Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek says millions of Australians to benefit from welfare payment changes as new measures announced

Sky News AU

a day ago

Minister for Social Services Tanya Plibersek has revealed sweeping measures in a bid to ease cost of living pressures, with millions of Australians soon set to receive a boost in welfare payments.
A number of rates, limits and thresholds will see a 2.4 per cent increase to 'ensure they keep pace' with cost of living, the minister has announced.
Households collecting Family Tax Benefit Part and Part B payments will be among those covered, with rates to increase to up to $295.82 every fortnight.
More Australians will also be eligible for Paid Parental Leave (PPL), with income limit adjustments among the new measures coming into effect next month.
Ms Plibersek has claimed over 2.4 million people who receive welfare payments will be aided by the changes.
'Indexation keeps payment rates and thresholds in line with the wider economy and makes sure our social security system remains a safety net that Australians can rely on,' a statement from the minister's office said. .
More Australians will also be eligible for Paid Parental Leave (PPL) with income limits among the new measures.
People earning up to $180,007 annually can receive PPL under the new measures, as well as families with a taxable income of up to $373,094 per year.
Ms Plibersek has insisted that tackling cost of living pressures is a top priority for the Albanese government.
'From 1 July, millions of recipients of social security payments will see more money in their bank accounts,' the Social Services Minister said in the announcement.
'Payments like the Family Tax Benefit help cover the costs of raising children for many Australian families, and indexation is a crucial way to help families when cost of living rises.
'Combined with Labor's tax cuts, increased wages, cheaper medicines, cuts to student debt, and energy bill relief, Labor is making a real difference to help ease the cost of living.'
Some of the other changes coming into effect on July 1 include increases to asset limits for JobSeeker Payment, Austudy, and Youth Allowance recipients.
The Albanese government came under heavy criticism over its efforts to mitigate of cost of living pressures in the lead-up to this year's federal election, and Institute of Public Affairs' Colleen Harkin on Tuesday blasted Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for his 'negligence' in addressing the issue when he spoke at the National Press Club earlier that day.
'There was a lot of lofty motherhood statements. It was like reading a Hallmark gift card, really,' Ms Harkin told Sky News Host Rita Panahi regarding the speech.
'...But the problem with this is it's not ambition, it's actually negligence, because the real difference that he can make in people's lives is the coast of living and their energy bills.'