Australians struggling with the cost of living could see welfare payments increase under a bold new plan from the Greens.
“With the cost of living soaring and inflation a looming problem, raising the rate of income support is the urgent economic stimulus that will help xjmtzywlift wages from the bottom up,” Greens leader Adam Bandt said.
“Casual work and job insecurity mean even many workers are living below the poverty line. People are being forced to choose between medical appointments, groceries and rent. We need a universally available safety net where no-one falls through the cracks.”
The proposal, which was fully costed by the Parliamentary Budget Office, would tie Centrelink benefits such as Youth Allowance and Jobseeker to the Melbourne Institute Poverty Lines.
It would raise the figure paid to those on income support payments to $88 per day.
Under the proposal, a single parent could be up to $170 a week better off. A 21-year-old student on Youth Allowance would be $347 better off.
The Greens said the pay boost would be funded through measures such as a billionaire tax and a corporate super profits tax.
It also put the government’s planned stage 3 tax cuts firmly in its sights.
“If Australia has enough in the budget for $62 billion a year in handouts to billionaires and big corporations, it has enough to ensure its citizens aren’t starving,” Senator Janet Rice said.
“By guaranteeing a liveable income for all who need it, and abolishing the broken and punitive mutual obligation requirements, the Greens plan will give every Australian a fair go and stimulate the economy.”
The proposal is set to cost the budget bottom line $88.7bn over the forward estimates.
