Stop cutting off Centrelink payments during heatwaves
Travelling to appointments, waiting for public transport, walking long distances or working outdoors or in hot warehouses can all be dangerous during heatwaves. Heatwaves are the deadliest environmental disaster in Australia. We need to make sure everyone can prioritise their safety, and the safety of their family and communities when it gets hot.
There are thousands of people on Jobseeker payments who put their safety second in extreme heat as they need to go to appointments, comply with their Employment Services Provider, or meet the other requirements for their payments. When people on Jobseeker payments don’t meet every requirement from Services Australia, they receive penalties and might have their payments cut off. There is an increased risk as people on Jobseeker payments are more likely to live in a hot home, or may not be able to afford cooling.
Payments are already very low, and the housing affordability crisis is putting even more pressure on people. Having payments suspended might mean people cannot afford essential items, groceries and medication.
It’s not fair to make people choose between their safety and financial security.
During floods, fires, the Covid-19 pandemic or other ‘natural disasters’, Services Australia suspends penalties so that people don’t need to worry about their payments being cut off.
The same should be true for severe or extreme heatwaves.
Additionally, there should be payments like in other disasters, that make sure people aren’t getting sick or dying because they couldn’t afford to keep cool.