The Parenthood has welcomed the abolition of the ParentsNext program and the expansion of the Single Parent Payment to include parents with children up to the age of 14, by the Federal Government ahead of tomorrow’s Budget.
CEO of The Parenthood, Georgie Dent said that these moves will greatly help thousands of vulnerable children and parents, most mothers, and allow them to have greater financial freedom and flexibility.
“These announcements are welcome and critically important. Restoring the single-parenting payment until the youngest child is 14 will change the lives of almost 60,000 single-parent families.”
“The ParentsNext program is a punitive measure that places unfair restrictions on the level of support financially vulnerable parents can receive. Scrapping it will greatly benefit parents, mostly mothers, in need, allow them greater financial security, and provide them with vital support.
“The removal of the restrictive requirements to receive income support will also enable parents to engage in caregiving responsibilities, without any barriers.
“Further, expanding the eligibility criteria for the Single Parent Payment, to include parents with children up to the age of fourteen, will ensure that the thousands of parents who were locked out of the program will be able to access the vital support they require.
“These measures will significantly help parents in need and will ensure that vulnerable families are not left behind,” she said.
The ParentsNext program will be scrapped from 1 July 2024 and all compulsory requirements under the program have been paused effective 05 May 2023.
The eligibility criteria for the Single Parent Payment will be expanded to include parents with children up to the age of 14 from 20 September 2023.
