Belinda Neal (Robertson, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Families, Housing Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. As this is national Carers Week, how is the government improving support for carers?

Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Robertson for her question and all of her hard work on behalf of carers in her electorate. The member for Robertson is right: this week is Carers Week and it is an opportunity for all of us—in fact, an opportunity for all Australians—to take time to recognise and thank the hundreds of thousands of carers right across Australia who do such a wonderful job caring for people they love, whether it is mums and dads, sons and daughters or grandparents. These are the many, many people who do such an extraordinary job and for many of them it is a seven-day-a-week, 24-hour-a-day job. All of us know that this takes a very significant toll on carers—emotionally and financially and, often, there is a significant physical toll as well.

We as a government have made carers a priority. Just yesterday at the launch of Carers Week I announced that the government does intend to introduce a national carers recognition framework. This is something that carers have been calling for for some time. The framework will recognise in legislation the role played by carers. One of the very important things is that it makes sure that all of us understand and recognise through national legislation the commitment and dedication of so many people who do care in so many different circumstances.

It is important for us to recognise that we have made clear that we understand the need for financial support as well. As part of our major program of reform of the pension we have just delivered a very significant increase in the carer payment, and that has increased support to more than 140,000 carers across the country who are on the carer payment. Those carers who are on the maximum rate of the carer payment—those who are on the single rate—will receive increases of just over $70 a fortnight. That is a very significant improvement for those carers who are on the maximum rate of the single carer payment. In addition we have introduced for the first time an ongoing carer supplement so that carers, whether they are on the carer payment or on the carer allowance, can know with certainty that each year they will get a $600 payment for each of the people they care for.

I have had a number of letters from carers indicating how important these measures have been for them. To quote one carer indicating to me how important it is, she said in her letter:

Both the gesture and the dollars have been a big help to them meeting their ongoing expenses.

Finally, I would draw the attention of the House to the very significant changes we have made to carer payment (child). This is a payment made to carers who are looking after severely disabled children or children with serious medical conditions. Up until 1 July the rules for carer payment (child) were extremely complicated and restrictive. As a result of these changes we expect that around 19,000 extra carers of severely disabled children will now be eligible for carer payment (child). These are very significant changes that the government has made. We will continue to work hard with those who represent carers to do everything we can to support people who are doing such a wonderful job.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On indulgence: I would like to associate the opposition with the minister’s remarks about the importance of carers and acknowledge not only the good work that the minister has done but also the good work that the former government did in adding $1.3 billion to carers bonuses.