There is talk that the basic rate of Jobseeker will rise when the government make their announcement on 23rd July.
Aged Pensioners are wondering if the Jobseeker benefit will then become higher than the Aged pension, or will that also rise by the same percentage.
March 2020 Jobseeker Fortnightly Rates:.
- $565.70 Single, no children. ($40.40 per day)
- $510.80 Partnered (Each). ($36.49 per day)
March 2020 Aged Pension Fortnightly Rates:.
- $944.30 Single. ($67.45 per day)
- $711.80 Partnered (Each). ($50.84 per day)
Aged Pension for a single person is currently 67% higher than Jobseeker, but only 39% higher for each partner in a couple.
That raises another question, why the big difference between the 39% and 67%.
Anglicare Southern Queensland is calling for the Australian Government’s temporary COVID-19 welfare increases to be made permanent and extended to aged pensioners and people with a disability.(anglicanfocus.org.au)