Janet Rice (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

The measures came into place, however, on 1 July. People were taken off the parenting payment single. If they had a child that turned eight on 1 July, they would have been off the parenting payment single from 1 July. I want to go to the impact analysis prepared for the parenting payment single changes, in particular the analysis for option 1(c). It says:

Relative to the other options considered, the greater length of time on the higher payment rate may disincentivise single parents from re-engaging with the workforce even where they may have capacity as their youngest child grows in independence. This risk is somewhat mitigated by the continuation of mutual obligations requirements and incentives to workforce participation that exist in the social security system.

Is the department effectively saying in this that they think that paying people income support—paying people the parenting payment single—makes them less likely to work?