And so it added a $250 bonus, which was later reduced to $150.
In April the bonus will be removed and people will be back to getting by on $41 a day.
Last year the Australian Council of Social Service found the rate was some 33% below the poverty line – down from about 5% below in the early 1990s.
In the early 90s, the dole was about 23% of average full-time earnings. Now it is down to 17%.
Adding the bonus kept millions of out of poverty and also helped sustain the economy such that retail spending has surged even in the face of a deep recession.
Shame on companies that use JobKeeper subsidy to pay executive bonuses
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Since the coronavirus pandemic hit last March, the federal government’s $90 billion JobKeeper wage subsidy scheme has helped about 500,000 businesses and more than 3.6 million workers keep their heads above water.
The subsidy scheme was an effective way to support the economy but evidence is growing that not all the companies that received the money really needed it.
In recent weeks, at least three major companies have taken the extraordinary and commendable step of returning the cash handouts.