The Central Coast will be one of the hardest hit regions as the Federal Government’s cuts to the Coronavirus Supplement for people on JobSeeker, Youth Allowance and parenting payments kick in this month, according to the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS).
Stats provided by the Service reveal that in the Robertson electorate, there are currently 12,348 people receiving these payments, an increase of 87 per cent since December 2019.
As at July 2020, there were just 966 jobs advertised in the Central Coast and Gosford area and cutting the supplement by $150 a week from September 25 will remove an estimated $1.8M per week from the local economy.
The Service says that analysis by Deloitte Access Economics shows that regions which have traditionally relied on the tourism and service sectors for employment, including the Central Coast, will be some of the hardest hit, due to rapid job losses as visitor numbers have fallen.
“Delivering a permanent and adequate increase to the JobSeeker payment is one of the most effective ways to inject dollars into regional communities” ACOSS CEO Cassandra Goldie said.
“The old Newstart rate (rebranded Jobseeker) was effectively doubled when the Federal Government brought in the temporary Coronavirus Supplement in March.
“The Government cut the Coronavirus Supplement on September 25, reducing incomes of people on JobSeeker by $300 per fortnight.
“We’re calling on the Government to move quickly to legislate a permanent, adequate JobSeeker rate that means people can cover the basics.”
Source:
Media release, Sep 30
Australian Council of Social Service