"The Government has finally listened to the community and all those living in poverty who have been crying out for an increase to Newstart for years and years now.

"It shouldn’t have taken a crisis like this to show compassion and increase the Jobseeker payment.

"An increase to the jobseeker payment must be long term and permanent. It is absolutely untenable to drop people back onto $40 a day once this crisis period has passed.

The Greens say the Government’s proposed changes to mutual obligations miss the point. Many people on Newstart don’t have or are unable to afford the infrastructure to just “go online”.

"The changes to mutual obligations are not good enough, people can request online interviews and meetings but that doesn’t account for people who don’t have or just can’t afford the infrastructure to enable this.

"People on Newstart (now Jobseeker payment) are living on $40 a day. How can the government be sure they have access to a home computer and the internet at home?

COVID-19 has the potential to cause severe harm to First Nations communities particularly in regional and remote areas, older Australians, disabled people and people with mental health issues.

“Preventing and slowing the spread of the virus to First Nations communities must be a priority given that First Nations communities already suffer higher rates of chronic and respiratory illness than the general population,” Senator Rachel Siewert, spokesperson on First Nations issues said.

The Greens have repeated their calls for the Government to delay changes to Newstart and the Sickness Allowance in the face of the COVID-19 crisis saying that Centrelink lacks the resources to adequately deal with the changes and the increased workload resulting from the health and economic impacts of the COVID-19 crisis.
 
From tomorrow, Newstart Allowance, Sickness Allowance, Wife Pension, Bereavement Allowance and Widow B Pension are set to cease and most recipients of these payments will transition to Jobseeker Payment, Age Pension or Carer Payment.

The Australian Greens have written to Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, calling for a $2 billion investment in the not-for-profit and community sector as Australia faces the continuing health and economic impacts of the COVID-19 crisis.

Quotes attributable to Senator Rachel Siewert, Greens spokesperson for Family, Ageing and Community Services:

“If not-for-profits and community organisations are forced to close, disabled and vulnerable people will have nowhere to turn. It is critical that they are supported.

The Greens have repeated their calls for the Government to suspend the mutual obligation responsibilities of people on Centrelink payments that have such requirements, including those on Work for the Dole, CDP and the ParentsNext program.
 
“Fear of having their payment suspended or losing their payment will mean that people could make decisions that are counter to their health or other peoples," Greens spokesperson on Family and Community Services Senator Rachel Siewert said. 

The Greens have called the Government’s failure to include not-for profits in the stimulus package reckless.
 
“Not-for-profit’s provide some of the most important services in our community including childcare, disability, community and aged care services and they can’t access the small business stimulus payments,” Senator Rachel Siewert said.
 

The Greens say that the Government’s response to supporting people on low incomes and income support is piecemeal and will leave vulnerable people behind. 
 
"I’m deeply concerned about families on Newstart with children and parents on parenting payment single - there is no additional payment for children in the stimulus package which will seriously hurt these families. There needs to be an additional payment for each child," Senator Rachel Siewert said.

The Greens said today that people struggling to survive on Newstart need a permanent increase not just a one off payment of $750.

From March 20, 2020 Newstart Allowance, Sickness Allowance, Wife Pension, Bereavement Allowance and Widow B Pension will cease and most recipients of these payments will transition to Jobseeker Payment, Age Pension or Carer Payment.
 
“I am very concerned that the Centrelink system will be under additional strain as casual workers are forced to self-isolate and will be applying for either an emergency payment, Newstart or the former sickness payment," Senator Rachel Siewert said.