Earn
Victorians offered support of up to $500 per week for lockdown duration
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has detailed plans to help Victorians struck by the latest COVID lockdown, which has seen many out of work with the forced closure of hospitality venues and retailers.
Victorians offered support of up to $500 per week for lockdown duration
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has detailed plans to help Victorians struck by the latest COVID lockdown, which has seen many out of work with the forced closure of hospitality venues and retailers.
Scott Morrison has announced financial support for Victorians who ordinarily work 20 hours or more per week, after the Victorian state government called on the PM for aid.
Mr Morrison said the federal government will be enacting a temporary COVID disaster payment, which will see Victorians pocket up to $500 per week.
“That will be a payment of $500 for those who would ordinarily work 20 [hours] or more a week. $325 for those who would work under 20 hours a week,” Mr Morrison said.
In order to be eligible for the payment, the person has to reside or work in Commonwealth-defined hotspot and must be unable to attend work due to the COVID restriction.
They must be older than 17 and a permanent resident or on a worker’s visa. Recipients also can’t be receiving another form of income or pandemic support and must have liquid assets of less than $10,000.
This system of support is expected to form a new part of the government’s national framework for circumstances where there are lockdowns imposed by state, public or health orders.
“Those arrangements will provide support for periods of time where the lockdown has been greater than seven days.
“So, the first seven days, they are matters entirely for state and territory governments, as they wish to provide support,” Mr Morrison said.
The PM conceded that he has no idea how much the new disaster payment will cost.
“We have no way of knowing what it will cost.
“No estimate, same with every other disaster payment”
How to apply?
People can apply for the payments from Centrelink from Monday, via a similar process used during a national disaster such as bushfires or floods.
“We are using the disaster payment mechanism because of its agility and speed to be able to provide dignity and respect to those who have been impacted,” Emergency Services Minister David Littleproud said.
“Centrelink is ready to go, and they will have their people ready to move on Tuesday morning so that these dollars can hit people’s accounts as quickly as possible.”
Greater Melbourne is currently listed as a coronavirus hotspot, meaning regional Victorians are excluded from the payment.
‘Tokenistic support’
As reactions roll in, the Australian Council of Trade Union was one of the first to issue a statement, referring to Morrison’s announcement as “tokenistic support”.
The ACTU argued that not only is the payment a third less than the national minimum wage, it will not keep people in contact with their employer during the lockdown so that they have a job to go back to.
“This payment will leave working people with nothing for a full week before a restricted number are able to access a small support payment, a third below the minimum wage and half the standard disaster relief payment, which will not secure their employment,” said ACTU president Michele O’Neil.
“The Morrison government has been opposing calls for a JobKeeper 2 wage subsidy for more than a week. The payment that has been announced is no replacement for a wage subsidy available fast to everyone effected, which would keep working people attached to their jobs through a lockdown,” Ms O’Neil said.
‘Bringing JobKeeper back is not an easy task’
However, according to accounting experts, bringing JobKeeper back is not as easy as some may believe.
“It would require an act of Parliament to extend,” Tony Greco, general manager of technical policy at the IPA said.
“Remember, any changes apply nationally and therefore cannot be ring-fenced to Victoria, so you are letting everyone in who qualifies around the country,” he explained.
As such, Mr Greco noted, JobKeeper eligibility is difficult to reshape to cater for a temporary lockdown that does not apply to all sectors.
About the author
About the author
Earn
Top firm says five factors are fuelling the Great Resignation
According to PwC, the Great Resignation is showing no signs of slowing down. ...Read more
Earn
Most voters believe JobSeeker rate should be lifted
Nearly half of Aussies said they would likely vote for a candidate who promised to lift the JobSeeker payment above the poverty line. ...Read more
Earn
Should Australia’s minimum wage be lifted?
With the cost of living being a central focus of this election campaign, both major parties are in disagreement over wage increases. ...Read more
Earn
New research claims over 300,000 Australian households have 'no financial safety net'
New research has been released. ...Read more
Earn
Are property investors pushing prices higher?
The average price for investment properties was found to be nearly $170,000 below the mean national property price. ...Read more
Earn
Almost a quarter of full-time workers are considering leaving their current job
Younger workers are the most likely to be thinking about quitting. ...Read more
Earn
Young people are leading the great resignation
Almost a third of Gen Z and Millennial workers are actively seeking a new role. ...Read more
Earn
Women earn up to 37% less than men in the gig economy
A report commissioned by the Victorian government has examined inequality in the on-demand economy. ...Read more
Wrapping up an eventful 2021
Listen now
What Omicron means for property, and are units right for first-time buyers? What is equity crowdfunding? Are industry super funds tapping into member funds to save their skins?
Listen now
Will housing affordability improve in 2022? Will buy now, pay later become the norm? Why are Aussies staying in failing super products?
Listen now
Who really benefits from crypto ETFs? How will the RBA respond to rising inflation? Could a mandate help address unpaid super?
Listen now
Earn
Top firm says five factors are fuelling the Great Resignation
According to PwC, the Great Resignation is showing no signs of slowing down. ...Read more
Earn
Most voters believe JobSeeker rate should be lifted
Nearly half of Aussies said they would likely vote for a candidate who promised to lift the JobSeeker payment above the poverty line. ...Read more
Earn
Should Australia’s minimum wage be lifted?
With the cost of living being a central focus of this election campaign, both major parties are in disagreement over wage increases. ...Read more
Earn
New research claims over 300,000 Australian households have 'no financial safety net'
New research has been released. ...Read more
Earn
Are property investors pushing prices higher?
The average price for investment properties was found to be nearly $170,000 below the mean national property price. ...Read more
Earn
Almost a quarter of full-time workers are considering leaving their current job
Younger workers are the most likely to be thinking about quitting. ...Read more
Earn
Young people are leading the great resignation
Almost a third of Gen Z and Millennial workers are actively seeking a new role. ...Read more
Earn
Women earn up to 37% less than men in the gig economy
A report commissioned by the Victorian government has examined inequality in the on-demand economy. ...Read more
More articles
Website Notifications
Get notifications in real-time for staying up to date with content that matters to you.
