Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Hansard source

Today, sadly, we have seen Australians lining up at Centrelink offices across our nation as this crisis deepens. We have put in place an unprecedented safety net to cushion Australians from this crisis. The government is temporarily expanding eligibility to income support payments and establishing a new, time-limited coronavirus supplement to be paid at a rate of $550 per fortnight. This will be paid to both existing and new recipients of the jobseeker payment, youth allowance, the parenting payment, the farm household allowance and the special benefit. The coronavirus supplement will be paid for the next six months. Eligible income support recipients will receive the full amount of the $550 coronavirus supplement on top of their payment each fortnight. In addition to the $750 stimulus payment announced on 12 March 2020, the government will provide a further $750 payment to social security and veterans' income support recipients and eligible concession card holders. The government will also allow individuals facing financial stress to access up to $10,000 of their super. (Time expired)