Australia — Prime
Minister John Howard has ruled out any cuts to welfare
payments in this year's federal Budget.
The Federal Opposition claims the
Government is looking to cut welfare payments for single
mothers and disability pensioners.
Labor has produced a leaked
government document to back up its claims that the
Government wants to cut income support
payments.
Mr Howard says the Government has
been considering a working age payment to reform the
income support system.
But Mr Howard has told Sydney radio
2GB that the Government will not reduce welfare
benefits.
"There are no cuts of any kind on
pensions or benefits either in contemplation or to be
contained in this Budget," Mr Howard said.
Earlier, welfare groups said if the
Government is committed to improving the welfare system,
it should be looking to increase income support
benefits.
Australian Council of Social
Service (ACOSS) spokesman Andrew McCallum said they were
concerned by comments by the Government that it was
looking to improve the welfare system.
"I always get a little bit
concerned when we hear about on one hand the word
'improvement' being used, and on the other hand some
level of savings being expected to be exacted," Mr
McCallum said.
"It's not about actually just
rephrasing or redefining people into other categories and
then feeling better about it, you really have to make
their life better and give them opportunities," he
said.
Father Joe Caddy from Catholic
Welfare Australia agrees.
"Anything that even would hint at
reducing incomes into those most vulnerable families in
Australia would be of grave concern to us," Father Caddy
said.
He says only changes to provide
real improvements would be welcome.
"Anything to help them would be
good, but anything to hinder them would be terrible," he
said.
Both groups say people who receive
the benefits are already struggling to stay above the
poverty line.
