The rebuilding of Australia’s social security system continues in the 2024 budget, with the investment of $2.8 million in Government Services.
Services Australia will receive $1.8 billion over three years to fund more service delivery staff; 4,030 new staff will join the agency in 2024-25, and another 3,530 the following year.
This is in addition last week’s announcement that Services Australia resources would be rebalanced towards frontline services.
Government Services Minister Bill Shorten said he intended to continue investing in staff across the Department of Social Services.
“After almost a decade of outsourcing, reduced service outcomes and underinvestment by the former government, this is part of the government’s investment in restoring the Australian Public Service,” he said.
“This funding demonstrates the Albanese Government’s commitment to providing the most efficient, helpful and secure government services to all Australians.”
Services Australia is one of the Australian government’s most beleaguered agencies, with trust in the welfare system shattered by the long-running robodebt scandal.
Shorten indicated he knew this earlier this year, and committed to rebuilding the agency.
Security is an acute issue for Services Australia staff, following the stabbing of a staff member at Melbourne’s Airport West office.
There will be another $314 million devoted to security, which includes establishing a centralised security operations centre with live monitoring and better CCTV.
This is a signal the government intends to move relatively quickly on the recommendations of the Ashton review, which examined how to better protect frontline government workers.
The budget flags more investment in the public digital infrastructure that is increasingly needed to support cooperation between the welfare and health systems.
MyGov will receive $630 million to sustain and enhance MyGov over four years and $145 million per year ongoing to improve security and fraud prevention, and better communication systems.
Paired with the Department of Health’s ongoing digitisation project, this unglamorous investment is intended to create a system that can be better trusted with personal and biometric information.
With health one of the areas set to benefit most from the adoption of new technologies, this will be essential to making sure people feel more comfortable taking up new services.
But it’s not all unglamorous news. Rent assistance will increase by 10% at an initial cost of $1.9 billion over five years, then $500 million per year ongoing. New parents will benefit from the previously announced Paid Parental Leave increases.
Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth said this would benefit nearly a million households.
“The ABS has shown that the boost to Rent Assistance in the last Budget has directly taken the pressure off CPI rents,” she said.
“The further increase to rent assistance will have a positive impact on vulnerable cohorts. In particular, single women, including single parents, make up around 51 per cent of Commonwealth Rent Assistance recipient households who are eligible for the maximum payment rate.”
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