Labor has voted down Greens amendments to the workforce incentives bill which would have extended the work bonus to jobseeker and DSP recipients in addition to aged pensioners, enabling them to earn more before their payments are cut.
Greens spokesperson for social services and government services, Senator Janet Rice, said:
“We all know the rate of income support is too low. People are being forced to survive on starvation payments below the poverty line. If Labor isn’t going to raise the rate, the least they could do is allow people to work more before losing their income support.
“Poverty is a political choice, and in a cost of living crisis, Labor has refused to make a concrete difference to the lives of those struggling the most.
“If Parliament can enable those on the aged pension to earn more before losing their income support, then why can’t we do it for people on Youth Allowance, Jobseeker and the DSP?”