One-off cash payments included in this year’s federal budget should become available to about six million Australians from April 28.
The $250 payments come as part of the Morrison government’s $8.6bn package of temporary measures to address cost of living pressures including rising commodity prices.
This package formed the centrepiece of this year’s pre-election budget, doubling as a sweetener for voters who the Morrison government needs to win over to be returned to power at the imminent federal election.
The federal government has said the $250 payments will be available to concession card holders, pensioners and people who receive welfare payments from Centrelink or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.
Services Australia says eligible people don’t need to apply as the cost of living payment will be distributed automatically.
The department says payments will start from April 28, subject to legislation, with recipients to receive a letter confirming the payment has been made.
The Australian Council of Social Service has welcomed the payments but continued its call for the federal government to raise the rate of Jobseeker payments for the unemployed.
“The budget does nothing to lift the incomes of people with the least,” ACOSS chief executive offxjmtzywicer Cassandra Goldie said.
“If you’re living on $46 a day, this payment will help for a week or two, but people have to pay the rent 52 weeks a year.”
The Morrison government also promised more than 10 million Australians a tax break as part of the federal budget.
The low and middle-income tax offset (LMITO) will be topped up with an additional $420 rebate for people earning up to $126,000 a year.
Low and middle-income earners had been able to save up to $1080 under LMITO and the payments will now increase to up to $1500 depending on how much each person earns.
The rebates under the LMITO — which will end at the conclusion of this financial year — taper off to zero at a taxable income of $126,000.
