Scrolling through the news this week I see articles about Centrelink payments being bumped up to cover inflation. I click the link hoping that the headlines are true and those of us on welfare payments will get some much-needed relief from the cost of living. As I read it I’m disappointed but not surprised. The increase is for pensioners and it’s for about $20 a fortnight. This is of course the regular indexation that pensioners get twice a year. For those on jobseeker where our indexation is adjusted by CPI, we get even less.
Each time there’s a small regular increase I see stories with headlines about “cash splashes” and “those on the dole to get extra cash”. People who see the headlines must think with all these stories that we’re sitting comfortably in our houses with fully stocked pantries and extra cash. Most don’t read the actual stories to find out the increase is always a small amount which won’t cover the cost-of-living expenses that we are all facing.
