The finance minister says the government is looking seriously at a recommendation to expand the single-parenting payment to more mothers, acknowledging it is "hard" to live on the current JobSeeker rate.
Speaking on Insiders, senator Katy Gallagher said conversations ahead of the May budget were ongoing and included consideration of advice from two recent reports on economic equality and inclusion.
One, from the Women's Economic Equality Task Force, made six recommendations to government, the first being to reinstate the single-parenting payment for women with children over eight because "this will more appropriately classify single mothers as doing parenting work, rather than being unemployed".
