Single mums, families and pensioners to lose welfare payments

TENS of thousands of families, pensioners, single parents and carers will have their welfare payments slashed in a tough-love federal Budget crackdown.

The Herald Sun has learned the benefits of welfare recipients will be cut if they travel overseas for more than six weeks.

And all single jobless mums and dads will have their payments axed when their youngest child turns eight, to force them back to work.

It means about 100,000 single parents will lose protection that allowed them to keep the payment until their youngest turned 16.

People getting Family Tax Benefit A and B are among those being squeezed by the Budget razor gang.

Ministers have decided people receiving welfare should not have an overseas trip subsidised by taxpayers, and the new rules from January 1 will reap tens of millions of dollars.

The Government is expected to argue the cut will ease the pressure to make harsher cuts on spending for low and middle-income families who cannot afford an overseas holiday.

About 25,000 people receiving family tax benefits spend more than six weeks a year overseas.

They will have their benefits reduced to the base rate of $52.64 a fortnight.

Depending on their income and the number of children, they can lose as much as $160 a fortnight, though the typical loss might be about $110.

The hit list includes more than 8000 disability support pensioners who will lose $755.50 a fortnight, but those with a severe and permanent disability will be exempt.

Age pensions will not be touched, with ministers deciding that "grey nomads" have paid their taxes and deserve to enjoy their travel. Many pensioners born overseas also go back to their home country.

But pensioners will lose telephone, mobility and utilities allowances, which can be worth up to $160 a quarter, because they are not at home.

The seniors supplement for Commonwealth seniors health card holders will also be cut.

The existing 13-week restriction on overseas travel has been judged excessive and six weeks will be set as enough time for Australians to be overseas and still receive welfare.

It is believed the Budget axe will not hit people caught overseas longer than six weeks because of exceptional circumstances, such as illness.

http://news.google.com.au/nwshp?hl=en&tab=wn

As someone who has never travelled out of Australia and has always had a job and paid taxes.....If people know the rules it is up to them what they do to maintain their benefits???

[smiley=beer.gif] [smiley=beer.gif] [smiley=beer.gif]

Hey Maggots and suckholes- don't expect us to cringe and cop it silently while you have our  borders open, and rob us of our economic rights.  You know what you are and we are not holding back saying it. :) :) :) :)

philperth2010 wrote on May 4^th, 2012 at 12:21am:

As someone who has never travelled out of Australia and has always had a job and paid taxes.....If people know the rules it is up to them what they do to maintain their benefits??? [smiley=beer.gif] [smiley=beer.gif] [smiley=beer.gif]

how do you feel about this phil?..

I remember when Costello said single mothers lost their payments when their child turned 5 there was uproar from the left..

so how do you feel about these quite stringent measures?... this is after all all about swans ego and his surplus isnt it?

have to notice so far no restrictions on pollies...are we surprised?

Have one for your partner, have one for yourself, and have one for your country.   ;D

cods wrote on May 4^th, 2012 at 5:59am:

philperth2010 wrote on May 4th, 2012 at 12:21am: As someone who has never travelled out of Australia and has always had a job and paid taxes.....If people know the rules it is up to them what they do to maintain their benefits??? [smiley=beer.gif] [smiley=beer.gif] [smiley=beer.gif] how do you feel about this phil?.. I remember when Costello said single mothers lost their payments when their child turned 5 there was uproar from the left.. so how do you feel about these quite stringent measures?... this is after all all about swans ego and his surplus isnt it? have to notice so far no restrictions on pollies...are we surprised?

They take from the bottom up cods, less flack that way. It's not like the poor will rebel, they have to concentrate on surviving one day at a time.

Surely the Greens can negotiate for the Clive Palmer elk to lose the equivalent. Imagine the uproar.

cods wrote on May 4^th, 2012 at 5:59am:

philperth2010 wrote on May 4th, 2012 at 12:21am: As someone who has never travelled out of Australia and has always had a job and paid taxes.....If people know the rules it is up to them what they do to maintain their benefits??? [smiley=beer.gif] [smiley=beer.gif] [smiley=beer.gif] how do you feel about this phil?.. I remember when Costello said single mothers lost their payments when their child turned 5 there was uproar from the left.. so how do you feel about these quite stringent measures?... this is after all all about swans ego and his surplus isnt it? have to notice so far no restrictions on pollies...are we surprised?

I think eight is a bit tough but change had to come. As a former PPS recipient i always said that the payments were generous. I was able to pay off debt, took a family holiday to Thailand and studied while on the pension. All i did was move to a place where cost of living was not so high and the money was generous. As is the study support, child care allowance, FTB, annual bonuses. People need to get over the idea that welfare is an alternative income.

It's called budget cuts here, in Europe it's called austerity measures and there was an uproar. Budget cuts sounds less evil and less likely to cause angst.

In Europe it's called getting out of debt, here it's called getting back to surplus.

At least this gives us the chance to gradually ease into the great depression.

nairbe wrote on May 4^th, 2012 at 7:03am:

cods wrote on May 4th, 2012 at 5:59am: philperth2010 wrote on May 4th, 2012 at 12:21am: As someone who has never travelled out of Australia and has always had a job and paid taxes.....If people know the rules it is up to them what they do to maintain their benefits??? [smiley=beer.gif] [smiley=beer.gif] [smiley=beer.gif] how do you feel about this phil?.. I remember when Costello said single mothers lost their payments when their child turned 5 there was uproar from the left.. so how do you feel about these quite stringent measures?... this is after all all about swans ego and his surplus isnt it? have to notice so far no restrictions on pollies...are we surprised? I think eight is a bit tough but change had to come. As a former PPS recipient i always said that the payments were generous. I was able to pay off debt, took a family holiday to Thailand and studied while on the pension. All i did was move to a place where cost of living was not so high and the money was generous. As is the study support, child care allowance, FTB, annual bonuses. People need to get over the idea that welfare is an alternative income.

I couldnt agree more but if the Libs tried this the left would be screaming.. we dont care about POOR people do we?..

now this govt wants to give people $300 pw.. to take in a boat person...so where are they getting that money from????????..

not our very own welfare recipients surely???

this is what annoys me about the left...they kid themselves they only slug the top of the ladder... the hell they do.

you would not believe the hand outs my granddaughter[single mother] gets..she is in a womens refuge right now has been for a few mon ths someone in there has been there for over 12 months whilst working fulltime..they pay a nominal rent.. but I tell you what its better than being on the outside..mother and child.. if a different sex 2 bedroom unit..not bad.. all brand new..even her furniture that is in storage is paid for by us..you add that up with all the others around the country... ??????????????

on top of that are counsellors and finance experts and a lawyer.. because of the DVO..

do I approve? the hell I do.. but why should she be any different to anyone else..

They are throwing hundreds of millions at this so called Climate Change while they take money away from the most vulnerable

What Swan - he will say "We have done this because it's the RIGHT thing to do"

As I mentioned many times before if you attach the words "....because it's the RIGHT thing to do" to anything it sounds more palatable

So Gillard will give you $10 for the Carbon Tax - then she'll take away $160/fortnight

That seems fair!!

Maqqa wrote on May 4^th, 2012 at 8:01am:

So Gillard will give you $10 for the Carbon Tax - then she'll take away $160/fortnight That seems fair!!

lol so much for the compensation hey. She knew exactly what they would do to get your money off you regardless.

Dont worry though, the left keep telling us Australia are doind well. We never had it so good they say, so a little money back to labor, is all good, we have too much anyway.

progressiveslol wrote on May 4^th, 2012 at 8:03am:

Maqqa wrote on May 4th, 2012 at 8:01am: So Gillard will give you $10 for the Carbon Tax - then she'll take away $160/fortnight That seems fair!! lol so much for the compensation hey. She knew exactly what they would do to get your money off you regardless.

This is not to mention the cuts to Pensioners and Carers

So what say you now laborites?

That's right - take in an illegal boat person into your house and receive $300

BTW - how do you handle this illegal person when he/she turns violent?

Maqqa wrote on May 4^th, 2012 at 8:06am:

progressiveslol wrote on May 4th, 2012 at 8:03am: Maqqa wrote on May 4th, 2012 at 8:01am: So Gillard will give you $10 for the Carbon Tax - then she'll take away $160/fortnight That seems fair!! lol so much for the compensation hey. She knew exactly what they would do to get your money off you regardless. This is not to mention the cuts to Pensioners and Carers So what say you now laborites?

That $10 compensation is looking better by the minute. They are going to be more greatful for it as it will mean a couple of extra cans of cat food for dinner.

And yet for all of these measures, and I am not saying that on reflection some of them are not necessary, Tony Abbott plans to roll out the welfare Gravy Train with subsidized Nanny servants for very wealthy business executive Mothers...Overseas welfare should have been tacked a long time ago. :) :)

corporate_whitey wrote on May 4^th, 2012 at 8:15am:

And yet for all of these measures, and I am not saying that on reflection some of them are not necessary, Tony Abbott plans to roll out the welfare Gravy Train with subsidized Nanny servants for very wealthy business executive Mothers...Overseas welfare should have been tacked a long time ago. :) :)

Have you got a breakdown of how many "executive mothers" compared to average Australians?

New headline should be


Families and the poor, paying for climate change ebatement

Well. Its fair enough about the overseas travel. I dont know about the family allowance thing but I am sure it will have an effect on some families that have a lot of kids. Cutting the pensioners perks is ridiculous though. They paid their taxes and are retired. They should have the perks of being low income.

SOB

Sir Spot of Borg wrote on May 4^th, 2012 at 9:41am:

Well. Its fair enough about the overseas travel. I dont know about the family allowance thing but I am sure it will have an effect on some families that have a lot of kids. Cutting the pensioners perks is ridiculous though. They paid their taxes and are retired. They should have the perks of being low income. SOB

The aged Pensioners are not being touched, these cuts target people who collect the Australian pension then go back to their country of birth to live.  They are great cuts, Australians have been crying out for action on this for years so lets be fair and give credit where credit is due.  There are Greek Islands and whole towns in the Mediterranean where entitre populations are on Australian welfare with full perks. :-?  These cuts will not affect me and I give credit where it is due - they hit the right targets while protecting our own.  If you want to bag this Government do so for the many things it does wrong, but these measures are not one of them, I am a Pensioner, I understand the cuts they have made, they are responsible and in our peoples interest. :)  Politicians have to be encouraged when they make good choices and bagged when they make bad choices. :) :) :) :)

corporate_whitey wrote on May 4^th, 2012 at 12:45pm:

Sir Spot of Borg wrote on May 4th, 2012 at 9:41am: Well. Its fair enough about the overseas travel. I dont know about the family allowance thing but I am sure it will have an effect on some families that have a lot of kids. Cutting the pensioners perks is ridiculous though. They paid their taxes and are retired. They should have the perks of being low income. SOB The aged Pensioners are not being touched, these cuts target people who collect the Australian pension then go back to their country of birth to live.  They are great cuts, Australians have been crying out for action on this for years so lets be fair and give credit where credit is due.  There are Greek Islands and whole towns in the Mediterranean where entitre populations are on Australian welfare with full perks. :-?  These cuts will not affect me and I give credit where it is due - they hit the right targets while protecting our own.  If you want to bag this Government do so for the many things it does wrong, but these measures are not one of them, I am a Pensioner, I understand the cuts they have made, they are responsible and in our peoples interest. :)  Politicians have to be encouraged when they make good choices and bagged when they make bad choices. :) :) :) :)

Okay @ some of that. the article I read this morning said that the cuts on the aged pensioners was in things like travel and discounts on electricity bills and stuff. Things that wouldn't effect them if they lived elsewhere anyway. On the other hand it WILL affect the ones here. Suddenly they dont get their electricity discount right when that carbon tax comes in and makes the price skyrocket. Or are they going to distinguish between these ppl? Do they say they will? Because in my experience the govt throws whole groups of ppl into 1 basket regardless of circumstances.

SOB

philperth2010 wrote on May 4^th, 2012 at 12:19am:

Single mums, families and pensioners to lose welfare payments TENS of thousands of families, pensioners, single parents and carers will have their welfare payments slashed in a tough-love federal Budget crackdown. [...] http://news.google.com.au/nwshp?hl=en&tab=wn

How the hell did those nasty Libs get this rule into play? ::) ::) ::)