JobSeeker payments leave recipients struggling to cover basic living costs

JobSeeker provides a maximum fortnightly allowance of $808.70, plus $146.27 in rent assistance and $8.80 for energy, equating to $963.75 per fortnight or $68 daily. Renting a shared two-bedroom unit at about $350 per one outlet uses more than $700 of this income, leaving roughly $264 for everything else. After paying for a phone ($22) and shared internet ($15), the remaining funds fall short of the $320 needed for groceries, resulting in a deficit that deepens when electricity ($64.50) is added.

Recipients cannot afford transport, medical care or other necessities, and any earnings above $150 per fortnight reduce the payment. Advocacy groups and experts argue the payment is far below the poverty line and call for a substantial increase.