The federal government will extend the JobSeeker Coronavirus supplement for an extra three months. The supplement will be at a reduced rate of $150 a fortnight during that period.
At the age of 22, in 2015, 82% of respondents described their mental health as excellent, very good or good. This fell to 70% at the age of 26 in 2019 — a drop of three percentage points per year.
The impacts of the pandemic on jobs and incomes have been so widespread and severe that low-income households can afford very few properties despite rents falling in some parts of our capital cities.
New research shows more than 40% of temporary visa holders skipped meals and a third faced homelessness due to a lack of government support during the pandemic.
A look at the week in politics, focussing on what Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has described as “without doubt, the biggest shock this country has ever faced”.
Half of the increase could be set aside for spending on training. It might appeal to Coalition members concerned that higher payments would reward people who are out of work.
Michael Fletcher, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
With unemployment soaring due to COVID-19, why is Jacinda Ardern’s centre-left government significantly less generous towards beneficiaries than Scott Morrison’s centre-right government in Australia?