Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth has revealed pensioners and those on Commonwealth Rent Assistance are set for a timely boost, as indexation bumps up payments by as much as 2.6 per cent.
With many households struggling to cope with soaring cost of living pressures, the Albanese government has undertaken a raft of measures aimed at providing support.
Those on rent assistance are in line for an extra $23, at maximum rates, a product of the budget increase as well as a two per cent boost from indexation.
Speaking to Sky News Australia’s Sunday Agenda, the Social Services Minister hailed the bump in payments before hitting out at the opposition for “disappointing” criticism of the government’s boost to welfare.
“This is real cost of living relief,” she explained.
“It has been disappointing in recent months we’ve seen (shadow treasurer) Angus Taylor question the benefit of this indexation.
“We’re proudly saying indexation is important to ensure those on social security keep up with the cost of living.”
Ms Rishworth argued the shadow treasurer’s claim that welfare boosts were symptomatic of the government’s “unrestrained spending” was incorrect, countering that the changes for some payments were actually helping improve economic conditions.
“Rent assistance, in particular, has downward pressure on inflation, the impact across the board on rents if it had not been for our rent assistance means rents would have actually been higher,” she said.
However, shadow education minister Sarah Henderson hit back at the Social Services Minister’s claims.
Speaking immediately after Ms Rishworth on Sunday Agenda, Senator Henderson argued the government was ultimately responsible for immense cost of living pressures.
“First of all, I would say this is very much business as usual. Indexation, of course, applies twice a year to or welfare payments, it happened under our government,” she said.
“What is not business as usual is the shocking cost of living that so many Australians are suffering, including pensioners.
“The cost of food, the cost of electricity and gas is skyrocketing, and that is such a major issue for every household. And in my portfolio, 3 million Australians have suffered a 16 per cent increase in student debt, which is just appalling.
“That’s only because of Labor’s very high inflation.”
