The National Union of Students President, Sophie Johnston, and Welfare Officer, Jill Molloy, this morning have made a submission to the Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs regarding the Social Services Legislation Amendment (Omnibus and Childcare Reform) Bill 2017 to ensure the student voice is heard.
The submission was born out of disgust for the proposed changes to Newstart in the bill. The National Union of Students fundamentally opposes cutting the income support of young jobseekers and making them wait 5 weeks before they are able to receive payment.
“A waiting period will see already struggling students suffer even more.” Says Welfare Officer Jill Molloy. “This measure will not incentivise the job search when students will live even further below the poverty line at this time.”
The National Union of students also opposes a number of other measures in the bill such as freezes to the indexation on the Personal Income Threshold.
“It’s clear that measures such as these will only further entrench the poverty trap and deepen the debt students already face.” President Sophie Johnston said.
NUS will later this month make a submission into the Senate Standing Committee to investigate the failing automated debt-recovery system, in light of the ongoing attacks to income support services that are directly impacting the wellbeing of students.
Sophie Johnston National President | National Union of Students
