That's why the Australian Unemployed Workers' Union is demanding that Prime Minister Scott Morrison increase Disability Support Pension and Carers Payment in line with other payments.

Things are already stacked against us and we need this assistance now more than ever.

The Minister has the power to extend the $550 per fortnight coronavirus supplement to people on the disability support pension and carers to provide much-needed relief. The current pension is below the poverty line. This cannot stand at any time, let alone in a time of crisis.

Hundreds of thousands of disabled people and carers rely on income support payments to meet high medical and living costs – and these costs are going up and up because of COVID19. Many people have lost part-time and casual work that helped to pay the bills.

The government cannot be allowed to ignore disabled people in the midst of a global pandemic.

When the stimulus announcement was made we were shocked to learn we had been excluded. It exposes that the government just doesn’t get it – what it means for people who are disabled, and why the DSP is different to other payments. It costs more to be disabled.

We are workers too, and disabled people and carers are losing income as a result of this crisis.

Many disabled people are more vulnerable to COVID19 than other Australians. We face higher costs for specialised supports, healthcare, medication, housing and transport.

There are many essential costs that the NDIS does not cover and during the pandemic people’s costs are only going up. The cost of support workers and other specialised services is increasing, some by as much as 10 per cent. NDIS invoice processing times are blowing out.

This decision to exclude disabled people and carers exposes the government’s failure to understand our lives and needs.

We must not let the government divide us into ‘deserving’ and ‘undeserving’ groups.

We must demand that our leaders immediately include the most vulnerable people in our community in the $550 per fortnight coronavirus supplement.

We must stand together in the fight for disabled people and carers to be treated equally.