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To: Federal Treasurer, Josh Frydenberg

Stop the cuts to JobKeeper, JobSeeker & Youth Allowance

*NO REDUCTION TO JOBSEEKER RATE!
*EXPAND JOBKEEPER - DON'T CUT IT!

We oppose the savage cuts to JobSeeker & JobKeeper.

Instead of cutting back JobKeeper, the government should be expanding it to include the many casual and migrant workers on temporary visas who have not been eligible, and workers in sectors like higher education, who do not qualify.

Instead of cutting the JobSeeker rate , they should make the current rate permanent.

At the same time establishing a massive program of public jobs to give people work and provide the services we need to cope with this health crisis and reorganise society to cope in a radically different world.

Instead of removing what supports do exist, the government should be introducing measures like, for example, pandemic pay, to make sure workers don’t sacrifice income when they are forced to isolate while waiting for COVID test results. Many casual workers are without any sick leave entitlements.

Unemployment is surging. These cuts will only make things worse for millions of unemployed workers and workers in industries hit hard by the crisis.

Why is this important?

The Liberal Government has announced that from 28 September the coronavirus supplement for JobSeeker recipients will be cut from $550 per fortnight to $250. This will leave at least 1.3 million unemployed workers surviving on as little as $815 a fortnight. This rate is only guaranteed til December when further cuts are expected. Young people on Youth Allowance will be forced to survive on even less.

The Liberal government will also reduce JobKeeper to $1200 per fortnight in October, and to $750 per fortnight for people working less than 20 hours per week or who work multiple part time jobs. From next year, it will drop again to $1000, and $650 for those working less than 20 hours per week.

An estimated 1.2 million people will no longer be on JobKeeper after September. Many will be forced onto JobSeeker. This will increase the number of people living below the poverty line in Australia.

Scott Morrison and Josh Frydenberg have tried to pitch this announcement as the government continuing to support workers in this crisis. It’s a lie. These measures will hugely exacerbate the economic crisis facing millions of Australian families. Many workers who are already struggling to survive on a payment roughly equivalent to the minimum wage. With these cuts many will be unable to meet rent or mortgage payments, or repayments on the substantial debt that many have built up over the course of this crisis.

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Updates

2020-08-03 17:12:29 +1000

500 signatures reached

2020-07-21 21:00:42 +1000

100 signatures reached

2020-07-21 18:16:25 +1000

50 signatures reached

2020-07-21 16:55:29 +1000

25 signatures reached

2020-07-21 16:27:02 +1000

10 signatures reached