AUWU calls for return of COVID supplements

In the middle of an outbreak, support for social security recipients is vital.

The government’s absolute failure to properly roll out a vaccine program over a year into this pandemic has seen the country thrown into lockdown chaos yet again, with Delta variant outbreaks currently affecting New South Wales, Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia.

The Australian Unemployed Workers Union is calling on the government to give certainty to the unemployed, underemployed, people in insecure work, the disabled and everyone else in the welfare system by immediately introducing the following for EVERYONE receiving payments:

1 - Another $750 emergency payment.

2 - The return of the COVID supplement to bring ALL social security payments to at least $80 a day.

3 - Full suspension of “mutual” obligations.

4 - Suspension of the liquid assets test.

5 - Suspension of all cashless welfare programs.

6 - Abandoning the Social Security Legislation Amendment (Streamlined Participation Requirements and Other Measures) Bill 2021.

In addition, these payments should be extended to all visa holders, including students, not currently eligible for income support.

These measures should never have been removed in the first place, and all should be introduced immediately, indefinitely and unconditionally.

Media contact: Jez Heywood 0421 283 037 / media at auwu.org.au