Advocates call for welfare payment reform to echo policies of 2020

Six years ago, the then Morrison government doubled the rate of JobSeeker with a COVID supplement. The fortnightly boost to welfare payments lifted millions from poverty temporarily, with some advocates saying payment increases played a vital role empowering woman to leave situations of domestic violence.  Six months later, the supplement reduced, before reverting to initial rates in March 2021.

Welfare payment reform has since plateaued. Australians experiencing poverty say they’ve ‘been left behind,’ renewing calls for welfare payment increase in the upcoming Federal budget, and urging policy reform reflective of 2020.

Image: Source – Pexel – Miles Burke

Produced By: Sam Georgiou

Featured In Story: Melissa Fisher – Artist and Advocate at Anti-Poverty Network South Australia

First aired on The Wire, Thursday 30 April 2026