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March 30th, 2013 
Peter Nolan
Updated
Welfare advocates are encouraging the Government to target superannuation as a source of savings in the budget to avoid further cuts to social security benefits.
The Federal Government is still refusing to reveal whether it will target superannuation as a source of savings in the May budget.
Welfare advocates support the move, and also say the new Human Services Minister should be elevated to Cabinet.
Australia’s welfare system eats up about one-third of the entire federal budget.
The funds are spent supporting the aged, families with children, people with disabilities, veterans, carers and the unemployed.
Last year the sector was a contentious source of Government savings – tens of thousands of single mothers and fathers receiving parenting payments were moved onto the much lower unemployment benefit.
The National Welfare Rights Network deals directly with welfare recipients and has provided its submission for this year’s budget to Saturday AM.
The network’s spokeswoman, Maree O’Halloran, says the Government should be looking at the superannuation tax concessions for the wealthy rather than cutting welfare.
“[The Government must] make sure that there’s a redistribution of the unfair tax concessions in certain areas, particularly for example superannuation,” she said.
Ms O’Halloran has also called for Human Services Minister Jan McLucas to have more power in framing government policy.
She says the Government should be looking at the superannuation tax concessions for the wealthy rather than cutting welfare.
“I would very much like to see the Minister for Human Services be part of the Cabinet,” she said.
“I think that that’s important so that the decisions can be informed. Policy and implementation should be looked at together.
Senator McLucas concedes welfare cuts have been tough for some families.
“I do acknowledge that it is hard to live on Newstart,” she said.
“We are working very hard through a range of programs, not within my department but across government, to support people – whatever their personal circumstances are – to get into employment.
“And single parents become part of that group as well.
I do acknowledge that it is hard to live on Newstart. We are working very hard through a range of programs … to support people – whatever their personal circumstances are – to get into employment.
“But the policy decisions that have been made around these changes are the decisions of the Government, not mine.”
The sole parenting payment cuts have been divisive for the Labor Party, but Senator McLucas will not reveal which side of the debate she has been on.
“What my view is about what happens in Caucus stays my view,” she said.
“I do not discuss either what happens in Caucus or areas of responsibility of other ministers.”
When asked to comment on the forthcoming budget, Senator McLucas added: “This budget is in the process of being devised at the moment. It is not for me to speculate on what may or may not be in the budget.”
The Greens spokeswoman on family services, Rachel Siewert, has warned of the consequences at the ballot box if the Government raids welfare payments again.
“Any more cuts to people that are already struggling will simply receive a huge backlash from the community,” she said.
“Because the community recognises that people cannot live on Newstart.
“Those single parents that have been dropped onto Newstart are struggling and going further and further into debt.”
Topics:
superannuation,
welfare,
federal-government,
australia
First posted
Source Article from http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-03-30/welfare-advocates-support-superannuation-cuts/4602036
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