Looks like their consideration of the coronavirus support package has been a bit too rushed to get it right.

From what I see the unemployment payment is now going to be a fair bit higher than the single aged pension. The doley down the road, who hasn't worked in a decade or more, will be getting $167 more a fortnight than his pensioner neighbor who worked all his life to earn his pension.

Looks like they need to go back to the drawing board to correct such anomalies.

It's my understanding that only people put our of work by the China virus will be automatically entitled to welfare. I don't think people already on the dole will be getting extra; just as only those put out of work - not those still working - should be getting mortgage relief. I hope that's right.

I hope that's right.
ttbn,
I hope so also ! They need to do very careful checks & anyone caught out fiddling the system should be harshly dealt with.
Also, talking to my old friend, the subject of assets must be sorted. Many pensioners have accumulated commodities over the years which are now worthless & should therefore not be counted as assets but rather deemed liabilities or of no value.
My friend has a boat which he's been trying sell for several years but no buyers. Yet he can't access the pension because the "value" of his boat puts him over the edge.
That boat hasn't been an asset for years & is even less worth now !

Hasbeen, there's no need for bashing people on welfare. A member of my family has been on Newstart for 8 years; 2 years before that on medical pension; 3 months before that in ICU. He is lucky to be alive. He works in the gig economy, casual jobs a month here, two months there. He's picked up 2 extra qualifications, but his age, 50, his medical history and the limits that places on the kind of work he can do, mean he'll never get a fulltime or even a regular casual job. He hates the situation but what alternative is there? You cannot possibly know the circumstances of the people you label as dole bludgers.

Cossomby I am sure there are many long term unemployed, particularly the older who lose their jobs, or younger with no experience who do find getting a job very hard, or almost impossible.

However in this district, an out of the way area with cheep rents, there are probably as many who pick up a bit of cash in hand work, plus the dole, & most definitely don't want a job. The city is moving out to join us, rents are rising, & we see less unemployable today, but we still have them.

My lady handled the long term,[over 2 years], unemployed case book for a charity job placement organisation. A real bleeding heart before this, she had to admit that a very large minority of that case book would do almost anything to avoid an actual job.

I do believe that an awful lot of people will lose their jobs now, many by necessary government edict. Many will not return when things get better. These should be supported, as should be genuine job seekers, but we need to keep a watch for the growing number of bludgers in our society.

Meanwhile, pensioners should receive at least the dole equivalent.

Dear Hasbeen,

It really is time to give it a break mate. You are unlikely to get a skerrick less because some unemployed person is getting a bit more to get them through this period. You will be fine on that score so how about a bit of generosity of spirit? Doesn't cost you anything.