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Monday May 20, 2013

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Single parent anger at new changes

Posted by: 2UE | 14 January, 2013 - 5:04 PM
Are the political parties letting the voting public down?

Since January 1, people whose youngest child turned 8 are no longer eligible for single parenting payments and moved onto a lower Newstart allowance. Jason Morrison with one parent fighting the move.

An organiser of a protest rally outside Parliament House next month, Samantha Seymour, says the concession card helped her with pharmaceutical, public transport and utility costs.


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The Gillard government has drawn the ire of welfare and community groups by moving single parents onto the Newstart allowance when their youngest child turns eight, regardless of when they started receiving payments.

In 2006, the former Howard government began the process but ensured eligible parents who were already receiving the payments could continue to do so until their youngest child turned 16.

This exemption has now been closed in a bid to save the federal budget more than $700 million over four years.

The move to Newstart will mean the maximum support drops by $65 to about $267 a week. Newstart also has stricter rules about how much additional income a person can earn before the allowance is reduced. (Via SMH).

Blog comments Your Say

  • Johannes further get rid of sperm donation totally, a lot of money for nothing from the public purse, put it towards Blood donation.

    mick Tuesday 15 January, 2013 - 1:48 PM

  • Johannes why are the mothers not paying at all when fathers are custodians of the children, or why should fathers pay the mother and the mother not pay the fathers when it is equal and joint custody. Why is it there is no checking, because the alimony paid is not being spent on the kids.

    mick Tuesday 15 January, 2013 - 1:44 PM

  • If you are going to hit the lowest earners in the country with a reduction like this, then there is absolutely no justification to then give it away to cashed up kids as a first home loaners grant, nor can you justify giving it away as a baby bonus. As a taxpayer, the whole idea is to give our money to people who need it to stay alive, not to people who want babies & houses. Maybe keeping your family safe & fed isn't a primary priority any more. Mind you, be very clear that this wouldn't be happening if there weren't so many scabrous dole cheats. They've partially caused this, so thank them as well.

    Coasty Tuesday 15 January, 2013 - 8:17 AM

  • Contemporaneously these lying commo Labor hypocrites are donating and squandering countless$ billions of dollars [borrowed from communist China] to countries who obviously dislike us but love our money! Thus Labor have no money left for struggling Aussies needing our urgent help.

    www.abortiontruth.com Monday 14 January, 2013 - 8:20 PM

  • Why aren`t the fathers paying their share to the single mothers, even sperm donors snould be required to list their names on their childs birth certificates.
    That`ll stop any unnessacary payments pronto, and the kids will know who their Daddy is.

    Johannes. Monday 14 January, 2013 - 7:28 PM

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