Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Jobs and Innovation) Share this | Hansard source

I think we're now just going round in circles. It's actually quite a simple amendment, and I've already answered this question a number of times. The potential difference between the amount of the jobseeker payment and the amount of the bereavement allowance will be removed. The new system is actually a much better arrangement for those who are bereaved, because those who lose a partner will not now have to go through the process of applying for another payment. They have to do that under the current system. The system that is proposed is streamlined and simplified, and they receive an exemption to support them through their time of bereavement. They then seamlessly move into job search or other mutual obligation activities once the period of exemption ends.