Anne Ruston says ‘it wouldn’t be easy’ to live on the $40-a-day unemployment payment and says it’s only intended as a ‘safety net’

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Social services minister Anne Ruston has refused to endorse the Newstart payment as adequate amid growing calls for it to be lifted, saying the payment was always intended as a “safety net”.

Ruston said the prime minister, Scott Morrison, had already made clear the government was not considering boosting the payment. She repeatedly declined to say the unemployment benefit was enough for daily living costs such as heating and food.

“I have not said that it will be easy to live on Newstart,” she said.

Newstart and life on $40 a day: 'It's not living, it's surviving' Read more

“It wouldn’t be easy. It’s a safety net payment, it never was meant to be a replacement for a wage or a salary. It is there as a safety net to assist people while they haven’t got a job.”

Welfare and business groups, backed by Labor and the Greens, have been agitating for an increase to the payment, which provides about $40 a day for those looking for work.

Repeatedly asked about the adequacy in the interview on Sky News with David Speers on Sunday, Ruston focused on the government’s pledge to help people into work.

“I have answered the question and I absolutely remain totally committed to helping anybody that is on Newstart who wants a job to get a job,” she said.

“The prime minister has made it very clear that currently we are not considering an increase in Newstart. What we are doing is focused on getting people into work.”

Ruston was announcing the results of the government’s immunisation program, “no jab, no pay”, which deducts the family tax benefit for families that don’t immunise their children.

In 2018-19 the government notified the families of about 350,000 children that they did not meet the immunisation requirements for Family Tax Benefit Part A, resulting in about half getting up to date with their vaccines.

Ruston said the policy, first introduced in 2016, was helping to boost immunisation rates.

“It has acted as a powerful driver for families to make sure their children’s vaccinations are fully up to date,” Ruston said.