Dave Sharma (Wentworth, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme and Minister for Government Services. Will the minister outline to the House how the Morrison government is supporting Australians through the coronavirus pandemic?

Stuart Robert (Fadden, Liberal Party, Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Wentworth for his question and for the hard work he's doing in his community to support Australians in a very difficult time. Can I thank all members who are, in their own way, seeking out to serve their individual constituents. It's extraordinarily heartening to see the whole House operating like that.

The Morrison government is quite rightly supercharging our safety net in these extraordinarily difficult times. The new time-limited coronavirus supplement being paid at $550 a fortnight is a great example. It means anyone eligible for the maximum jobseeker payment will now receive more than $1,100 a fortnight, effectively doubling the jobseeker payment for the next six months. They'll receive that on top of their current payment each fortnight, flowing from 27 April.

In addition to effectively doubling the jobseeker payment through the introduction of this supplement, we're also expanding eligibility and waiving elements of means testing, including the liquid asset waiting period, the ordinary waiting period and the asset means testing, and adjusting the taper rate for partner access so that people can gain access to jobseeker even though their partner earns upwards of $80,000 per annum. The intent is to assist Australians who ordinarily wouldn't have eligibility to access these payments.

Last night we completed the vast bulk, over 90 per cent, of the $4.5 billion in $750 payments through to six million Australians 10 days ahead of schedule. A further $750 will be paid in July. On Friday last week I announced a pause on all social services debt raising and recovery, again, to assist Australians. All those workers within Services Australia have now been redeployed to processing and call centre activities.

Likewise, on 21 March, the Disability Reform Council for the NDIS announced over $1.1 billion worth of measures to assist the sector; some 470 providers have taken up the option to get one month's advance payment on their provider or supplier costs to $587 million; and a 10 per cent loading has been added to core supports at $512 million. Plans have been able to be extended for 24 months, and we're currently in the process of calling over 40,000 vulnerable Australians with NDIS plans to ensure their safety, wellbeing and ongoing management. Tomorrow the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee advisory group will seek to deliver a response plan focusing on the unique health needs of people with disability to implement immediately following the disability advisory group being added to that.

I want to assure all Australians that the Morrison government is absolutely committed to supporting them in what is a very difficult time for the country.