Tim Ayres (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Trade) Share this | Hansard source

Indeed, and that's why the government is implementing a $40 increase, exclusive of indexation. That means that, on 20 September, people will receive in the order of $56. It is important to assess that in line with the government's other changes. It sits alongside cost-of-living relief that the government provided in the budget for concession card holders. It includes help with power bills through the government's Energy Bill Relief Fund, record investment in Medicare bulk-billing, cheaper medicines and a range of other improvements to the social safety net. The $40 increase is a substantial increase. It's been carefully calibrated to provide additional support. We agree with the conclusion that the Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee reached that there needed to be a substantial increase to JobSeeker and associated payments. The government has reached a conclusion about the scale of that increase, and we will continue to consider, in every budget deliberation, how we approach that question.