A widowed father of five who lost access to single parent welfare assistance last year when his youngest child turned eight has welcomed plans to increase the age cut-off for the payment.
The government announced on Monday that it would increase the age limit for single parenting payments to 14 in Tuesday's budget, a move which will cost $1.9 billion over four years.
Singleton boilermaker Stuart Johnstone told the Newcastle Herald last month that the government enforcement of income rules was "cruel and punitive" after he moved on to JobSeeker unemployment benefits last year, despite having five school-age children.
Mr Johnstone said on Monday that the budget changes were "good as long as the likes of me get put back on that payment and it is not just to those that are currently receiving the single parent payment".
The government confirmed that existing JobSeeker recipients such as Mr Johnstone will move on to the single parent payment if they are now eligible.
The change will mean single parents who had been taken off the payment can receive an extra $176.90 per fortnight.
The Howard then Gillard governments reduced the age cut-off from 16 to eight.
Mr Johnstone's wife died of cancer in 2020, and he has been limited to two days' work a week due to his parenting commitments.
He said indications that the government would not increase JobSeeker payments as substantially as some had hoped "do not sound as positive".
The government's planned $14.6 billion cost-of-living relief package could equate to a JobSeeker increase of $20 a week, well below what some welfare groups and MPs had sought.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in Perth on Monday that the move would give parents and children more stability.
"What that will do is to make sure that women, in particular, but also fathers, in situations of raising children by themselves can have that sense of security," Mr Albanese said.
"That children as well can be looked after, that people can be in a situation whereby they more easily move into employment when they're able to as well."
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