JobSeeker Payment

49 The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN (Lee) (29 April 2020). What is the cost of the one-off boost of $500 and bringing forward the 2020-21 Cost of Living Concession for households who are receiving the Centrelink JobSeeker payment?

1. How many recipients does the government estimated are entitled to receive these payments?

2. As at 28 April 2020, how many of the one-off payments had been made?

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier): I have been advised:

At the time of announcing the temporary changes and one-off increase to the costs of living concession (COLC) it was estimated that these changes would cost about $27.5 million (not including around $2.4 million pulled forward from 2020-21 to 2019-20).

These estimates assumed that around 12,100 existing COLC recipients would be eligible for the $500 boost and bring forward of the 2020-21 COLC and also provisioned for new JobSeekers to become eligible as a result of restrictions put in place in response to COVID-19.

This initiative was established and costed before the JobKeeper payment was announced by the commonwealth government. The introduction of JobKeeper will assist impacted households financially and help them maintain a relationship with their employer.

As at 30 May 2020 a total of 16,661 one-off boost payments had been made. Payments to new recipients will continue to be made on a weekly basis as they apply and have their eligibility assessed.