SNAICC has raised concerns about the proposed changes the Inquiry into the Social Services Legislation Amendment (Family Payments Structural Reform and Participation Measures) Bill 2015 will cause.
Specifically, SNAICC is concerned about the impact proposed changes to Family Tax Payments within the Bill, will have on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families experiencing disadvantage more broadly.
The Department of Social Services has informed the Senate that, as a result of the reforms, a total of 136,000 single parents will have their payments reduced from $3000 to $1000 a year, while a further 76,000 families will have their benefits cut completely when their youngest child turns 13-years-old. SNAICC is particularly concerned about the disproportionate impact of these proposals on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families.
