Rent Assistance Recipients Will Receive A Payment Boost, But Will It Be Enough?

Australians receiving rent assistance will see a payment boost with the federal government announcing its latest measures to combat cost-of-living pressures.

From September 20, rent assistance will increase by 10 per cent plus indexation, which the government claims will benefit nearly one million Australian households.

It also said it was the first time Commonwealth rent assistance has been given a back-to-back increase.

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Single recipients receiving the maximum rate of rent assistance will get an extra $23 per fortnight if renting on their own, while families with one or two children will receive an extra $27.02 per fortnight

The increases have come with warnings from welfare advocates who say it will do little to help Australians.

“Rent assistance went up by $25, and … average rents have gone up by more than $100. What might look like a big percentage increase is, frankly, f**k all, and that’s one of the reasons that this is so upsetting,” Antipoverty Centre Kristin O’Connell said.

In addition to rent assistance, age pension, disability support pension, jobseeker, carer payment and parenting payment recipients will also see a rise in payments.

Jobseeker recipients with an assessed partial capacity to work less than 15 hours per week will receive an additional $71.20 a fortnight combined with indexation.

The income limits for the Commonwealth seniors health card will also increase to $99,025 for singles and $158,440 for couples (combined).

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