Low-income earners are set to benefit from the Government’s recent changes to the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme Amendment (Household Assistance) Bill 2009 as they will receive assistance from the Government to combat the higher cost of living brought on by the emissions trading scheme.
The emissions trading scheme will push up the cost of living by just under one percent when the scheme becomes fully operational in 2012; however low-income earners will have their government payments increased to protect them from the price rise.
Under the changes, pensions and dole payments, along with family tax benefit payments will increase by 2.8 percent over two years.
According to Families Minister Jenny Macklin the introduction of the scheme will have a “modest impact on the cost of living for households,” so they are moving to provide low and middle-income households with “up-front assistance to adjust to the impacts of the scheme.”
In addition to this, any low-income earner who can show they will not be assisted in accordance with the Government’s commitments will be provided with a payment of up to $550.
For more information, please visit The Australian Government, Department of Climate Change website.
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