child is 14 in September.
Unfortunately, Ms Blowers falls into a gap where she will lose the payment for a month since her daughter's 8th birthday is four weeks before the new rules come into effect.
The mother fears she won't be able to pay her rent when her daughter turns eight in August, as the payment increase does not kick in until September. Credit: Unsplash/Krzysztof Kowalik.
Ms Blowers will also be facing a rent increase during this period from $900 to $960 every fortnight. During the Q&A program, she expressed her concern and asked the Treasurer about her options.
She said, 'What am I going to do? What is my choice, other than I am doing my best to get a job so that I can keep a house over my daughter's head.'
Ms Blowers raised concerns about the challenging job market where she faces stiff competition, with more than 100 other candidates applying for the same positions. She expressed uncertainty about how she could effectively compete against such a large pool of applicants for a single job.
She also requested information on the government's plans to address the gap that she and other parents in similar situations will encounter. Ms Blowers explained that due to high rent costs, she has limited options and nowhere else affordable to relocate within her city.
In response, Treasurer Jim Chalmers empathised with Ms Blowers and acknowledged that individuals like her were the driving force behind the decision to extend the age limit from eight to 14. He explained that the government recognised the immense pressure faced by single parents.
However, the Treasurer emphasised that implementing the new system earlier than September 20 was not feasible. 'We think September is the soonest that we can do it,' he explained.
He shared that the government had made efforts to introduce the changes as soon as possible and acknowledged the inconvenience caused by the transition period from the current payment to JobSeeker and then back to the single parenting payment.
'I would love to avoid that if we could, but what we're trying to do is provide this extra assistance that you need and deserve. If we could avoid those couple of weeks, we would, but September is the best we can do,' he went on to say.
Dr Chalmers assured Ms Blowers that the government aimed to provide the additional assistance she needed and deserved, even though it meant a temporary adjustment period.
You can watch the full episode of ABC’s Q&A program here in the video below, and the conversation with Ms Blowers starts at the 9:00 time mark:
Credit: abcqanda.
During an appearance on Paul Murray Live, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton expressed concerns that the Federal Budget did not offer enough support for middle-class Australians struggling with the increasing cost of living.
He reiterated the sentiment that the budget offered little for these individuals, stating: 'It didn't take the Australian public too long to work out, once they cut through all the spin and Jim Chalmers charm offensive, there's not much there for them.'
Mr Dutton further expressed worries that the Labor Party's policies could create a working poor in Australia, leaving millions of Australians without any support. He said: 'For millions of Australians, I really worry that Labor is creating a working poor. They're saying to many Australians, “We don't have any support for you.”'
He also emphasised that families were facing higher electricity and gas bills, and interest rates would remain high for longer and that these were all issues that Labor had failed to provide solutions to.
'Interest rates are staying up higher for longer, and the fact that people are paying more and more and more for their electricity and gas bills. That's all Labor's making, yet they don't have any solutions for families,' he stated.
Hearing about these everyday struggles is a harsh reminder of the reality faced by many of us. It's important that our government offers practical solutions to help bridge such gaps and provide the vital support that vulnerable families need.
Let's hope that stories like Ms Blowers’ will prompt authorities to reconsider their policies and act swiftly to alleviate the burden on those who need it most.
What are your thoughts on this story? Let us know in the comments.
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