Anne Stanley (Werriwa, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Social Services. How will today's indexation of social security payments help Australians on income support manage cost-of-living pressures?

Amanda Rishworth (Kingston, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'd like to thank the member for Werriwa for her question and for the huge amount of advocacy she does for low-paid people in her community.

The government recognises that many Australians are doing it tough at the moment because of cost-of-living pressures, particularly those on fixed incomes. I am very pleased to say today that around five million people will receive a boost to their social security payments as a result of income support indexation. Regular indexation of payments is an important aspect of Australia's social security system. It is there to ensure that the income support payments keep pace. Today's indexation increases mean that there'll be help for those that rely on the safety net to deal with cost-of-living pressures. It means more money in the pockets of those doing it toughest.

From today people on the age pension will receive $1,116 a fortnight for singles and $1,682 a fortnight for couples. Parenting payment single recipients will see an additional $17.50 a fortnight. This includes the more than 77,000 single parents—mainly women—who are also benefiting from the government's decision to expand the eligibility for single parenting payment until their youngest child turns 14. I think the members on the other side will be interested in this: this indexation is in addition to the action this government took at the last budget to boost working age payments by $40 a fortnight—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Cowper is warned.

Amanda Rishworth (Kingston, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

forty dollars that you, on that side of the House, opposed. This base rate boost has been built by two subsequent rounds of indexation for payments like JobSeeker. In fact, the combined result of the $40 increase and the regular indexation since the Albanese government took office means that the base rate of JobSeeker has increased by $120 a fortnight.

Today we're also indexing the rates of Commonwealth rent assistance. This is occurring on top of the government's largest increase in Commonwealth rent assistance in 30 years. This will benefit over a million households.

These payments are just one of the many elements—whether it's help with energy bills, cheaper medicines, cheaper child care, lifting the Medicare levy low-income thresholds, tripling the bulk-billing incentive, expanding the eligibility of the Commonwealth seniors healthcare card, freezing social security deeming rates, expanding paid parental leave and delivering bigger, better tax cuts for working Australians—where this government's getting on with the job.