Coalition proposal would boost jobseeker but take away extra benefits

Abolishing supplementary payments without raising rate substantially would leave jobless worse off, union says

Jobseekers may get a permanent boost to their payments but lose smaller benefits worth hundreds of dollars a year to cover medication, transport and education costs, under a plan being considered by the federal government.

The Australian reported on Monday that the expenditure review committee of cabinet last week considered a plan to abolish numerous supplementary payments available to the unemployed along with any proposed increase to jobseeker payments.