RESEARCH PAPER SERIES, 2020–21              14 July 2020

The impact of COVID-19 on JobSeeker Payment recipient numbers by electorate

Michael Klapdor

Social Policy Section

Christopher Giuliano

Statistics and Mapping Section

Executive summary

•        In the period December 2019 to May 2020, the number of people in receipt of the main income support payments for the unemployed doubled—from around 820,000 to 1,640,000.

•        The main unemployment-related income support payments are JobSeeker Payment and Youth Allowance (Other). JobSeeker Payment replaced Newstart Allowance and a number of other payments on 20 March 2020.

•        Job losses and reduced working hours resulting from government measures to limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus have been the main driver of the increase in income support recipients.

•        A number of other factors have also affected recipient numbers including policy changes to expand eligibility for payments in response to COVID-19, the economic impact of the 2019–20 bushfires in many parts of Australia, and the introduction of the JobKeeper Payment (a wage subsidy).

•        Increases in the number of JobSeeker Payment and Youth Allowance (Other) have varied significantly between electorates. Electorates in south-east Queensland, western Sydney and Melbourne’s west have seen some of the largest increases in the total number of recipients of these payments.

•        These electorates also saw a significant increase in the percentage of the estimated working age population receiving JobSeeker Payment and Youth Allowance (Other).

•        Electorates in Sydney’s eastern and northern suburbs, as well as Melbourne’s eastern suburbs have seen the largest percentage increases, but are coming off a low base of recipient numbers prior to 2020.

•        This Statistical Snapshot sets out a time-series of JobSeeker Payment and Youth Allowance (Other) recipient number estimates in each electorate for the period December 2019 to May 2020.

Introduction

In the period December 2019 to May 2020, the number of people in receipt of the main income support payments for the unemployed doubled—from around 820,000 to 1,640,000.[1] The main reasons for the increase are the COVID-19 pandemic, the social distancing measures and restrictions on businesses and services put in place by Australian governments in response to the pandemic, the job losses that have resulted, and temporary changes to social security to allow more people access to income support.

This Statistical Snapshot examines the impact these measures have had on income support recipient numbers by Commonwealth Electoral Division (CED) (electorate). The estimates for electorates are based on administrative data on recipients by Statistical Area 2 published by the Department of Social Services (DSS). Recipient location data after December 2019 is currently only available for JobSeeker Payment and Youth Allowance (Other) so the analysis is limited to these payments.

This Statistical Snapshot provides summary information on the main income support payments for the unemployed, key changes to these payments made as part of the Australian Government’s response to COVID-19, and an analysis of which electorates have been most affected by changes in income support recipient numbers.

Notes on the data and methodology

DSS has published data for all the main social security payments by electorate for December 2019.[2] For March–May 2020, estimates for each electorate have been derived from the Statistical Area 2 (SA2) data published in each ‘JobSeeker Payment and Youth Allowance recipients monthly profile’ report using population correspondences created by the Parliamentary Library (based on small area population data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)).[3] The SA2 to Commonwealth Electoral Division correspondence was prepared by the Parliamentary Library based on ABS mesh block data and ABS Estimated Resident Population (ERP) data by SA1 as at June 2019.

Where an SA2 crosses CED boundaries, the proportion of the June 2019 ERP in those electorates was used to apportion payment recipient numbers. Due to the conversion of SA2 to CED by ERP, the March, April and May figures are estimates by CED and should be considered indicative only. December 2019 figures are by CED at the source.

The data published by DSS does not disclose the exact number of recipients in an SA2 where it is less than five in order to protect the confidentiality of these recipients. The Parliamentary Library has used an average of the number of recipients in those SA2s with less than five recipients to estimate electorate number totals.

The source for Estimated Resident Population aged 15–64 is the ABS and is for June 2018 (latest available).[4]

JobSeeker Payment and Youth Allowance (Other)

JobSeeker Payment and Youth Allowance (Other) are the main income support payments for those aged 16–65 who are able to work but who do not have the means to support themselves. Other payments may be made to working age people in certain circumstances including:

•        Parenting Payment for those caring for young children

•        Disability Support Pension for those unable to work due to a permanent physical, intellectual or psychiatric condition and

•        Carer Payment for those who provide constant care for someone with a severe disability or illness, or for a frail aged adult.

JobSeeker Payment

JobSeeker Payment is the new name for Newstart Allowance and commenced on 20 March 2020.[5] Two other payments with a small number of recipients have been merged into JobSeeker Payment: Sickness Allowance and Bereavement Allowance.[6]

JobSeeker Payment is paid to those aged between 22 and Age Pension age. It is paid to those looking for work or who are sick or injured and temporarily unable to do their normal work or study. Some JobSeeker Payment recipients are exempt from job search requirements or may have different kinds of activity requirements. This includes people with an illness or a disability that limits their ability to work, those caring for dependent children, and those aged 55 or older. To be eligible, an individual must normally meet residency requirements and income and assets tests.[7]

The maximum payment rate for JobSeeker Payment—including the Energy Supplement paid to all recipients—is $574.50 per fortnight for a single person with no children or $518.70 per fortnight for a partnered person (other payment rates apply in certain circumstances and additional supplements may be payable).[8] For the period 27 April 2020 to 24 September 2020, all JobSeeker Payment recipients also receive the Coronavirus Supplement worth $550 per fortnight.[9]

Youth Allowance (Other)

Youth Allowance (Other)—that is, Youth Allowance for those other than full-time students or apprentices—is paid to those aged between 16 and 21 who are looking for full time work, studying part-time and looking for work, or temporarily unable to work.[10] It includes similar job search and activity requirements as JobSeeker Payment. Eligibility is also dependent on a person meeting residency requirements and income and assets tests. Those not considered independent from their parents or carers also need to meet a parental means test.[11]

The maximum payment rate for Youth Allowance (Other)—including the Energy Supplement paid to all recipients—for a single person aged 18 or over who lives at their parent’s home is $309.20 per fortnight or $469.50 per fortnight for a partnered person with no children (other payment rates apply in certain circumstances and additional supplements may be payable).[12] For the period 27 April 2020 to 24 September 2020, all Youth Allowance recipients will receive the Coronavirus Supplement worth $550 per fortnight.[13]

Changes in response to COVID-19

The Government has made a number of temporary changes to JobSeeker Payment and Youth Allowance (Other) in response to COVID-19 which increase the number of people eligible for these payments and which will have had an impact on the number of recipients. Changes include:

•        expanding eligibility to provide access to sole traders and other self-employed people; permanent employees who have been stood down or who lost their job; and, people who are caring for someone affected by COVID-19

•        waiving the assets test

•        waiving the ordinary waiting period, liquid assets waiting period, newly arrived residents waiting period and the seasonal workers preclusion period and

•        making the partner income test more generous by lowering the amount payment rates are reduced by as a result of partner income.[14]

Most of these changes apply from 25 March 2020 until at least 24 September 2020.[15]

In addition, some temporary changes have been made to make the claims process easier including no longer requiring Employment Separation Certificates, proof of rental arrangements or the verification of a person’s relationship status. These changes also apply for the period 25 March to 24 September 2020.[16]

As noted above, for the period 27 April 2020 to 24 September 2020, all JobSeeker Payment and Youth Allowance recipients will receive the Coronavirus Supplement worth $550 per fortnight. This amount is not included in the income-tested rate component so the supplement does not expand eligibility. That is, the supplement does not increase the income-test cut-off point. If an individual is eligible for even one dollar of the standard JobSeeker Payment rate under the income test, they will receive the full amount of the Coronavirus Supplement. The Coronavirus Supplement is also being paid to a number of other payments including Parenting Payment, student payments, Special Benefit and the Farm Household Allowance.[17]

Impact of COVID-19 on recipient numbers

As at 27 December 2019, there were 733,704 recipients of Newstart Allowance, Sickness Allowance and Bereavement Allowance. As at 22 May 2020, there were 1,472,678 recipients of JobSeeker Payment, the payment that replaced these payments (and the small number of those still to transition to the new payment). This represents an increase of 738,974 or 100.7 per cent. On 27 December 2019, there were 85,316 Youth Allowance (Other) recipients and on 22 May there were 168,095 (an increase of 82,779 or 97.0 per cent). Combined, the total number of recipients of these payments increased from around 820,000 to around 1,640,000.

Table 1 sets out the number of recipients of the main working-age income support payments at selected points from 27 December 2019 to 22 May 2020.

The source for this data is an Answer to a Question on Notice from the Senate COVID-19 Committee—the total recipient numbers for May are different from the other totals given in this Statistical Snapshot as the point in time is one week earlier than the data provided in the DSS monthly reports. This source is used as it provides information on all the main income support payment categories.

Table 1: selected income support payment recipients, December 2019–May 2020

Payment

27/12/2019

28/02/2020

27/03/2020

24/04/2020

22/05/2020

Austudy

27 634

29 748

33 000

35 205

38 807

Carer Payment

284 252

286 773

290 126

292 766

294 163

Disability Support Pension

751 773

752 047

752 191

753 336

754 263

JobSeeker Payment

n/a

792 814

1 221 419

1 471 534

Newstart Allowance

728 405

724 628

Parenting Payment Partnered

68 087

67 971

67 552

70 494

86 249

Parenting Payment Single

228 606

228 794

230 702

233 618

240 662

Youth Allowance (other)

85 316

85 736

93 399

121 617

168 095

Youth Allowance (student and apprentice)

134 456

157 145

168 997

184 301

207 562

Combined Newstart Allowance*

733 704

730 136

Combined JobSeeker Payment*

797 941

1 224 555

1 472 678

*Recipients of Combined Newstart Allowance and Combined JobSeeker Payment include recipients of Bereavement Allowance and Sickness Allowance as these payments have been subsumed into JobSeeker Payment. A small number of Sickness Allowance and Bereavement Allowance recipients were still to transfer to JobSeeker Payment during the period March–May. December 2019 is Newstart Allowance and Sickness Allowance only as data on Bereavement Allowance not available.

Note: data is for recipients who are entitled to be paid at the point in time. Newstart Allowance and JobSeeker Payment numbers exclude those who have a zero-rate of payment.

Sources: Department of Social Services (DSS), ‘DSS Demographics December 2019’, data.gov.au website, last updated 21 April 2020; DSS, ‘JobSeeker Payment and Youth Allowance recipients monthly profile: May 2020’, data.gov.au website, last updated 19 June 2020; Senate Select Committee on COVID-19, Answers to written questions on notice by the Department of Social Services, Question reference number SQ20-000453.

Job losses and reduced working hours resulting from government measures to limit the spread of the virus have, undoubtedly, been the main driver of the increase in income support recipients. However, a number of other factors will have affected the growth in recipient numbers since December 2019:

•        policy changes to expand eligibility for payments in response to COVID-19

•        the economic impact of the 2019–20 bushfires in many parts of Australia and

•        the introduction of the JobKeeper Payment (a wage subsidy).

The introduction of the JobKeeper Payment will have reduced the number of people claiming social security payments by providing income to eligible individuals who have been stood down or who have had their working hours reduced, as well as subsidising the wages of businesses facing a downturn in revenue.

The JobKeeper Payment was announced on 30 March 2020 and provides $1,500 per fortnight to eligible employees paid through their employer.[18] The JobKeeper Payment is considered income for the purposes of the social security income test. This means that most people would be ineligible to receive both JobKeeper Payment and a social security payment at the same time.[19] However, some groups, including single parents, those aged 60 or over and some pensioners may be eligible to receive JobKeeper Payment and a part-rate social security payment.[20] This will depend on their specific circumstances such as whether they have any other sources of income.

Impact by state and territory

There have been significant differences in terms of the growth in recipient numbers in different states and territories. New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland have seen the largest increases in the total number of recipients and high percentage increases from December 2019 to May 2020. While the Australian Capital Territory has had the largest percentage increase in recipient numbers this comes off a very low base in December 2019. Table 2 sets out the change in recipient numbers for Newstart Allowance, Sickness Allowance and Youth Allowance (Other) in December 2019 and for JobSeeker Payment and Youth Allowance (Other) from March 2020.

Table 2: Newstart Allowance and Sickness Allowance, JobSeeker Payment and Youth Allowance (Other) recipients by state or territory, December 2019–May 2020

State or territory

December 2019

March 2020

April 2020

May 2020

Difference Dec 19 to May 2020

% change Dec 19 to May 2020

NSW

225 900

245 422

385 307

476 784

+250 884

+111%

Vic.

179 049

193 586

312 895

389 229

+210 180

+117%

Qld.

191 903

210 249

317 217

379 687

+187 784

+98%

SA

73 738

78 421

108 145

126 375

+52 637

+71%

WA

98 318

105 493

148 956

181 348

+83 030

+84%

Tas.

24 561

25 803

34 322

39 857

+15 296

+62%

NT

18 656

19 931

23 744

26 369

+7 713

+41%

ACT

6 600

7 135

11 940

14 858

+8 258

+125%

Total

818 893

886 213

1 343 036

1 635 286

+816 393

+100%

Notes: December 2019 is the total number of recipients of Newstart Allowance, Sickness Allowance and Youth Allowance (Other). March, April and May 2020 is the total number of recipients of JobSeeker Payment and Youth Allowance (Other).

Sources: DSS, ‘DSS Demographics December 2019’, data.gov.au website, last updated 21 April 2020; DSS, ‘JobSeeker Payment and Youth Allowance recipients monthly profile: March 2020’, data.gov.au website, last updated 15 May 2020; DSS, ‘JobSeeker Payment and Youth Allowance recipients monthly profile: May 2020’, data.gov.au website, last updated 19 June 2020.

Impact by electorate

The impact of COVID-19 (and the other factors described above) on JobSeeker Payment and Youth Allowance (Other) recipient numbers has varied significantly between electorates. There are different ways of assessing the impact: increases in the total number of recipients, percentage increases and changes in the percentage of the working-age population receiving payments. This section assesses the impact on different electorates using each of these methods.

In terms of increases in the total number of JobSeeker Payment recipients, Coalition-held electorates in south-east Queensland and Labor-held electorates in western Sydney and Melbourne’s west have seen very large increases in recipient numbers, alongside Richmond in the north-east corner of New South Wales, Leichhardt in far north Queensland and the Greens-held inner-city electorate of Melbourne. Table 3 sets out the ten electorates which saw the largest increase in recipient numbers of Newstart Allowance and Sickness Allowance in December 2019, to JobSeeker Payment in May 2020.

The lowest increases in total numbers were in the ACT and Tasmanian electorates; the NSW electorates of Parkes, Berowra and Riverina; and Capricornia in Queensland.

Table 3: electorates with the largest increase in the number of JobSeeker Payment recipients from December 2019 to May 2020

Electorate

State

Party

Newstart and Sickness Allowance–December 2019

JobSeeker Payment–May 2020

Difference Dec19 to May 2020

% change – Dec 19 to May 20

Moncrieff

Qld.

LNP

5 951

15 037

+9 086

+153%

Blaxland

NSW

ALP

6 446

14 581

+8 135

+126%

Calwell

Vic.

ALP

8 422

16 534

+8 112

+96%

Fadden

Qld.

LNP

5 640

13 618

+7 978

+141%

Watson

NSW

ALP

4 955

12 795

+7 840

+158%

Lalor

Vic.

ALP

5 468

13 300

+7 832

+143%

Richmond

NSW

ALP

6 410

14 155

+7 745

+121%

McPherson

Qld.

LNP

3 977

11 598

+7 621

+192%

Leichhardt

Qld.

LNP

9 755

17 372

+7 617

+78%

Melbourne

Vic.

GRN

4 473

11 939

+7 466

+167%

Sources: Parliamentary Library estimates based on DSS, ‘DSS Demographics December 2019’, data.gov.au website, last updated 21 April 2020; DSS, ‘JobSeeker Payment and Youth Allowance recipients monthly profile: May 2020’, data.gov.au website, last updated 19 June 2020.

In terms of percentage increases, the electorates that have experienced the biggest change in JobSeeker Payment numbers are primarily Coalition-held electorates in Sydney’s east and north, and Melbourne’s inner-east (the exception is Warringah held by Independent MP Zali Steggall). These electorates are relatively wealthy and had few payment recipients prior to COVID-19. Hence, the large percentage increases are from a much lower base than other electorates. These electorates should not be considered the most affected by COVID-19—the actual increase in recipient numbers is much less than other electorates. The percentage increases do show that even prosperous areas have been affected.

Table 4 sets out the ten electorates which saw the largest percentage increase in recipient numbers of Newstart Allowance and Sickness Allowance in December 2019, to JobSeeker Payment in May 2020.

The lowest percentage increases were primarily in electorates which already had a relatively high number of income support recipients including Lingiari in the Northern Territory, Grey and Spence in South Australia, and Durack in Western Australia. The New South Wales electorates of Parkes and New England, and the Tasmanian electorate of Braddon also saw below-50% increases in JobSeeker Payment recipients between December 2019 and May 2020.

Table 4: electorates with the largest percentage increase in JobSeeker Payment recipients from December 2019 to May 2020

Electorate

State

Party

Newstart and Sickness Allowance–December 2019

JobSeeker Payment–May 2020

Difference Dec 19 to May 20

% change – Dec 19 to May 20

Wentworth

NSW

LP

1 090

5 688

+4 598

+422%

Warringah

NSW

IND

1 031

4 814

+3 783

+367%

Bradfield

NSW

LP

977

4 331

+3 354

+343%

North Sydney

NSW

LP

1 080

4 785

+3 705

+343%

Mackellar

NSW

LP

1 256

5 093

+3 837

+306%

Kooyong

Vic.

LP

1 212

4 842

+3 630

+300%

Mitchell

NSW

LP

1 328

5 160

+3 832

+289%

Reid

NSW

LP

2 217

8 071

+5 854

+264%

Higgins

Vic.

LP

1 766

6 360

+4 594

+260%

Berowra

NSW

LP

1 137

4 088

+2 951

+260%

Sources: Parliamentary Library estimates based on DSS, ‘DSS Demographics December 2019’, data.gov.au website, last updated 21 April 2020; DSS, ‘JobSeeker Payment and Youth Allowance recipients monthly profile: May 2020’, data.gov.au website, last updated 19 June 2020.

The largest increases in the total number of Youth Allowance (Other) recipients occurred in similar areas to JobSeeker Payment: south-east Queensland, the north-east New South Wales seat of Richmond, and Reid in western Sydney. Table 5 sets out the ten electorates which saw the largest increase in Youth Allowance (Other) recipient numbers from December 2019 to May 2020.

Table 5: electorates with the largest increase in the number of Youth Allowance (Other) recipients from December 2019 to May 2020

Electorate

State

Party

December 2019

May 2020

Difference Dec 19 to May 20

% change – Dec 19 to May 20

Fadden

Qld.

LNP

660

1 824

+1 164

+176%

Leichhardt

Qld.

LNP

1 194

2 280

+1 086

+91%

Forde

Qld.

LNP

1 032

2 099

+1 067

+103%

Moncrieff

Qld.

LNP

571

1 623

+1 052

+184%

Richmond

NSW

ALP

614

1 655

+1 041

+169%

McPherson

Qld.

LNP

389

1 403

+1 014

+261%

Longman

Qld.

LNP

1 175

2 169

+994

+85%

Fisher

Qld.

LNP

636

1 604

+968

+152%

Chifley

NSW

ALP

749

1 713

+964

+129%

Blair

Qld.

ALP

1 380

2 326

+946

+69%

Sources: Parliamentary Library estimates based on DSS, ‘DSS Demographics December 2019’, data.gov.au website, last updated 21 April 2020; DSS, ‘JobSeeker Payment and Youth Allowance recipients monthly profile: May 2020’, data.gov.au website, last updated 19 June 2020.

In terms of percentage increases, the electorates which have seen the biggest change are also primarily Coalition-held seats in Sydney’s east and north; the Independent-held seat of Warringah; and Menzies in Melbourne’s outer-east. These electorates all had relatively few Youth Allowance (Other) recipients in December 2019. The increase in the total number of recipients in these electorates is much smaller than in other electorates and these seats should not be considered the most affected by COVID-19.

Table 6 sets out the ten electorates which have had the largest percentage increase in Youth Allowance (Other) recipients from December 2019 to May 2020.

Table 6: electorates with the largest percentage increase in Youth Allowance (Other) recipients from December 2019 to May 2020

Electorate

State

Party

December 2019

May 2020

Difference Dec 19 to May 20

% change – Dec 19 to May 20

Mackellar

NSW.

LP

64

405

+341

+533%

Wentworth

NSW

LP

39

223

+184

+473%

North Sydney

NSW

LP

35

171

+136

+389%

Warringah

NSW

IND

62

290

+228

+367%

Cook

NSW

LP

102

445

+343

+337%

Berowra

NSW

LP

71

299

+228

+322%

Bradfield

NSW

LP

47

198

+151

+320%

Hughes

NSW

LP

124

479

+355

+286%

Menzies

Vic.

LP

99

380

+281

+283%

Mitchell

NSW

LP

98

375

+277

+283%

Sources: Parliamentary Library estimates based on DSS, ‘DSS Demographics December 2019’, data.gov.au website, last updated 21 April 2020; DSS, ‘JobSeeker Payment and Youth Allowance recipients monthly profile: May 2020’, data.gov.au website, last updated 19 June 2020.

Another way of considering the impact of COVID-19 by electorate is examining the number of payment recipients as a proportion of the working-age population. This analysis uses ABS data from June 2018 on the estimated resident population in each electorate aged 15–64. This does not provide an exact measure but provides an indication of the percentage of the eligible population group in an electorate receiving payments and how this has changed as a result of COVID-19.

Table 7 sets out the electorates with the biggest change in the estimated percentage of the population in receipt of Newstart Allowance and Sickness Allowance + Youth Allowance (Other) in December 2019 and in receipt of JobSeeker Payment and Youth Allowance (Other) in May 2020.

Table 7: electorates with the largest increase in the percentage of the population aged 15–64 in receipt of either JobSeeker Payment or Youth Allowance (Other) from December 2019 to May 2020

Electorate

State

Party

Newstart Allowance and Sickness Allowance + Youth Allowance (Other)  Dec 2019 as % of pop. 15–64

JobSeeker Payment + Youth Allowance (Other) May 2020 as % of pop. 15–64

Percentage point difference December 2019 to May 2020

Moncrieff

Qld.

LNP

5.1%

13.0%

+7.9

Richmond

NSW

ALP

6.2%

13.9%

+7.7

McPherson

Qld.

LNP

3.8%

11.4%

+7.6

Calwell

Vic.

ALP

7.1%

14.1%

+6.9

Leichhardt

Qld.

LNP

8.2%

14.8%

+6.5

Wide Bay

Qld.

LNP

8.2%

14.5%

+6.3

Fadden

Qld.

LNP

4.3%

10.5%

+6.2

Hinkler

Qld.

LNP

10.4%

16.6%

+6.2

Lalor

Vic.

ALP

4.3%

10.5%

+6.1

Fairfax

Qld.

LNP

4.5%

10.6%

+6.1

Sources: Parliamentary Library estimates based on DSS, ‘DSS Demographics December 2019’, data.gov.au website, last updated 21 April 2020; DSS, ‘JobSeeker Payment and Youth Allowance recipients monthly profile: May 2020’, data.gov.au website, last updated 19 June 2020. Source for ERP ages 15-64 is Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), Regional population by age and sex, Australia 2018, cat. no. 3235.0, ABS, Canberra, 29 August 2019.

Lingiari and Hinkler remained the electorates with the largest proportion of the working-age population in receipt of these income support payments in December 2019 and May 2020. A number of electorates experienced significant increases in the proportion of people receiving income support during this period to place them amongst the ten electorates with the highest percentage of the working-age population reliant on JobSeeker Payment or Youth Allowance (Other). These include Calwell, Moncrieff and Richmond.

Table 8 sets out those electorates estimated to have the largest percentage of the population aged 15–64 in receipt of JobSeeker Payment or Youth Allowance (Other) in December 2019 and in May 2020.

Table 8: electorates with the largest percentage of the population aged 15–64 in receipt of either JobSeeker Payment or Youth Allowance (Other) in December 2019 and May 2020

December 2019

May 2020

Electorate

State

Party

%

Electorate

State

Party

%

Lingiari

NT

ALP

15.0%

Lingiari

NT

ALP

19.4%

Hinkler

Qld.

LNP

10.4%

Hinkler

Qld.

LNP

16.6%

Spence

SA

ALP

10.0%

Leichhardt

Qld.

LNP

14.8%

Grey

SA

LP

9.3%

Spence

SA

ALP

14.7%

Durack

WA

LP

8.6%

Wide Bay

Qld.

LNP

14.5%

Page

NSW

NATS

8.6%

Page

NSW

NATS

14.1%

Leichhardt

Qld.

LNP

8.2%

Calwell

Vic.

ALP

14.1%

Wide Bay

Qld.

LNP

8.2%

Richmond

NSW

ALP

13.9%

Braddon

Tas.

LP

8.1%

Grey

SA

LP

13.2%

Parkes

NSW

NATS

7.8%

Moncrieff

Qld.

LNP

13.0%

Sources: Parliamentary Library estimates based on DSS, ‘DSS Demographics December 2019’, data.gov.au website, last updated 21 April 2020; DSS, ‘JobSeeker Payment and Youth Allowance recipients monthly profile: May 2020’, data.gov.au website, last updated 19 June 2020. Source for ERP ages 15-64 is Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), Regional population by age and sex, Australia 2018, cat. no. 3235.0, ABS, Canberra, 29 August 2019.

Changes by electorate

Table 9 sets out the number of recipients of these payments in each electorate on the last Friday in December 2019, March 2020, April 2020 and May 2020. Geographical data for January and February 2020 has not been published.

Table 9: estimates of Newstart Allowance and Sickness Allowance, JobSeeker Payment and Youth Allowance (Other) recipients by Commonwealth Electoral Division, December 2019–May 2020

State or territory

Division

Newstart Allowance + Sickness Allowance

JobSeeker Payment

Youth Allowance (Other)

Dec-19

Mar-20

Apr-20

May-20

Dec-19

Mar-20

Apr-20

May-20

NSW

Banks

2 983

3 142

6 088

7 889

173

175

303

541

NSW

Barton

2 987

3 368

7 239

9 680

161

169

313

594

NSW

Bennelong

2 135

2 296

5 105

7 144

128

107

195

365

NSW

Berowra

1 137

1 263

2 777

4 088

71

75

127

299

NSW

Blaxland

6 446

7 009

11 677

14 581

363

409

669

1 160

NSW

Bradfield

977

1 143

2 936

4 331

47

46

95

198

NSW

Calare

5 303

5 648

7 611

8 488

807

907

1 098

1 403

NSW

Chifley

6 884

7 275

10 528

12 778

749

858

1 144

1 713

NSW

Cook

1 586

1 871

4 228

5 568

102

105

216

445

NSW

Cowper

7 765

8 417

11 613

12 970

1 109

1 262

1 565

2 025

NSW

Cunningham

4 595

4 958

7 595

8 695

582

617

824

1 117

NSW

Dobell

5 585

6 154

9 183

10 604

810

888

1 157

1 565

NSW

Eden-Monaro

3 627

4 001

6 049

7 143

407

463

599

892

NSW

Farrer

5 785

6 045

8 135

9 266

754

806

1 028

1 381

NSW

Fowler

9 121

9 708

13 542

15 971

498

537

793

1 212

NSW

Gilmore

5 469

5 858

8 504

9 812

683

782

981

1 341

NSW

Grayndler

2 728

2 912

6 276

7 864

137

149

253

465

NSW

Greenway

3 444

3 948

6 750

8 852

347

381

536

877

NSW

Hughes

1 434

1 625

3 384

4 586

124

137

239

479

NSW

Hume

3 029

3 238

5 233

6 544

302

344

515

862

NSW

Hunter

5 516

5 839

8 338

9 537

834

917

1 142

1 497

NSW

Kingsford Smith

2 461

2 640

5 640

7 465

155

143

255

501

NSW

Lindsay

4 899

5 450

8 431

10 176

631

753

1 025

1 472

NSW

Lyne

6 353

6 734

8 987

10 204

823

946

1 159

1 464

NSW

Macarthur

5 206

5 688

9 166

11 523

652

701

1 008

1 503

NSW

Mackellar

1 256

1 352

3 520

5 093

64

74

154

405

NSW

Macquarie

3 011

3 258

5 415

6 632

322

354

539

801

NSW

McMahon

7 646

8 334

11 642

13 833

541

570

801

1 250

NSW

Mitchell

1 328

1 536

3 619

5 160

98

104

184

375

NSW

New England

6 559

7 024

8 839

9 764

1 124

1 232

1 440

1 744

NSW

Newcastle

5 272

5 647

8 729

9 643

740

815

1 030

1 343

NSW

North Sydney

1 080

1 214

3 215

4 785

35

40

69

171

NSW

Page

7 853

8 404

11 223

12 760

1 106

1 238

1 501

1 945

NSW

Parkes

7 480

7 826

9 571

10 361

1 258

1 420

1 603

1 925

NSW

Parramatta

4 652

5 107

8 719

11 229

282

289

460

730

NSW

Paterson

5 749

6 370

9 178

10 438

941

1 086

1 366

1 801

NSW

Reid

2 217

2 491

5 778

8 071

105

89

195

381

NSW

Richmond

6 410

6 907

12 114

14 155

614

705

1 066

1 655

NSW

Riverina

5 349

5 708

7 420

8 350

797

885

1 066

1 375

NSW

Robertson

4 090

4 457

7 233

8 701

471

528

706

1 087

NSW

Shortland

4 202

4 607

6 822

7 908

633

683

898

1 261

NSW

Sydney

3 916

4 248

8 701

10 934

176

198

277

443

NSW

Warringah

1 031

1 234

3 257

4 814

62

65

115

290

NSW

Watson

4 955

5 413

10 088

12 795

280

291

523

899

NSW

Wentworth

1 090

1 354

4 025

5 688

39

55

94

223

NSW

Werriwa

6 464

7 183

10 701

13 229

472

550

807

1 319

NSW

Whitlam

4 547

4 812

7 309

8 441

656

753

998

1 372

Vic

Aston

3 090

3 317

5 939

7 651

247

279

410

692

Vic

Ballarat

5 405

5 811

8 431

9 490

736

819

1 037

1 329

Vic

Bendigo

5 130

5 462

7 714

9 025

653

686

905

1 254

Vic

Bruce

6 936

7 271

11 120

13 923

562

578

792

1 208

Vic

Calwell

8 422

9 095

13 682

16 534

801

842

1 121

1 671

Vic

Casey

3 258

3 499

5 897

7 440

324

317

489

847

Vic

Chisholm

2 348

2 608

5 159

6 892

199

189

269

405

Vic

Cooper

4 368

4 801

9 033

10 669

295

337

449

664

Vic

Corangamite

2 900

3 135

5 906

7 200

295

292

482

823

Vic

Corio

5 624

5 921

8 696

9 870

674

736

961

1 281

Vic

Deakin

3 045

3 345

5 773

7 155

257

241

369

591

Vic

Dunkley

4 675

4 978

7 851

9 607

453

486

703

1 061

Vic

Flinders

3 505

3 762

6 383

7 752

291

315

490

853

Vic

Fraser

7 896

8 404

12 415

14 919

480

485

664

1 018

Vic

Gellibrand

4 281

4 461

7 742

9 721

298

293

425

658

Vic

Gippsland

6 787

7 233

9 249

10 646

808

875

1 044

1 345

Vic

Goldstein

1 603

1 747

3 763

5 108

82

82

163

307

Vic

Gorton

6 127

6 717

10 466

12 970

642

687

926

1 365

Vic

Higgins

1 766

2 040

4 968

6 360

99

94

164

318

Vic

Holt

4 800

5 317

9 031

11 708

578

651

857

1 380

Vic

Hotham

2 915

3 262

6 161

7 961

183

201

300

505

Vic

Indi

4 594

4 877

6 866

8 184

524

573

728

1 030

Vic

Isaacs

2 940

3 339

5 926

7 558

196

229

342

575

Vic

Jagajaga

2 654

2 863

5 189

6 448

171

196

279

458

Vic

Kooyong

1 212

1 370

3 597

4 842

72

72

123

250

Vic

La Trobe

3 578

3 979

6 941

8 927

389

459

651

1 076

Vic

Lalor

5 468

6 017

10 255

13 300

581

614

851

1 270

Vic

Macnamara

3 052

3 425

7 446

9 428

136

139

231

421

Vic

Mallee

6 426

6 694

8 589

9 752

757

828

1 005

1 341

Vic

Maribyrnong

3 664

4 360

7 897

9 500

237

269

415

653

Vic

McEwen

3 039

3 405

5 994

7 708

327

364

518

849

Vic

Melbourne

4 473

4 935

10 056

11 939

264

243

394

572

Vic

Menzies

1 879

2 093

4 480

6 054

99

99

197

380

Vic

Monash

5 299

5 575

7 829

9 219

473

518

702

1 018

Vic

Nicholls

6 172

6 488

8 469

9 571

698

754

940

1 282

Vic

Scullin

5 064

5 460

8 893

11 096

440

461

659

1 027

Vic

Wannon

5 411

5 747

7 660

8 649

640

696

883

1 151

Vic

Wills

3 974

4 467

9 019

10 755

287

298

468

757

Qld

Blair

7 400

8 158

11 036

12 877

1 380

1 493

1 825

2 326

Qld

Bonner

3 192

3 427

5 828

7 286

405

409

577

870

Qld

Bowman

3 963

4 322

6 861

8 426

478

513

697

1 082

Qld

Brisbane

3 854

4 202

8 420

9 970

348

351

576

853

Qld

Capricornia

5 335

5 677

7 378

8 332

786

856

1 059

1 403

Qld

Dawson

5 245

5 783

8 720

10 022

679

774

994

1 403

Qld

Dickson

3 553

3 852

6 335

7 782

598

668

849

1 233

Qld

Fadden

5 640

6 181

11 462

13 618

660

813

1 186

1 824

Qld

Fairfax

4 835

5 333

9 507

11 262

634

741

1 105

1 578

Qld

Fisher

4 607

4 999

8 816

10 626

636

742

1 093

1 604

Qld

Flynn

7 034

7 631

9 676

10 846

976

1 128

1 334

1 666

Qld

Forde

6 405

7 025

10 918

13 305

1 032

1 155

1 489

2 099

Qld

Griffith

3 598

4 084

7 712

9 403

374

419

628

928

Qld

Groom

5 191

5 611

7 640

8 670

1 016

1 082

1 315

1 704

Qld

Herbert

7 211

7 746

10 671

11 997

1 173

1 272

1 549

2 047

Qld

Hinkler

7 707

8 294

10 988

12 171

1 158

1 296

1 567

1 954

Qld

Kennedy

8 733

9 428

12 120

13 611

1 148

1 325

1 550

1 969

Qld

Leichhardt

9 755

10 558

15 971

17 372

1 194

1 413

1 739

2 280

Qld

Lilley

3 971

4 384

7 490

8 951

477

518

708

1 002

Qld

Longman

7 034

7 708

10 959

12 850

1 175

1 313

1 644

2 169

Qld

Maranoa

5 755

6 141

7 680

8 851

881

1 002

1 193

1 506

Qld

McPherson

3 977

4 487

9 409

11 598

389

492

859

1 403

Qld

Moncrieff

5 951

6 484

12 752

15 037

571

664

1 015

1 623

Qld

Moreton

4 327

4 827

8 029

9 814

507

557

705

1 012

Qld

Oxley

6 250

7 000

10 351

12 514

924

1 066

1 332

1 792

Qld

Petrie

5 656

6 139

9 484

11 408

888

997

1 328

1 790

Qld

Rankin

7 787

8 693

12 568

14 859

1 301

1 373

1 726

2 237

Qld

Ryan

2 104

2 332

4 469

5 799

295

274

412

641

Qld

Wide Bay

6 951

7 285

10 718

12 324

1 006

1 054

1 342

1 795

Qld

Wright

5 086

5 852

8 714

10 722

667

824

1 095

1 559

SA

Adelaide

6 455

6 943

10 701

12 370

539

557

722

998

SA

Barker

6 936

7 340

9 378

10 725

766

855

1 019

1 365

SA

Boothby

4 390

4 719

7 466

8 671

423

421

583

809

SA

Grey

9 656

10 129

12 328

13 532

1 152

1 266

1 452

1 746

SA

Hindmarsh

6 109

6 494

9 687

11 244

574

607

786

1 084

SA

Kingston

6 695

7 039

10 009

11 520

853

935

1 147

1 559

SA

Makin

5 729

6 255

8 965

10 588

630

697

906

1 237

SA

Mayo

4 609

4 990

7 478

8 899

474

518

686

1 063

SA

Spence

12 144

12 800

15 809

17 756

1 602

1 651

1 915

2 349

SA

Sturt

3 684

3 899

6 700

8 212

319

310

413

648

WA

Brand

7 013

7 506

10 489

12 592

953

1 005

1 210

1 681

WA

Burt

7 527

8 016

10 899

13 039

1 084

1 143

1 301

1 687

WA

Canning

5 955

6 474

8 788

10 505

767

842

1 051

1 401

WA

Cowan

5 524

5 796

8 505

10 283

644

652

839

1 202

WA

Curtin

2 042

2 243

4 215

5 349

157

158

233

378

WA

Durack

9 751

10 401

12 655

14 310

1 323

1 507

1 678

2 143

WA

Forrest

5 599

5 920

8 646

10 332

719

774

972

1 384

WA

Fremantle

5 085

5 442

8 292

10 082

548

607

752

1 056

WA

Hasluck

5 380

5 806

7 986

9 521

679

708

872

1 165

WA

Moore

2 662

2 856

4 971

6 434

264

296

434

725

WA

O'Connor

6 474

6 826

8 543

9 880

684

727

885

1 222

WA

Pearce

6 290

6 898

10 131

12 538

906

1 005

1 260

1 792

WA

Perth

5 072

5 521

8 744

10 388

426

423

556

807

WA

Stirling

5 471

5 728

8 653

10 219

518

506

656

877

WA

Swan

5 635

6 155

9 221

10 971

663

691

870

1 199

WA

Tangney

2 247

2 579

4 274

5 638

205

242

316

481

Tas

Bass

5 271

5 519

7 079

7 957

815

821

979

1 204

Tas

Braddon

4 767

4 967

6 208

7 090

744

780

880

1 069

Tas

Clark

3 719

3 947

5 816

6 543

575

611

759

928

Tas

Franklin

2 970

3 185

4 618

5 514

491

526

663

887

Tas

Lyons

4 559

4 776

6 493

7 624

649

674

824

1 036

NT

Lingiari

12 619

13 144

14 820

15 967

1 666

1 986

2 178

2 469

NT

Solomon

3 872

4 262

6 071

7 050

526

571

722

944

ACT

Bean

2 023

2 145

3 498

4 298

241

267

363

571

ACT

Canberra

1 814

1 937

3 351

4 053

185

182

267

404

ACT

Fenner

2 079

2 332

4 086

4 988

258

282

417

606

Sources: Parliamentary Library estimates based on: DSS, ‘DSS Demographics December 2019’, data.gov.au website, last updated 21 April 2020; DSS, ‘JobSeeker Payment and Youth Allowance recipients monthly profile: May 2020’, data.gov.au website, last updated 19 June 2020.

Original data by ABS Statistical Area 2 (SA2) For March, April and May 2020 was converted to Commonwealth Electoral Division (CED) by summing SA2s into electorates based on ABS small area population data (correspondence data). The SA2 to CED correspondence was prepared by Parliamentary Library based on ABS mesh block data and ABS Estimated Resident Population (ERP) by SA1 as at June 2019. Where an SA2 crosses CED boundaries, the proportion of the June 2019 ERP in those electorates was used to apportion payment recipient numbers.

Due to the conversion of SA2 to CED by ERP, the March, April and May figures are estimates by CED and should be considered indicative only. December 2019 figures are by CED at the source.

© Commonwealth of Australia

Creative Commons

With the exception of the Commonwealth Coat of Arms, and to the extent that copyright subsists in a third party, this publication, its logo and front page design are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Australia licence.

In essence, you are free to copy and communicate this work in its current form for all non-commercial purposes, as long as you attribute the work to the author and abide by the other licence terms. The work cannot be adapted or modified in any way. Content from this publication should be attributed in the following way: Author(s), Title of publication, Series Name and No, Publisher, Date.

To the extent that copyright subsists in third party quotes it remains with the original owner and permission may be required to reuse the material.

Inquiries regarding the licence and any use of the publication are welcome to webmanager@aph.gov.au.

This work has been prepared to support the work of the Australian Parliament using information available at the time of production. The views expressed do not reflect an official position of the Parliamentary Library, nor do they constitute professional legal opinion.

Any concerns or complaints should be directed to the Parliamentary Librarian. Parliamentary Library staff are available to discuss the contents of publications with Senators and Members and their staff. To access this service, clients may contact the author or the Library’s Central Enquiry Point for referral.

[1].               Department of Social Services (DSS), ‘JobSeeker Payment and Youth Allowance recipients monthly profile: May 2020’, data.gov.au website, last updated 19 June 2020. All hyperlinks correct as at 14 July 2020.

[2].               DSS, ‘DSS Demographics December 2019’, data.gov.au website, last updated 21 April 2020.

[3].               DSS, ‘JobSeeker Payment and Youth Allowance recipients monthly profile: May 2020’, op. cit.

[4].               Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), Regional population by age and sex, Australia 2018, cat. no. 3235.0, ABS, Canberra, 29 August 2019.

[5].               Services Australia (SA), ‘JobSeeker Payment’, SA website, last updated 11 June 2020.

[6].               D Arthur, ‘JobSeeker Payment: a quick guide’, Research paper series, 2019–20, Parliamentary Library, Canberra, 13 March 2020.

[7].               SA, ‘JobSeeker Payment’, op. cit.

[8].               SA, ‘JobSeeker Payment: How much you can get’, SA website, last updated 19 May 2020; SA, ‘Energy Supplement: How much you can get: Payment rates on a pension or allowance’, SA website, last updated 29 May 2020.

[9].               SA, ‘Coronavirus Supplement: How much you can get’, SA website, last updated 1 June 2020.

[10].               SA, ‘Youth Allowance for jobseekers’, SA website, last updated 21 April 2020.

[11].               SA, ‘Youth Allowance for students and apprentices: How much you can get: Income test’, SA website, last updated 24 June 2020.

[12].               SA, ‘Youth Allowance for jobseekers: How much you can get’, SA website, last updated 29 May 2020; SA, ‘Energy Supplement: How much you can get: Payment rates on Youth Allowance’, SA website, last updated 29 May 2020.

[13].               SA, ‘Coronavirus Supplement: How much you can get’, op. cit.

[14].               DSS, ‘Coronavirus (COVID-19) information and support’, DSS website, last updated 1 June 2020.

[15].               The waiver of the ordinary waiting period commenced 12 March 2020 via the Social Security (Ordinary Waiting Period Exemption) Instrument 2020 and was extended until at least 24 September 2020 by the Social Security (Coronavirus Economic Response—2020 Measures No. 7) Determination 2020. DSS, ‘Government response to Coronavirus’, Social security guide, DSS website, last reviewed 2 June 2020.

[16].               Ibid.

[17].               SA, ‘Coronavirus Supplement: Who can get it’, SA website, last updated 1 June 2020.

[18].               S Morrison (Prime Minister) and J Frydenberg (Treasurer), $130 billion jobkeeper payment to keep Australians in a job, media release, 30 March 2020.

[19].               SA, ‘JobSeeker Payment: Getting JobKeeper payment’, SA website, last updated 11 May 2020.

[20].               See details of the income limits for various payments in SA, A guide to Australian Government payments: 1 July–19 September 2020, SA, 2020, pp. 37–41.