This article is more than 6 months old

This article is more than 6 months old

A national organisation representing Australia’s welfare recipients has called on the government to suspend mutual obligations to prevent people having their payments suspended during the coronavirus crisis.

Under normal circumstances, people who receive payments such as Newstart must record their job searches online and attend meetings with employment services agencies to avoid having their income support cut off.

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The government has said people forced into isolation according to the official health advice can access a 14-day personal crisis exemption before they require a medical certificate.

Yet there are fears that others who do not officially need to self-isolate but are unable to meet their obligations due to the unfolding pandemic may have their payments suspended.

Guardian Australia has spoken to a woman with a compromised immune system who was told she would still need to attend an appointment with an employment services provider despite her condition.

Jeremy Poxon, an Australian Unemployed Workers’ Union spokesman, said the organisation had written to the government to ask that it suspend mutual obligations for jobseekers across the country.

Quick guide Coronavirus: self-isolation advice for Australians Show Hide Who needs to isolate? The Australian government announced new travel restrictions to try to slow the spread of coronavirus on 15 March. From midnight, all returning Australians and overseas visitors are required to isolate themselves for 14 days after arriving in the country. People who have been in close contact with somebody diagnosed coronavirus are already required to self-isolate. What does self-isolation mean? Self-isolation starts when you arrive in Australia, with the federal department of health recommending you use personal transport, such as a car, to travel home or to your hotel from the airport, to minimise exposure to others. “If you need to use public transport (e.g. taxis, ride-hail services, trains, buses and trams), follow the precautions outlined in the public transport guide. “During the 14 days of isolation, you must stay at home or in your hotel and don’t go to public places including work, school, childcare, university or public gatherings. Only people who usually live with you should be in the home. Do not see visitors.” “Ask others who are not in isolation to get food and necessities for you. If you must leave home, such as to seek medical care, wear a surgical mask. If you don’t have a mask, take care to not cough or sneeze on others.” “If you live in a private house, it is safe for you to go into your garden or courtyard. If you live in an apartment or are staying in a hotel, it is also safe for you to go into the garden but you should wear a surgical mask to minimise risk to others and move quickly through any common areas.” What if I feel sick? The health department recommends monitoring yourself for symptoms including “fever, cough or shortness of breath. Other early symptoms include chills, body aches, sore throat, runny nose and muscle pain.” “If you develop symptoms (fever, a cough, sore throat, tiredness or shortness of breath) within 14 days of returning to Australia or within 14 days of last contact of a confirmed case, you should arrange to see your doctor for urgent assessment. You should telephone the health clinic or hospital before you arrive and tell them your travel history or that you may have been in contact with a potential case of coronavirus.” Limiting the spread at home The health department recommends practising good hand and sneeze/cough hygiene as the best defence against most viruses. It also advises regular cleaning of household surfaces. “To minimise the spread of any germs you should regularly wash surfaces that are frequently touched such as door handles, light switches, kitchen and bathroom areas. Clean with household detergent or disinfectant. Source: Australian Department of Health

Poxon said it would be impossible for some people to meet obligations – such as recording their job searches online – in areas where public libraries and other facilities were being closed.

“If they don’t suspend mutual obligations, people will be penalised and cut off in the middle of this crisis,” he said.

Research shows that Newstart recipients are more likely to suffer from poor health, while government data shows about 40% of people on Newstart have a partial capacity to work, meaning Centrelink acknowledges that they cannot work full-time due to an illness or disability.

Among them is Vanessa, a Newstart recipient who said she was told by her disability employment agency on Friday that she would still need to attend an appointment.

Vanessa, who did not want her surname used, said she had undergone chemotherapy over a significant period of time and was now required to take an immunosuppressant for the rest of her life.

She is avoiding leaving the house to keep herself safe but would need to take a tram to get to the job services provider. “My appointment is next Wednesday and I have to go,” she said. “If I don’t go, I don’t get money.”

Current government advice states that only those who are exhibiting symptoms, those who have returned from overseas, and people who have been in close contact with a confirmed case must self-isolate.

In a fact sheet published on Monday afternoon, the Department of Education, Skills and Employment said people were required to keep attending appointments unless they needed to self-isolate in line with the official advice from the health department.

Asked if the government was considering suspending mutual obligations, a department spokeswoman said employment service providers were being “encouraged to be responsive and [flexible] during this challenging time”.

She said it was “recommended” providers use the “online portal and phone to negotiate alternative job-seeking activities where appropriate with jobseekers”.

The spokeswoman said jobseekers with concerns should contact their provider or the National Customer Service Line.

“The Department will continue to monitor this situation closely and will review this advice as needed, in line with direction from the Department of Health,” she said.

Vanessa believed the current arrangements precluded her from getting an exemption. Her provider is aware of her health issues and concerns but was told her appointment was going ahead.

“I don’t have the virus, nor have I come into contact with someone who has,” she said. “I am, however, in a category of being more susceptible by being immuno-compromised. It is my understanding that I don’t fit the current rules for not attending the appointment.”

Rachel Siewert (@SenatorSiewert) The Government needs to confirm what is going on with mutual obligations. I am very worried about people falling through the cracks and not getting their payments during this time.#Auspol #Centrelink #COVIDー19 https://t.co/CSVt981pzQ

Also on Monday, Centrelink said it had fixed an technical glitch that told welfare recipients their next payment would be cut in half.

Messages sent to Guardian Australia show payments due after 20 March, when the government will create the new jobseeker payment, were set at about half the normal rate.

Alice Eldridge, who receives Newstart, told Guardian Australia that the glitch was “extremely distressing” and had made the coronavirus crisis even “scarier” for people surviving on low incomes.

“I spent all of yesterday in a downward spiral because I was panicking about how I could pay my rent, bills, food or medications in the next two weeks, and wondering if I’ll be out on the street with the rest of the homeless population that are being forgotten during this pandemic,” she said.

In a statement on Twitter, Centrelink said at midday on Monday: “We’re aware some people’s future payments weren’t displaying correctly over the weekend. This has since been fixed. We apologise for any confusion or concern this caused.”

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It came as the government pushes ahead with an overhaul to payments such as Newstart, youth allowance and sickness allowance, which from 20 March will be rolled into the jobseeker payment. The government has stressed that the eligibility requirements will remain the same and no one will receive a lower payment due to the administrative change.

The Greens senator Rachel Siewert has called on the government to postpone the change, citing confusion during the coronavirus crisis.

Hank Jongen, a Services Australia spokesman, said the issue was due to a “routine update separate to jobseeker payment and we fixed this in a matter of hours”.

“It won’t affect the introduction of jobseeker payment,” he said.