Centrelink’s 2.4% Rise: Whoopee, Now You Can Afford a Lettuce Leaf
Author by
Lola
Tuesday, 2025 Jul 08|
12:06 PM
Centrelink payments just got a thrilling 2.4% bump—so if you’re on JobSeeker, Parenting Payment, or Paid Parental Leave, congrats!
You can now splurge on half a head of lettuce, or maybe turn the heating on for 11 minutes.
The Albanese government is calling it a “boost.” Everyone else is calling it “offensively cute.” As of July 1, the indexation kicked in, raising payments by a few bucks a fortnight.
For JobSeeker recipients, that’s roughly $20 more in your pocket every two weeks—just enough to stare longingly at your rising energy bill and whisper “soon.” It’s part of the regular inflation adjustment process, which sounds nice until you realise inflation’s doing backflips while this pay rise is limping behind on crutches.
And the best part? The government’s PR spin.
You’d think they’d just solved poverty with how hard they’re patting themselves on the back.
Services Australia said it’s all about “supporting Australians through economic challenges.” Translation: here’s some crumbs, now don’t ask for cake.
Let’s be clear—this isn’t a bonus.
It’s not a government gift.
It’s a legally required adjustment to stop people from literally starving while the cost of rent, food, transport, and basic dignity continues its Olympic sprint upward.
And still, it falls laughably short of what’s actually needed to survive, let alone live.
Welfare advocates are, of course, unimpressed.
The Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) called the increase “inadequate,” which is like calling the Titanic’s iceberg “a minor inconvenience.” They’ve been begging for JobSeeker to hit at least $76 a day—right now, it’s still stuck in the realm of Monopoly money.
And here’s the kicker: while pollies give themselves cushy raises (hello, Parliament’s 4% pay rise last week), they’re tossing 2.4% at people who have to budget toilet paper like it’s gold leaf.
It’s giving Hunger Games.
It’s giving “please be grateful for scraps.” It’s giving Centrelink Roulette—how long can you survive before the next indexation?
So next time you see a headline that says “Centrelink payments go up,” read the fine print.
Then cry into your budget frozen peas, because this economic miracle?
It ain’t even covering bus fare.
🧨 You made it to the end. now what?
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