Andrew Leigh

CHARITY JOBS AT RISK

The future of hundreds of charity workers remain in limbo as they continue urging the Morrison Government to further revise the JobKeeper program.

In spite of initial changes to the program’s requirements, major charities - including Oxfam, Anglicare, UnitingCare, Fred Hollows Foundation, the Samaritans, St Vincent de Paul, Wesley Mission Queensland and many of our major medical research institutes - say they cannot meet the test of a 15 per cent drop in revenue required for charities to qualify.

According to a survey this week by the Australian Council of Social Service, many charities are expecting to have to shed jobs as a result of the drop in donations. They estimate that 37 per cent of anticipated job losses will still occur in organisations whose overall revenue loss is likely to be less than 15 per cent.

These charities operate essential services, including food pantries, disability services and early childhood centres. In the Prime Minister’s own electorate of Cook, Uniting Early Learning has three services that will be ineligible for JobKeeper payments.

Labor will today call for a further revision of the JobKeeper program to allow greater access to payments for charities, who are already under pressure from to decreases in donations and volunteers.

Australians needs charities now more than ever, as unemployment rises and people increasingly rely on their services.

While Labor welcomes the latest federal support for the sector, more is needed from the Morrison Government to ensure that charities and not-for-profits can continue to carry out their necessary work.

ENDS

Authorised by Paul Erickson, ALP, Canberra.