Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the extension of the JobSeeker supplement at a reduced rate until 28 March 2021. It is hoped that this would give a small boost to more than 1.5 million Australians left jobless by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The $250 supplement had been scheduled to expire on 31 December, bringing JobSeeker payments to $565 per fortnight for single unemployed people.
The supplement’s extension is believed to have been approved by the federal government’s expenditure review committee last week.
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The Australian Council of Social Services (ACOSS) had been pushing for the government to increase the payment by $95 per week before the pandemic, stating that the fortnightly payment of $565 was not enough to pay for essentials and resulted in welfare recipients skipping meals.
On 25 September, the supplement had been reduced to $250, bringing the single rate down to $815 per fortnight until 31 December.
