Budget hits single parents

The Federal Budget was handed down on Tuesday night and, as expected, it included controversial cuts to welfare payments for single parents.

As part of the budget the Government wants to save $700 million by pushing single unemployed parents onto the Newstart Allowance once their children turn eight years old, which would reduce payments by $120 per fortnight.

Albany single mother Trish Hambley said the changes would drastically affect her income and family.

Ms Hambley, who has three children aged four, seven and 12, said she understood the Government wanted to encourage people to work, but the drop in income would make a big difference to her family’s life.

“There are always going to be people in the community that happily sit back and take and never give anything back, but you cannot punish all because of a few,” she said.

“The $60 a week they’re taking out will be a big dent in the pay packet that’s for sure. It would be a drastic cut in income coming in.”

Ms Hambley said she always planned to re-enter the workforce once her children entered high school, but for now looking after her kids was her priority.

“I’m a person who likes to be home for my kids, I like to walk them to school and walk them home again,” she said.

“I also help out at school, and when you make parents go back to work you take away people who are doing canteen, doing reading at the school, who are actually volunteering their time to help at school.”

Ms Hambley welcomed new cash bonuses of $410 for primary children and $820 for secondary students, however she said it should take the form of vouchers to make sure parents spent the money on school supplies.

Alan Dowsett, principal of Spencer Park Primary School where Ms Hambley’s daughter attends, said he was concerned about the position in which her mother would be placed.

Albany Primary School principal Brian Lee echoed the concerns, saying single parents were already under the pump and the change to their circumstances would make life difficult.

However, Mr Lee and Mr Dowsett praised the schoolkids’ cash bonuses, describing them as a plus for parents struggling with ongoing school costs.

keir.tunbridge@albanyadvertiser.com