‘Distress and fear’: poverty looms for a million Australian children once coronavirus supplement slashed

The $550-a-fortnight pandemic top-up, set to disappear on 25 September, has been ‘life-altering’ for single mothers, say welfare campaigners. About 244,000 single parents receive parenting payment ($790-a-fortnight plus the $550 Covid supplement and the family tax benefit), while those with children older than seven get jobseeker payment ($565 plus the $550 Covid supplement and the family tax benefit). The coronavirus supplement is also provided to students receiving youth allowance or Austudy. Toni Wren, the executive director of Anti-Poverty Week, said government data showed about 1.1 million children lived in families receiving the supplement in July. That included 500,000 children whose parents were receiving the jobseeker payment.